Alternative History
Republic of Venezuela
República de Venezuela (Spanish)
Timeline: Pharaonic Survival
Flag of Venezuela Coat of arms of Venezuela (1954-2006)
Flag Coats of Arms
Motto: 
Dios y Federación
("God and Federation")
Anthem: 
Gloria al Bravo Pueblo (Spanish)
("Glory to the Brave People")

Venezuela Map Pharaonic Survival
CapitalCaracas
Largest city Maracaibo
Official languages Spanish
Recognized regional
languages
26 languages
Religion Christianity (Dominant)
Demonym Venezuelan
Government Federal presidential republic
 -  President Jorge Castro
 -  Prime Minister Juan Guaido
Legislature National Assembly
Independence from Spain
 -  Declared 5 July 1811 
 -  from Gran Colombia 13 January 1830 
 -  Recognized 29 March 1845 
 -  Current constitution 16 January 1947 
Area
 -  Total 916,445 km2 
353,841 sq mi 
Population
 -   estimate 38,459,333 
GDP (PPP) 2050 estimate
 -  Total $2 trillion 
 -  Per capita $52,632 
GDP (nominal) 2050 estimate
 -  Total $1 trillion 
 -  Per capita $26,316 
Gini (2049) 36 
HDI (2050) 0.888 
Currency Venezuelan bolívar (VED)
Time zone UTC−4 (VET)
Drives on the Right
Internet TLD .ve
Calling code +58

Venezuela, officially the Republic of Venezuela, is a sovereign country member of UNASUR located in northern South America. Its capital and largest city is Caracas. Geographically, the Venezuelan territory is made up of a continental part and a large number of small islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea.

It is organized as a federal and presidential republic composed of 23 federated states, the federal district (where Caracas is located) and 12 Federal Dependencies in the aquatic spaces (which are not located within the federal entities). The territory of Venezuela has a territorial extension of 916,445 km², where it borders to the north with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, to the west with Colombia, to the south with Brazil and to the east with Guyana.

Due to its maritime spaces, it exercises sovereignty over 71,295 km² of territorial sea, 22,224 km² in its contiguous zone, 471,507 km² of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean under the concept of exclusive economic zone, and 99,889 km² of continental shelf.

Venezuela is a developed country, with a very well diversified economy, which goes hand in hand with agricultural and industrial activities, especially with oil, and which occupies the 13th place worldwide. It is classified as a high-income country, with a human development index of 0.873, the third largest in Latin America behind Mexico and Peru, this may be largely due to its GDP per capita of 2,921,490 dollars, the highest in its region. Venezuela is a founding member of the UN, OAS, UNASUR, Mercosur, ALADI, OEI, Unilat, SHEMU, and is also part of the OECD.

Toponymy[]

An expedition led by Alonso de Ojeda sailed along the coast of the territory until reaching the entrance to the current Lake Maracaibo, in a gulf located between the Paraguaná and Guajira peninsulas. During that voyage, the crew observed dwellings built by the Añú indigenous people, erected on wooden stilts that jutted out of the water. These stilt houses reminded Amerigo Vespucci of the city of Venice—Venezia in Italian—, as he stated in a letter to Piero de Médici. This was a reason that inspired Ojeda to give the name of Venezziola or Venezuela—Little Venice—to the region and the gulf in which they had made the discovery, and thus it was named the Gulf of Venezuela. The name coined by the explorer would later encompass the entire territory. Later, the region was also known as Tierra Firme, as it was the first non-island region of the continent to be explored by Europeans.

History[]

Dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez[]

First World War[]

The nation's involvement in the war dated back to the aftermath of the United States' entry into the conflict in 1917. President Woodrow Wilson instructed the State Department to redouble diplomatic pressures on Venezuela and other South American countries to adopt a belligerent stance toward the German Empire and break all diplomatic ties with them, with Brazil, and Chile becoming the leading forces in the South American involvement in Europe. Juan Vicente Gómez, the de facto ruler of Venezuela at the time, had vehemently refused to involve the country in the conflict from the beginning and had resisted all diplomatic and political pressures, as well as threats, from the Entente and the Central Powers to join either side. When the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, a delegation of American diplomats led by Preston McGoodwin, who was the U.S. representative for Venezuela, traveled to Caracas in July of that year to convince provisional president Victorino Márquez Bustillos to enter the war on the side of the Entente. Bustillos, who acted as a sort of prime minister who answered to Gómez from his residence in Maracay and had no real power when it came to such decisions, was reluctant to have Venezuela involved in the conflict due to Gómez's neutral stance and refusal to enter into talks with the U.S. government, a situation that has been a constant cause of protest by Preston McGoodwin to the State Department due to his failure to engage with a government that was ruled by a provisional president and an elected president with equal authority.

