Caracazo

The Caracazo , or sacudòn' is the whole of Manifestation S and riots which have occurred the February 27th 1989 with Caracas, the capital of the Venezuela, and in the neighborhood cities. These riots, worst of the History of Venezuela, caused the death of more than 300 to 3000 people, as a majority because of the police force.

The word caracazo is formed of the name of the city plus the suffix - azo , which indicates the magnitude, the force. One could translate it by “the great blow of Caracas”. Sacudon' ' has sacudir , just shaken, and is thus used to indicate the days which shook the country.

In Spanish, the words decide respectively /ka ɾa' kaso/(Spanish of America) or /ka ɾa' kaθo/(Spanish of Europe) and IPA: /saku ' ðon/.

Social context, economic and political

To put an end to the Economic crisis in which Venezuela was plunged since the beginning of the Années 1980, the president Carlos Andrés Pérez proposes at the beginning of its second mandate (1989-1993) the adoption of reforms leading to a liberalization of the market, thus following the recommendations of the the IMF. Although some are charmed of these reforms, most of the popular electorate feels betrayed, because Pérez had been elected on the basis of social democrat government program . Pérez was the candidate of party AD (democratic Action), of social democrat tendency . The reforms of Pérez included the Privatization companies belonging to the State, a tax reform, the reduction of the customs tariffs, and the reduction of the intervention of the State in the economy (subsidy and protection of the private companies). That of these drastic reforms which put fire at the powders is the raising of prices of the public transport.

Demonstrations and riots

The demonstrations start with Guarenas (in the State of Miranda), to thirty km in the east of Caracas, the morning of February 27th, 1989. They quickly gain the capital and other cities of the country. the afternoon, of the disorders burst in all the districts of Caracas, the trade are closed and the public transport stop.

The following days, the media show the images of plundering and the damage caused. During months, one discussed to clear up the reasons of so violent revolts in Venezuela.

Exceeded by plunderings, the government declares the state of emergency, placed the city under the martial Loi, and the army crushes the revolt with an incredible violence. Some people use firearms to defend, tackle other civilians or the police force, but the number of dead soldiers and police officers is without common measurement with that of the civilians. Repression is particularly wild in the cerros , the poor suburbs of the capital.

The official results advanced the figure of 279 dead; but thereafter, one discovered mass graves where the government had made bury civilians, not-entered in the first assessment. Not-official assessments go up to 3000 dead.

the National Assembly suspends the constitutional laws, and during several days, the city is plunged in chaos, with food restrictions, militarization, and the persecution and the murder of innocent civilians.

Consequences

In addition to the immediate assessment in human lives, the most manifest consequence is the political instability which followed. The reform program liberal is first of all modified. Two attempts at coups d'etat had in February place and in November 1992. Carlos Andrés Pérez is accused of Corruption, and leaves the presidency. Hugo Chavez, the instigator of one of the coups d'etat, is condemned and imprisoned, but amnestied by the successor of Pérez, Rafael Caldera, and is elected president thereafter.

Works

In 2005, the film Caracazo leaves on the screens, and recalls the events which have occurred in February 1989.

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