Jaime Lusinchi - Political Career

Political Career

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.

During his time at 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 19 October 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 24 November 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 23 January 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 lost 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 29 June 1982, he was proclaimed as a candidate for the 1983 elections.

On 4 December 1983, Lusinchi with 56% of the votes, won the presidency, and Acción Democrática obtained an absolute majority at the Congress. On 2 February 1984, he was sworn in as President of Venezuela for a five-year term.