After months of back-and-forth negotiations between both parties, a breakthrough was finally achieved when several American companies offered to pay the Venezuelan government large sums of money in concessions to drill and exploit oil and other natural resources on Venezuelan soil, so Gomez after much deliberation with his cabinet accepted the offer after coming to the conclusion that said money could be used for the development of the country and on the contrary, his hold on power would be further solidified and remain unchallenged. In September 1917, Venezuela officially declared war on Germany, expelling the Kaiser's representatives from the country in the process, and the Venezuelan Expeditionary Force came into being after a vote in Congress authorized its creation that same month.

The VEF was led by Major General Lino Alfonso Díaz Torres, a trusted member of Juan Vicente Gómez's military circle and a veteran of the Liberating Revolution. The force departed for the United States for training in December 1917, as per the agreement between the two countries specified, and was then sent to Europe along with the bulk of the American Expeditionary Forces in April 1918. The first shots fired by members of the VEF took place at the Battle of Cantigny, and from there the Force served with distinction and gallantry throughout the conflict. By the time the cessation of hostilities took effect in November 1918 and the armistice was signed, a total of 147 Venezuelan soldiers were killed in action on the Western Front, with 330 wounded.

The return of the VEF soldiers on January 20, 1919 was the cause of much fanfare and celebration throughout the country, with Juan Vicente Gomez present at the port of La Guaira to greet the arrival of the ship carrying Venezuela's new heroes. A military parade was organized in Caracas, and General Lino Alfonso Díaz Torres, upon his return, was awarded the Order of the Liberator, Venezuela's highest decoration. On the outskirts of the city of Valencia, Carabobo, a cemetery was built for the fallen, and it was called "The Cemetery of the Fallen Heroes of the Great War." The actions and exploits of the members of the Venezuelan Expeditionary Force during the Great War became a proud chapter in the pages of Venezuelan history and a testament to the country's fighting spirit and determination.

Post war[]

Venezuelan battleship Maturín before its modernization

Venezuelan battleship Maturín, would be the nation's flagship until 1953.

During the 1920s two important events occurred that were very important for the future of the nation. The arrival of the migrants and ships of the Wrangel Fleet, and the expansion of oil exploitation in the nation.

The White Russians trapped in Crimea knew what awaited them when the Soviets arrived. Death followed the Soviets like a black cloud. So they had a great incentive to disembark and emigrate to another country. The White Russians also required all the finance they could raise to evacuate the citizenry, then clothe and feed them until they could move to a final destination. They stripped Crimea of ​​everything that could be loaded onto the convoy of ships in Sevastopol.

The first movement of the fleet was to Turkish waters, where they would later depart for another region, it was decided to offer the entire fleet for sale to obtain not only foreign currency but to offer asylum to the refugees. News of the offer was then sent by the White Russians to their countries of choice with requests for asylum for the 50 ships and over 100,000 men, women and children aboard them. Rejection after rejection came by telegraph and the list was narrowed down to countries that were a marginal option. Unexpectedly, Venezuela offered to take charge not only of the ships but of the refugees; the Gomez government saw the perfect opportunity not only to obtain a fleet at practically a giveaway price but also to acquire the thousands of refugees who would be integrated into Venezuelan society seeking to populate the most uninhabited regions of the nation. In this way, Gomez wanted to transform his nation into an important player on a continental level by acquiring the ships and their personnel, which would be the first step to transform the Venezuelan Navy into an important factor within South America and enter the club of countries with battleships.

In December 1920 an emissary from the Venezuelans arrived requesting an audience with the White Russian leadership. The Venezuelans spent the next week interviewing and inspecting the ships, their crews, and the general population as to their abilities. The Venezuelans agreed with the White Russian leaders that Venezuela would offer asylum to all of the fleet who wished to come to Venezuela and citizenship upon arrival in Venezuela. The Venezuelans would also purchase any ship from the "White Russian Government" that arrived in Venezuelan waters. The money from these purchases would be disbursed among all the immigrants at a rate to be worked out with the White Russian Government. All who arrived in Venezuela would have a stake with which to begin their new life. 98% of the refugees decided to accept this offer. The last 2% went to France. In one fell swoop, Venezuelans went from being a third or fourth division country to equaling their strength with Brazil, the United Provinces and Chile in South America. More than half a million Venezuelans lined up on the coast and at the viewing points around Puerto Cabello to welcome the new arrival of the Venezuelan Navy.

