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MASTER'S THESIS M-598 KINGSBURY, Ann Brooke Peterson, INTER­ NATIONAL LABOR ACTIVITIES IN VENEZUELA. The American University, M.A., 1964 Political Science, international law and relations University Microfilms. Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan INTERNATIONAL LABOR ACTIVITIES IN VENEZUELA by Ann Brooke Peterson Kingsbury Submitted to the Faculty of the School of International Service of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Signatures of Committee: Chairman: « /Dean Af f vhe ^School Date : 1964 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY The American University LIBRARY Washington, D.C. APR Z 81964 WASHINGTON. D. C. FOREWORD While this paper was in the hands of the typist two events occurred in Venezuela which have a direct bearing on the conclusions expressed by the writer. First of all, Romulo Betancourt did indeed succeed in turning over the reins of government to his successor. Secondly, the Christian Democratic political group left the coalition with Accion Democratica. In view of the close involvement of the labor movement in Venezuela, as elsewhere in Latin America, in politics, the withdrawal of the Christian Democratic forces from the coalition will undoubtedly significantly affect the Vene­ zuelan labor movement. It is to be hoped that this will not be the be­ ginning of a lack of co-operation and unity between these labor groups, which in the past have been able to build a strong democratic labor move­ ment and to purge the Communists by combining forces and working together. Since there is, to the writer's knowledge, no complete study of the Venezuelan labor movement, bibliographical materials were largely limited to studies of the Latin American labor movement in which Venezuela was men­ tioned, to newspaper articles on Venezuela, to labor publications such as the Inter-American Bulletin, the Free Labour World. The AIFLD Report. and Pueblo. and to various conference proceedings of inter-American and inter­ national labor organizations. Two courses at American University — International Relations of Latin America and Labor in Latin America, pro­ vided the basis for placing the development of Venezuelan labor in relation to international labor organizations and activities in context with over-all changes and major shifts in U.S. foreign policies towards Latin America. Interviews with labor leaders in the Washington, D.C. area were extremely helpful and provided useful information possibly not otherwise available. It should be emphasized, however, that any conclusions concerning the infor­ mation provided in these interviews are conclusions of the writer and may or may not coincide with the views of the individuals interviewed. In addition, the writer would like to express appreciation to the Committee Chairman and members of the Committee for their guidance and assistance in getting the thesis into final form. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I . INTRODUCTION............................................... 1 II. DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL LABOR IN LATIN AMERICA......... 5 Relations Between the Democratic and Christian Democratic Labor Groups............................................. 18 U. S. Public and Private Labor Programs .................. 19 III. DEVELOPMENT OF THE VENEZUELAN LABOR MOVEMENT................. 23 Accion Democratica (AD), 1945-1948.............. '. 27 Rule of Marcos Perez Jimenez, 1948-1958 ................ 29 Since 1958 — Romulo Betancourt and the AD................. 31 AD/COPEI Versus Communists in Labor .................... 35 Socio-Economic Developments .............................. 39 IV. THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION........................ 50 V. INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST LABOR ORGANIZATIONS................. 57 VI. INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC LABOR ORGANIZATIONS................. 63 Work of the ITS in Venezuela............................... 69 International Federation of Petroleum Workers ........... 70 International Metalworkers Federation .................. 71 Miners International Federation ........................ 73 Public Services International .......................... 73 International Federation of Commercial, Clerical and Technical Workers . .................................. 74 International Transport Workers Federation................74 CHAPTER PAGE Postal, Telegraph and Telephone International...............75 General Workers Union. ......... 75 International Federation of Food and Allied Workers......... 75 International Federation of Plantation and Allied Agri­ cultural Workers ........................................ 76 International Textile and Garment Workers Union. ........ 77 VII. CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATIONS........... 80 Relations With CISC and C L A S C . ............. ............... 84 Assistance to Labor Education................... 86 Relations Between the Christian and Democratic Labor Organizations .......................................... 88 VIII. U.S. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LABOR PROGRAMS................... 92 Labor Education Department of the A I F L D .................... 93 Labor Education Sponsored by AIFLD in Venezuela............. 97 Social Projects Department of AIFLD ................. .100 Venezuelan Co-operation with the Social Projects Department .102 IX....................... CONCLUSION............................... 105 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................ 110 APPENDIX : GLOSSARY.................................................121 ABSTRACT............................................................ 125 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper will be to discuss the development of international labor in Latin America, and particularly in Venezuela, as conditioned by and reflected in major U. S. policy decisions towards Latin America. Venezuela, which is considered to have one of the most sophisticated labor movements in Latin America, was selected for special study because its development in the labor field has been characterized by the same problems of repression by government and retardation by management, by socio-economic forces, and by Communism that have plagued the development of democratic labor in other Latin American countries. At the same time, the progress which Venezuela has achieved in the labor field, largely as the result of assistance by international democratic organizations, pre­ sents unique exceptions when governments favorable to labor have been in power there. In addition, the fact that Venezuela today appears to be the prime target of Castro domination in Latin America places particular emphasis on the need to analyze and evaluate the strength of democratic forces there. Again Venezuela presents an interesting exception to the traditional Com­ munist tactic of attempted take-over through organized labor. Whereas in Guatemala from 1944 to 1954 Juan Jose Arevalo and particularly Jacobo Xrbenz used labor to further the International Communist cause, in Venezuela labor has remained firmly behind the democratic regime and Communist tactics have consequently taken the form of terrorist efforts aimed at quick political seizure rather than over-all "grass roots" support through mass organizations such as organized labor. Venezuela's use of labor against Communism therefore 2. points up the shift of U.S. policy towards Latin America as reflected in the Alliance for Progress, which is aimed at correcting basic socio-economic discrepancies that are frequently the cause of dissatisfaction and dissension on the part of labor. This will be covered in more detail in later chapters. Another interesting exception in Venezuela has been the coalition in the political field and the co-operation in the labor field of democratic and Christian democratic organizations. This co-ordination of efforts by anti-Communist organizations, although not always complete, has at least in Venezuela presented a unity which has all too frequently been lacking in other Latin American countries. The continuation of this unity therefore presents an interesting facet of the Cold War in the Western Hemisphere, and emphasizes the shift of U.S. policy since 1958 towards promoting a more unified front against Communism in the labor field. This also will be covered in more detail in later chapters. Labor As an area was selected for study because labor, with the one exception of students, is the area which the Communists have most frequently used as a source of strength. This strength, as exemplified in Venezuela and other Latin American countries, has dwindled proportionately as U. S. policies towards Latin America have shifted from "Dollar Diplomacy” and unilateral intervention — past policies which the Communists were quick to exploit — towards a more multilateral approach to settle hemispheric prob­ lems. Under the Alliance for Progress the U. S. has gone a step further by requiring the governments of Latin America to work themselves to eliminate and correct the socio-economic disparities which have produced discontent among the masses. In this endeavor the U. S. government has enlisted the 3. support of U. S. labor organizations which can work directly with the Latin American labor groups, as well as the international democratic labor organiza­ tions, without the stigma of U. S. government intervention. At the same time, the U. S. government has been working along multilateral lines with the Organization of American States (0A8)* to ease the pain which necessarily results when social revolution takes place. This again will be covered in more detail in later chapters.

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