Jaime Lusinchi

Infobox_President
name=Jaime Lusinchi


order=57th President of Venezuela
term_start=February 2, 1984
term_end=February 2 1989
predecessor=Luis Herrera Campins
successor=Carlos Andrés Pérez
office3=Senator for life
term_start3=February 2, 1989
term_end3=August 13, 1993
office4=
term_start4=1998
term_end4=1999
birth_date=Birth date and age|1924|5|27|mf=y
birth_place=Clarines, Anzoátegui, Venezuela
occupation=Physician
religion=Roman Catholic


party=Acción Democrática
spouse=Gladys Castillo (div.)
Blanca Ibañez|
alma_mater=Central University of Venezuela |

Jaime Lusinchi (born 1924) is a Venezuelan politician who was the President of Venezuela from 1984 to 1989. His term was characterized by an economic crisis, growth of the External debt, populist policies, currency depreciation, inflation and corruption that exacerbated the crisis of the political system established in 1958.

Accused of corruption after leaving office, Lusinchi was popular during his presidency, and was succeeded by a member of his party, Carlos Andrés Pérez.

Life and career

Jaime Lusinchi was born in Clarines, Anzoátegui, on May 27, 1924. His mother María Angelica Lusinchi, from an Italian-Corsican descent, gave him her family name, growing up without the presence of a father (who probably was an Italian emigrant). Lusinchi attended elementary school in his native Clarines and Puerto Píritu, and high school at the Federa School of Barcelona, Anzoátegui. In 1941 started to study Medicine at the University of the Andes in Mérida, but soon moved to Caracas continuing his career at the Central University of Venezuela graduating in 1947.From 1937, at the age of 15, Lusinchi vinculated to the National Democratic Party, organization created by Rómulo Betancourt against the government of Eleazar López Contreras. In 1941, Lusinchi was present at the foundation of the social democratic party Acción Democrática. The same year he married Gladys Castillo.

During his time on college, Lusinchi stood out as a political activist, was secretary of the School Medicine Council, vice president of the Venezuelan Association of Youth, and vice president of the Student Federation of Venezuela, a Radical organization with influences of Marxism, being part of the revolutionary movement of October 19, 1945, which overthrew the government of Isaías Medina Angarita. In 1948, was elected president of the Municipal Council of Freites District and president of the Legislative Assembly of Anzoátegui, as well as regional secretary of Acción Democrática.

After the overthrow of Rómulo Gallegos by a military coup, on November 24, 1948, Lusinchi continued carrying out political activities whilst in hiding from the authorities. He worked in a hospital belonging to the oil company Mene Grande in San Tomé (Anzoátegui state) - however he soon moved to Caracas to avoid the persecution of security forces, who arrested him several times.

In Caracas he was part of the clandestine organization of Acción Democrática, which in coordination with the leadership in exile established resistance to the dictatorship. Lusinchi acquired responsibilities in the national secretariats of organization and propaganda, and was a member of the party's Political Bureau. In 1950 he was one of the organizers of the nationwide strike of oil workers. After the 1952 election fraud, which dissolved the Civic-Military Junta and began the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, Lusinchi was captured and imprisoned at the National Security.

A month later he was transferred to the "Cárcel Modelo" (Model Prison) in Caracas, and was released shortly after that, beginning an exile of five years in Argentina, Chile and the United States. During his stay in Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile, he undertook postgraduate study in Pediatrics. He resided in Santiago from 1953 and worked at Roberto del Río Hospital. In addition, he struck up friendships with prominent figures in local politics, such as the Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Montalva and the socialist Salvador Allende.

In 1956 moved to New York City, which was the focal point of Acción Democrática's leadership in exile, with Betancourt as principal leader. At this city, Lusinchi gets a master's degree in pediatrics, at Lincoln Hospital and the Bellevue Hospital Center, joining the American Academy of Pediatrics.

On January 23, 1958, democracy was restored in Venezuela. After the fall of Pérez Jiménez Government, Lusinchi returns from exile, and joined the National Executive Committee of Acción Democrática as secretary for International Affairs. In the 1959 General Elections he was elected deputy for Anzoátegui for the National Congress, being re-elected in 1963, 1968 and 1973.

