Eleazar López Contreras
José Eleazar López Contreras was the president of Venezuela between 1935 and 1941. He was an army general and one of Juan Vicente Gómez's collaborators, serving as his War Minister from 1931.
In 1939, Contreras accepted on behalf of Venezuela the ships Koenigstein and Caribia which had fled with Jews from Germany.
Presidency
After Juan Vicente Gómez's death on 17 December 1935, the Council of Ministers named López as interim president. His was ratified by Congress on 2 January 1936.López supported gradual democratization, while fearing competitive politics. He held the view that the president must manipulate the political system to avoid what he saw as destructive political changes. He was ideologically conservative. He reformed the Constitution in July 1936, reducing the presidential term from 7 to 5 years, a clause that he himself applied. However, authoritarian measures were legalized, such as exile by presidential decree and the proscription of communist and anarchist ideologies, which caused several politicians accused of such to be expelled from the country, among them Rómulo Betancourt.
At the beginning of his presidency, he faced two great crises: the first one was on Friday, 14 February 1936, when a popular demonstration arrived at Miraflores to demand the restitution of constitutional guarantees, the dissolution of the Gomecista majority Congress and the summoning of a National Constituent Assembly. The bloody events that took place during the repression of said demonstration led to the immediate dismissal and temporary arrest of the Governor of the Capital District, Felix Galavis. President Lopez partially accepted the demands. The second was the labor strike in June of the same year, where the purpose of the opposition was to overthrow him, which was not accomplished.
His government is remembered for the creation of protection and assistance organisms such as the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance by a decree on 25 February 1936. The importance of public hygiene was stated as a motive. Many of the innovations that the Ministry introduced were due to Arnoldo Gabaldón, who brought recommendations from the Conference of Directors of Public Health in Washington, D.C. in 1936. The Ministry of Agriculture and Breeding was also created due to the importance that the policy of Contreras intended to attribute to agricultural development. On 6 August 1936, he created the Venezuelan Children's Council. In 1938, the Technical Institute of Immigration and Colonization was created, through which the government planned to distribute large estates to Venezuelan and foreign farmers, in order to repopulate the countryside and to raise the quality of life.
He considered letting a civilian succeed him as president, but was persuaded by his military colleagues to designate General Isaias Medina Angarita as his successor.
1936 Constitution
Main changes:- Senators and deputies are elected by second degree elections. They are in charge of electing the President of the Republic. With the 1945 reform, parliamentarians are elected directly.
- The presidential term is reduced from 7 to 5 years.
- The parliamentary term is 4 years.
- Men over 21 years of age and literate can elect and be elected.
- Women can participate in the elections to Municipal Councils. After the reform of 1945, women are allowed to vote universally and by secret ballot.
- The name of Zamora State is changed to Barinas State.
- Communist and anarchist activities are prohibited, but in the reform of 1945 this provision is suppressed.