The history of Venezuela spans approximately 15 centuries, as it does not begin with the arrival of Christopher Columbus, but rather with the presence of homo venezuelanensis , whose early years were marked by slow evolution until their definitive integration into Western civilization through mestizaje (racial and cultural mixing) beginning in the 16th century. Since then, with the arrival of political, economic, and cultural institutions from Spain and the influence of the Enlightenment, Venezuelan society gradually took shape, reaching consolidation in the 19th century, considered the country’s “golden age.”
Pre-Hispanic Era and Indigenous Groups
The origin of the American man has been a subject of debate, but the most accepted theory is one of progressive settlement in waves. In Venezuela, it is estimated that humans appeared around 15,000 years ago, evidenced by findings in the Falcón state. By about 6,000 B.C., seashell gatherers emerged in the west and later migrated to the east.
Indigenous peoples already had a social organization before the arrival of Europeans. Ethnologist Miguel Acosta Saignes classified ten indigenous linguistic areas in Venezuela, including the Caribs, Timoto-Cuicas, Waraos (Guaraúnos), and Arawaks (Arawacos), among others. Although they did not work with metals as in other regions, they excelled in agriculture, cultivating potatoes, corn, and cassava—products that quickly became part of European cuisine. According to the 1992 census, the indigenous population in Venezuela was 314,772 people, with the Wayuu being the largest group.
The Name Venezuela and the Arrival of Europeans
On August 3, 1498, Christopher Columbus arrived on the Venezuelan coast, naming it Tierra de Gracia (Land of Grace). In 1499, Alonso de Ojeda, accompanied by Amerigo Vespucci, explored the region and discovered Lake Maracaibo. While it has often been said that the name Venezuela comes from the resemblance of indigenous stilt houses to Venice, some studies suggest it originated from a pre-existing indigenous name: Veneciuela.
First Cities and Governorships
The first Spanish settlement was Nueva Cádiz, located on Cubagua Island, established in 1528 and abandoned in 1541. Other cities founded later include Coro (1529), Maracaibo (1569), Caracas (1567), and Ciudad Bolívar (1764), among others.
Regarding territorial administration, the first governorship was Coquibacoa (1501), followed by the creation of provinces such as Margarita (1525), Venezuela (1528), Cumaná (1562), Guayana (1591), and Maracaibo (1622). In 1777, King Charles III unified several provinces under the Captaincy General of Venezuela, consolidating the political and military administration of the territory.
Culture and Education in Venezuela
Venezuelan culture arose from the fusion between indigenous peoples and Spaniards. During colonization, missionaries established schools for the indigenous population, with the Franciscan convent in Cumaná (1516) standing out. In 1778, María de Alcalá founded the first free school. In 1628, the Jesuits established a college in Mérida, which was the precursor to the University of the Andes (1810). In Caracas, education began in 1591, and in 1721, the Central University of Venezuela was founded, offering courses in Latin, theology, law, and medicine.
Independence Process
The first pre-independence movements were led by Manuel Gual and José María España (1797) and Francisco de Miranda (1806), although their attempts failed. On April 19, 1810, the Independence Revolution began with the removal of Governor Vicente Emparán. In 1811, the first Congress was installed, but the First Republic fell in 1812 after Miranda's surrender.
In 1813, Simón Bolívar, coming from New Granada (present-day Colombia), launched the "Admirable Campaign" and entered Caracas on August 6. However, the Second Republic collapsed in 1814 due to the royalist offensive led by José Tomás Boves. In exile, Bolívar wrote the "Letter from Jamaica" in 1815, outlining his vision for Latin America. In 1817, the Republic strengthened after the victory at San Félix, led by Manuel Piar.
The Angostura Congress (1819) proclaimed the union of Venezuela and New Granada, forming Gran Colombia. Bolívar continued the war, securing independence with the victory at Carabobo (1821) and the signing of the Trujillo Armistice (1820).
Consolidation of Venezuela as an Independent State
In 1830, Venezuela separated from Gran Colombia and adopted its own Constitution, with José Antonio Páez as its first president. Since then, the country experienced conflicts between conservatives and liberals, including the Federal War (1859–1863). Antonio Guzmán Blanco ruled intermittently between 1870 and 1887, promoting modernization and centralism.
At the end of the 19th century, Cipriano Castro assumed power in 1899, but in 1908 he was replaced by his close ally Juan Vicente Gómez, who ruled dictatorially until 1935. His death marked the start of a democratic transition under Eleazar López Contreras (1935–1941) and Isaías Medina Angarita (1941–1945).
In 1945, a coup brought Rómulo Betancourt to power. In 1948, writer Rómulo Gallegos was elected president but was overthrown months later by Marcos Pérez Jiménez, who established a dictatorship until his fall in 1958.
Contemporary Democracy
After Pérez Jiménez's downfall, Rómulo Betancourt (1959–1964) assumed the presidency, consolidating democracy. He was followed by Raúl Leoni (1964–1969), Rafael Caldera (1969–1974), Carlos Andrés Pérez (1974–1979), and Luis Herrera Campins (1979–1984), among others. During Pérez's second term (1989–1993), Venezuela faced economic crises and two coup attempts in 1992.
Since then, the country has gone through periods of political instability and structural changes that have shaped its recent history.