In 1977, Lusinchi unsuccessfully ran for the presidential candidacy of Acción Democrática at the 1978 elections, being defeated by Luis Piñerúa Ordaz (who lose against the candidate of COPEI, Luis Herrera Campins). After this, Lusinchi was elected senator for the 1979-1984 period. On March, 1981 he was elected General Secretary of Acción Democrática, and on June 29 1982, he was proclaimed as a candidate for the 1983 elections.

On December 4, 1983, Lusinchi with 56% of the votes, wins the presidency, and Acción Democrática obtains an absolute majority at the Congress. On February 2, 1984, sworn in as President of Venezuela for a five-year term. [http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/venezuela/jaime_lusinchi#1 Life and career] ]

Presidency

Lusinchi started his presidency at the age of 59, with the promise to govern with fairness, transparency, social sensitivity and austerity in the use of public funds, presenting himself as a moderate president.

The first three years of his presidency are characterized by efforts for economy stabilization, the paying off of external debts, reduction of public spending, social programs for benefit of community and the promotion of industrial activity. These expectations were not accomplished. On the one hand, agriculture and the iron industry were developed during this administration. The country regained positive growth rates, after close in 1984 with a severe recession with 6% of GDP, and an official rate of unemployment inherited from Herrera´s government of 20%.

Also, during this period entered into negotiations the restructuring of interest payments and amortizations of the external debt, which in 1985 the accumulated 36 Million Dollar (of which 28 were from the public sector), contracted with the international private banking and multilateral agencies. The first positive result of this serious effort was that Venezuela's rating regained eligibility for credit. In addition, Lusinchi took initiatives to increase oil prices via OPEC. However, Lusinchi was not successful at this crucials propositions for national development. The oil market was fluctuating and unpredictable, the oil prices were low, and the Venezuelan economic structure remained basically on this target. This situation broke government's fiscal budget, depleting financial reserves for payment of debt, the principal promise during Lusinchi's campaign.

1985 was characterized by a relative social peace and the absence of labor disputes and strikes, in part due to the support of the government by the largest trade union of the country, the Confederation of Workers of Venezuela, which has traditionally been closely linked to Acción Democrática. During this year Lusinchi welcomed John Paul II, the first Pope ever to visit Venezuela. But in the second half of his presidency, the social malaise grew, and the government was pressed to change the direction of its policies. In December, 1986 it was decided to devalue the bolivar to 93% at the official exchange, culminating with three years of depreciation of the national currency from February, 1983, also introduces a system of multiple currency changes. In 1987, Lusinchi's finally stops the economic program carried out from the beginning of his term in office, and gave up his attempts to pay off the external debt, control the fiscal deficit and restrain public spending.

After that, he decreed salary increase, price controls, emission of currency and compensatory bonds for subsidies. These measures tried to appease social tensions, that from 1987 appeared with more intensity. The consequences of this economic program were, more inflation and budget deficits.

The return to economic populism like previous administrations safeguarded Lusinchi's popularity, although currency devaluation, corruption, media criticism and unsatisfactory results at the Presidential Commission for State Reform (COPRE), established on December 17, 1984 and whose work encountered the same bureaucratic problems and administrative inefficiency, which it attempted to solve.

Lusinchi's presidency also faced the massacres of "Yumare", in Yaracuy, on May 8, 1986 by the DISIP (political police of Venezuela), executing nine members of the subversive group "Punto Cero"; and "El Amparo", in Apure state, on October 29, 1988, being killed by the army 14 fishermen, confused as guerrillas.

Lusinchi divorced Gladys Castillo in 1991 and married his private secretary Blanca Ibáñez, although his relationship with Ibáñez caused great controversy among public opinion during his administration, when Ibañez practiced the role of first lady, being part of the political decisions of government.
[
Belisario Betancur in Bogotá] Lusinchi supported the former minister and political leader Octavio Lepage in his bid to be AD's candidate for the 1988 elections, but Lepage was defeated in the internal elections of the party on October, 1987, by the former president Carlos Andrés Pérez. Pérez was elected for a new period at the presidency in 1988. Lusinchi finish his term in office on February 2, 1989. [http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/venezuela/jaime_lusinchi#2 Presidency] ]

