General elections were held in Venezuela on 14 December 1947.Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p555 They resulted in a decisive victory for Democratic Action (AD). The party's presidential candidate, Rómulo Gallegos received 74.3% of the vote,Nohlen, p579 still the largest presidential win in Venezuela's modern history. AD also won supermajorities in both houses of Congress, with 83 of the 110 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 38 of the 46 seats in the Senate.

These were the first national elections held in Venezuela since the 1945 coup. They were also the first free regular elections since independence in 1830, as well as the first direct elections for president. In previous elections, the Congress of Venezuela had decided and voted on who would assume the presidency.

Background A new constitution was passed by Congress in 1936, and this restricted voting rights to literate males over the age of 21; over half of Venezuelans could not read. Voting reforms were conducted after the coup in 1945. The eligible voting population rose from 5% to 36% after the right to vote was extended to all citizens over the age of 18 regardless of education, gender, or property.

Democratic Action (AD) was founded in September 1941, after President Isaías Medina Angarita liberalized politics in Venezuela and allowed for the creation of new political organisations.

was meant to be Medina's successor, but he withdrew from politics before the 1945 presidential election after suffering from an illness. Minister of Agriculture replaced Escalante, but he was not supported by AD. AD and members of the military worked together to overthrow Medina on 18 October 1945, and created the El Trienio Adeco. New elections were called for 1946 and 1947 in order to elect people to write a new constitution and elect a new Congress of Venezuela and president.

Campaign Members of the (UNE), Acción Electoral, and Acción Nacional formed the Comité de Organización Electoral (CIE) in 1945. On 13 January 1946, CIE was reorganised into Copei. Rafael Caldera initially supported the new government and was made attorney general. However, he resigned on 13 April 1946 after protesting an attempt by the AD to break up a Christian democratic organisation's meeting in Táchira. Copei held its first national convention in September.

The church strongly supported Copei in Táchira and priests told parishioners from the pulpit to vote for the party.

The National Constituent Assembly election to select people to write the constitution was held on 27 October 1946. AD, Copei, Democratic Republican Union (URD), Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV), and Socialist Party (PS) participated in these elections. AD placed first with 78.43% and won in every state except for Táchira and Mérida where Copei won. The assembly was divided between 137 AD members, 19 Copei, 2 URD, and 2 PCV. A new constitution was enacted on 5 July 1947.

Results President Caldera placed first in Táchira and Mérida while Gallegos won every other state. Caldera received a larger percentage of the vote in the presidential race than Copei received in the legislative election. Copei's support rose from 13% in the National Constituent Assembly election to over 20% in the legislative and presidential elections.

Congress In Mérida, the COPEI ran in alliance with the Republican Federal Union. In Tachira the URD ran in alliance with the Liberal Party of Tachira. In the Amazonas Federal Territory the URD ran in alliance with the Progressive Liberal Party.

Chamber seat distribution by state State/TerritoryADCOPEI/UFRURDPLPPCVFederal District7311Anzoátegui41Apure2Aragua31Barinas2Bolívar2Carabobo51Cojedes2Falcón51Guárico3Lara711Mérida23Miranda61Monagas3Nueva Esparta21Portuguesa2Sucre71Táchira24Trujillo52Yaracuy31Zulia811Amazonas Federal Territory1Delta Amacuro Federal Territory1Source: CSE

Senate seat distribution by state +Senate seat distribution by stateState/TerritoryADCOPEI/UFRURDPCVFederal District211Anzoátegui2Apure2Aragua2Barinas2Bolívar2Carabobo2Cojedes2Falcón2Guárico2Lara2Mérida2Miranda2Monagas2Nueva Esparta2Portuguesa2Sucre2Táchira2Trujillo21Yaracuy2Zulia21Amazonas Federal TerritoryDelta Amacuro Federal TerritorySource: CSE

State legislative assemblies StateADCOPEI/UFRURDPCVAnzoátegui131Apure111Aragua122Barinas93Bolívar111Carabobo142Cojedes1011Falcón172Guárico131Lara1821Mérida610Miranda152Monagas121Nueva Esparta84Portuguesa111Sucre182Táchira612Trujillo127Yaracuy121Zulia1822Source: CSE

Municipal councils State/TerritoryADCOPEIURDPLPPCVFederal District14611Amazonas Federal Territory23Delta Amacuro Federal Territory41Source: CSE, Arráiz Lucca

Aftermath The government was overthrown by a coup d'état on 24 November 1948, which eventually led to the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez.

References

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