Presidency of Eleazar López Contreras[]

Second World War[]

Venezuela remained neutral during the war in those years. However, during the war between Ecuador and Peru, President Medina Angarita sent his fleet to support the Ecuadorians to help against the Peruvian fleet. The Battleship Maturín was sent to prevent Peruvian forces from claiming more territories from the equatorial country. This fact led to almost the direct involvement of Venezuela in the direct war against Peru and almost internationalizing the conflict if it were not for the mediation of the Brazilian Empire and the United States, avoiding a large-scale war on the continent in the midst of the internationalization of the war prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The entry of the United States and Brazil into the war had a chain effect on several countries on the continent. Venezuela again aligned itself with the Allies in part due to President Roosevelt's promises of more investment for the nation in its construction and modernization programs and the desire to align all American nations under his control. In this way, the country became directly involved in the war, mobilizing combat forces to be used directly on the battlefield and its fleet attached to the naval efforts in the Pacific, all at the insistence of President Angarita, who was known for his excellent relations with the American president.

The Venezuelan Army was prepared for the campaigns in Europe where they would be used after being reequipped and trained by British and Egyptian instructors in Operation Torch in 1943 in the Vichy Algeria campaign, there they took part in the Kasserine offensive where they were one of the few units that were not massacred in battle by Rommel's forces, although the subsequent result was the breaking of the German-Italian defenses in which several units helped in the penetration of the forward lines (albeit with considerable losses) which allowed the subsequent surrender of the Axis forces and the capitulation of Tunisia.

Venezuelan battleship Maturin after being modernized

Battleship Maturín, was the most famous and successful ship in Venezuelan history for its successful operations during the war in the Pacific.

In the Pacific, most of Venezuela's participation was framed in the fight against the Japanese, with the Venezuelan fleet in the front. For the first time in several years, the two battleships Maturín and Maracaibo were used at the same time (thanks to the enormous economic support of the United States, which needed battleships in large numbers at the time), and were of great help in the battles of Guadalcanal, although largely as a strategic reserve at the beginning. After the disastrous defeat of Tassafaronga they were placed in the front line of battle where they gave a rather mixed result, although they achieved important success by helping to damage the Japanese battleship Suruga and in the joint sinking of the battleship Ise. In the remaining years, they supported the landing operations by carrying out naval bombardments of the coasts and by converting convoys in the supply lines. It would be in the battles of Leyte Gulf where the Venezuelan navy had its most important participation. Where attached to the force of Taffy 3 they found themselves facing Admiral Kurita's central force with six battleships in front. Despite being outnumbered, the Venezuelan and American ships bravely faced the Japanese to defend the Allied troops on the beaches of the Philippines from the guns of the enemy ships. The battle lasted about six hours where the Venezuelan and American ships managed to successfully hold off the Japanese navy, sinking the battleship Nagato and a heavy cruiser in the process, although the battleship Maracaibo was blown up with all its crew by the fire of the Japanese super battleships. Despite the losses, the Japanese forces could not break through the defense and, fearing a possible Allied air-naval retaliation, they retreated to their bases. The Battle of the Samar Sea was the greatest naval victory in Venezuelan history and would be remembered as the day of the Venezuelan Navy. The Venezuelan Navy would be honored and its crew decorated for their actions by the Allied forces in Samar. They would participate in the rest of the naval campaigns and landings of the war, being victims of several kamikaze attacks, shooting down five of them. The battleship Maturín would be in Tokyo Bay during the Japanese surrender, returning to Venezuela as the most famous ship in the country and the Latin American continent.

The success of the nation in the war would be the perfect foundation for the modernist and industrial plans of Medina Angarita and ensured the presidency of his successor Arturo Uslar Pietri in the future.

Industrialization and Uslar Pietri's government[]

Democratic Era[]

The 1950s and 1980s were marked by unparalleled progress in visionary and technologically advanced infrastructure for the country, mainly thanks to oil. This, the special encouragement of European immigration and the completion of ambitious public works projects.

