Connecticut College Digital Commons @ Connecticut College Government and International Relations Honors Government and International Relations Papers Department 2017 A Tale of Two Neighbors: A Comparative Analysis of the Processes of State Creation and Regime Formation in Colombia and Venezuela Alexander Mintz Connecticut College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/govhp Part of the Comparative Politics Commons, and the International Relations Commons Recommended Citation Mintz, Alexander, "A Tale of Two Neighbors: A Comparative Analysis of the Processes of State Creation and Regime Formation in Colombia and Venezuela" (2017). Government and International Relations Honors Papers. 49. http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/govhp/49 This Honors Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Government and International Relations Department at Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Government and International Relations Honors Papers by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author. A TALE OF TWO NEIGHBORS: A Comparative Analysis of State Creation and Regime Formation in Colombia and Venezuela An Honors Thesis Presented By Alexander Mintz To the Department of Government and International Relations In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Honors in the Major Field CONNECTICUT COLLEGE NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT MAY 4, 2017 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Literature Review ................................................................................................................................................. 6 Chapter I: Colombia: An Unconsolidated Democracy ............................................................................................... 20 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 20 Pre-Colonial and Colonial Times........................................................................................................................ 21 Pre-Columbian Societies .............................................................................................................................. 23 Spanish Conquest and the Colonial Period ................................................................................................... 25 Independence and its Aftermath ........................................................................................................................ 40 Initial Considerations of Colombia’s State Creation Process ............................................................................ 56 The Twentieth Century until the Present ........................................................................................................... 57 Explanatory Conclusions .................................................................................................................................... 78 Chapter II: Venezuela: Reversion to Authoritarianism in the Twenty-First Century .................................................. 80 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 80 Pre-Colonial and Colonial Times........................................................................................................................ 81 Pre-Columbian Societies ............................................................................................................................... 82 Spanish Conquest and the Colonial Period.................................................................................................... 83 Independence and its Aftermath ......................................................................................................................... 87 Initial Considerations of Venezuela’s State Creation Process ............................................................................ 99 The Twentieth Century until the Present .......................................................................................................... 100 Exploratory Conclusions................................................................................................................................... 125 Chapter III: A Comparative Analysis of Colombia and Venezuela ........................................................................... 127 The Process of State Creation .......................................................................................................................... 127 The Process of Democratization ...................................................................................................................... 136 Party Systems and Political Structures: Competition and Participation ...................................................... 142 The Role of the Military in Democratic Governance .................................................................................. 158 The Impacts of Clientelism, Corruption and the Drug Trade on Democracy ............................................. 161 Civil Liberties and Associational Rights ..................................................................................................... 165 Political Culture........................................................................................................................................... 168 Chapter IV: Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 172 Appendix ................................................................................................................................................................... 189 Appendix A ....................................................................................................................................................... 189 Appendix B ....................................................................................................................................................... 190 Notes ......................................................................................................................................................................... 191 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................................. 204 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My deepest thanks goes first, and foremost, to Professor Alex Hybel, my thesis and faculty advisor. Throughout my academic journey, Professor Hybel has gone far and beyond his duties as a professor. Since taking my first course with him sophomore year, Professor Hybel has been a wonderful mentor and a good friend. I am beyond grateful for the tireless encouragement, time and energy he has invested in me over the years. Without his guidance and insight, this project would not exist in its final form. Second, I would like to thank my parents, Alice Weisman and Cliff Mintz, who have supported me and my education since the very beginning. For good or for worse, whenever I needed the support, you have always been there, ready to listen and to offer advice. I would also like to extend a sincere thank you to the entire Government and International Relations, as well as Latin American Studies Department faculties for fostering my education and broadening my horizons. In particular, I would like to thank Professor Daniela Melo who taught my first Government course, Professor Caroleen Sayej for serving as my second reader, Professor Leo Garofalo who introduced me to the fascinating region of Latin America my sophomore year, and the CISLA faculty, who made it possible for me to live and work in Bogota, Colombia for a summer. Special mention goes to Professor Julia Kushigian and Cheryl Banker. I would also like to thank Coach Jim Butler of the Men’s Cross Country and Track Teams, who has not only helped me develop as a runner, but has also instilled within me important values and life lessons that have shaped me into who I am today. Finally, thanks to my friends, classmates, and teammates for their constant support and the endless memories. 4 INTRODUCTION Since the 1980s, democracy has expanded noticeably both internationally and in Latin America.1 From 1990 to 2012, the number of democratic regimes in the world increased from 69 to 117. Of no less significance, in Latin America, by 2008, freely elected governments existed everywhere except in Cuba, and polls consistently showed strong support throughout the region for democratic governments. Although substantial progress has been made, serious problems do remain. Three interrelated objectives guide my comparative study of Colombia and Venezuela. My first objective is to identify the myriad of obstacles and setbacks that Colombia and Venezuela faced throughout their histories, and explain how those factors affected each nation’s processes of state