John Paul II visits Venezuela

Pope John Paul II visited Venezuela on January, 1986, being the first visit of a Roman pontiff to the country. This special event, mobilizes thousands of people and conducts cultural and religious programs in several cities including Mérida and Caracas. In the place where is celebrated Pope's ceremony in Caracas, will be built years later a housing complex with the name John Paul II, which unfortunately, is tarnished by a corruption scandal. [http://www.fpolar.org.ve/Encarte/fasciculo25/fasc2505.html John Paul II visits Venezuela] ]

Caldas incident

On August 13, 1987, the Gulf of Venezuela is incursionated by the Colombian corvette "Caldas", creating an extreme crisis in Colombian-Venezuelan relations, being near of an armed confrontation, those are days of military movements in both countries. The crisis was resolved by dialogue between presidents Jaime Lusinchi and Virgilio Barco. [http://www.fpolar.org.ve/Encarte/fasciculo25/fasc2503.html Caldas incident] ]

Blanca Ibañez, Private Secretary

During Lusinchi's period, Blanca Ibañez his private secretary and extramarital lover, had an important role in Venezuela's politics, being a key member of the government and the target for accusations of corruption. The performance of Ibañez, goes from, her military attire at "El Limón" River tragedy, the declaration of adopted daughter of La Grita, accusations of irregularities with regard to the John Paul II housing complex, and her rejection from La Moncloa. [http://www.fpolar.org.ve/Encarte/fasciculo25/fasc2504.html Blanca Ibañez: Private Secretary] ]

Later career

After the end of his presidency Lusinchi was appointed as Senator for life, as permitted by the 1961 constitution. From March 27, 1990 Lusinchi was subject of a parliamentary inquiry, by a corruption scandal of huge proportions during his government. Accused for the use of influences at the currency exchange, through the financial Regime of Preferential Currency Change (RECADI), the management of funds of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, for the purchase of 65 jeeps used at the 1988 Campaign of Acción Democrática, the use of some funds of the National Institute of Hippodromes, and for being, in August, 1993, behind the campaign of mail bombs, sent by anonymous persons to the Supreme Court with the purpose of intimidation.

On November, 1991, the Venezuelan Congress issued a "political and moral condemnation," without criminal referrals, against the former president, for his responsibility for economic mismanagement and administrative irregularities during his government. On August 10, 1993, while the public attention was dominated by the legal and political troubles of Carlos Andrés Pérez, the Supreme Court, after finding evidence of crime in the charges filed against Lusinchi, provided by the Attorney General's Office, started the proceedings.

On August 13, Lusinchi was stripped of his senatorial immunity, and is prohibited by a judge from leaving of country. Lusinchi responded by, flying to Miami and then to Costa Rica, where meets with Blanca Ibañez, who in September, 1991, became his wife in a wedding held in New York City, after obtaining the divorce from Gladys Castillo. On July, 1994 and February, 1997, were declared prescribed by a court, the trials opened against the former president for the use of funds from the Foreign Ministry and the National Institute of Hippodromes, but on October, 1999 the Supreme Court reversed both decisions. However, although the process was reopened, the corruption charges expired.

In addition, on June, 2006, the former president, seven former officials of his government and 38 retired officials of the DISIP were accused at the 6th control court of Yaracuy, by relatives of the victims of the Yumare massacre. Jaime Lusinchi lives in self-imposed exile at the city of Miami. [http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/venezuela/jaime_lusinchi#3 Later trajectory] ]

Trivia

* During Lusinchi's government the José María Vargas Boulevard ("Paseo Vargas") was constructed in Caracas.
* Jaime Lusinchi has been parodied at Venezuelan media as an alcoholic, for his tendency to drink in excess.
* In a news conference, Lusinchi respond to a journalist of RCTV "Tu no me jodes" ("You don´t fuck with me").
* Lusinchi's Private Secretary and second wife Blanca Ibañez was known as "La Barragana".

See also

*Venezuela
*Presidents of Venezuela

References

External links

* [http://www.gobiernoenlinea.gob.ve/venezuela/perfil_presidente38.html Jaime Lusinchi] — Official biography.
* [http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacion/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/venezuela/jaime_lusinchi Extended bio by CIDOB Foundation]
* [http://www.efemeridesvenezolanas.com/html/lusinchi.htm Efemérides Venezolanas - Jaime Lusinchi]