Venezuela's economic indicators also showed a growing country, with low inflation and high levels of employment. The country was transformed from a rural population to one of the references of modernism in Latin America. During this period, the main communication routes were built, linking the west, center and east of the country, as well as industrial conglomerates and large monuments.

These years were also considered as the economic boom that was based on oil production. This went from 1.8 million barrels per day (priced at 2.14 dollars) to 2.77 million barrels per day (priced at 2.65 dollars). In turn, the growth of the Venezuelan economy from 1952 to 1980 was the highest in the Western Hemisphere, above powers such as the United States and the United Kingdom.

The first alternation in power between the traditional political parties Acción Democrática and COPEI since 1947 occurred in 1998 with the victory of Henrique Salas Romer with the Proyecto Venezuela coalition.

Present[]

Maria-corina-machado

Maria Corina Machado, first female president in Venezuelan history.

The country is currently emerging as one of the states with the most growth and reduction of poverty on the continent and in the world. In 2011, the country was added to UNASUR and the OECD, in addition to the installation of several special economic zones on the country's coasts. A second political alternation occurred in 2018 with the victory of Maria Corina Machado for the MIN (National Integration Movement).

Government and Politics[]

The current Constitution of Venezuela, approved by the Congress of the Republic on January 16, 1947 and promulgated seven days later, establishes that the Republic of Venezuela is constituted in a Democratic State of Law and Justice that "advocates as superior values ​​of its legal system and its action, life, liberty, justice, democracy, independence, federal character and, in general, the preeminence of human rights and ethics.

It is also established that the form of Government is that of a presidential Republic, headed by the President of the Republic, who functions as Head of State and Head of the National Executive Branch at the same time. Sovereignty is exercised in two ways: directly through the Constitution itself and the law, and indirectly, through suffrage. All public entities are subject to the provisions in this Constitution. The President has the power to direct the actions of the Government.

The national authorities of the State reside in Caracas, Capital District, since according to the National Constitution, it is the seat of the organs of the National Public Power.

The National Public Power is divided into Legislative, with the bicameral Congress of the Republic of Venezuela, divided into 192 deputies and 65 senators elected by universal suffrage; Executive, with the President of the Republic, elected by universal suffrage for a single period of 5 years, and his ministers; Judicial, by the Supreme Court of Justice, and Electoral, represented by the Supreme Electoral Council, who is in charge of ensuring impartiality when voting, such as regulating and proportionalizing general votes.

International relations[]

Venezuelan foreign policy is mainly focused on establishing good and stable relations with its neighboring countries, as with any country that wishes to establish ties with the common nation.

Venezuela is a close ally of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and the United States in the political, economic, commercial, military, legal, geopolitical and geostrategic fields. Venezuela has occupied a seat in the UN Security Council on four occasions, in the periods of 1962 to 1963, 1977 to 1978, 1986 to 1987, 1992 to 1993 and 2006 to 2007. Likewise, Venezuela, along with Mexico, Colombia and Peru, has contributed troops to various conflicts involving the United States such as the Vietnam Wars among others.

During the 1990s, Venezuela has experienced certain changes in its foreign policy, mainly in international trade, regional integration and greater independence from hegemonic powers.

Armed forces[]

VeneAvia C-15A Jaguar

VeneAvia C-15A Jaguar, main fighter aircraft of the Venezuelan Air Force and the first manufactured in the country.

The Venezuelan Armed Forces are grouped by five essential components, the Venezuelan Army, the Venezuelan Navy, the Venezuelan Military Aviation, the Venezuelan National Guard and the Venezuelan Militia. Its armed forces are considered the best in the Caribbean and the third best in Latin America, behind Mexico and Brazil.

The Venezuelan military institution as a whole has its roots in the Liberation Army commanded by Simón Bolívar and several republican leaders during the War of Independence, but it cannot be said that there was a permanent and professional army until 1910, when General Juan Vicente Gómez put into operation the Military Academy of Venezuela, together with the establishment of new institutions for its activity, the National Aviation and a new Military Code, in order to eliminate the various regional caudillismos and the preservation of peace in the country.

Military service is not compulsory—although there is no forced recruitment—for any man or woman between the ages of 18 and 60, and must be completed for a period of one year. The Venezuelan Armed Forces have experienced unprecedented growth, incorporating military equipment mostly from the United States and Mexico into almost all segments of their arsenal, allowing for an almost total modernization of the force.