844 



VENEZUELA. 



VENEZUELA, a republic in South America. 

 The legislative power is vested in the Congress, 

 consisting of a Senate of 27 members, 3 from 

 each State, elected for four years, and a House of 

 Representatives numbering 63 members, 1 to 

 35,000 inhabitants, who are elected for four years 

 by the votes of all adult male citizens. The Con- 

 gress elects for four years a Council of Govern- 

 ment, and for the same term the President of the 

 republic. Gen. Ignacio Andrade was elected 

 President for the term beginning March 4, 1898. 

 The Cabinet in the beginning of 1899 was com- 

 posed as follows: Minister of the Interior, Gen. 

 Zoilo Bello Rodriguez; Minister of Foreign Af- 

 fairs, Gen. Juan Calcano Mathieu; Minister of 

 War and Marine, Gen. A. Fernandez; Minister of 

 the Treasury, M. A. Matos; Minister of Public 

 Credit, C. V. Echeverria; Minister of Education, 

 Dr. B. Mosquera; Minister of Posts and Tele- 

 graphs, Dr. J. L. Arismendi; Minister of Agricul- 

 ture, Industry, and Commerce, Gen. N. Rolande; 

 Minister of Public Works, Dr. Alberto R. Smith. 



Finances. The budget for 1899 makes the 

 total revenue 34,542,000 bolivars or francs, of 

 which 25,000,000 bolivars come from customs, 

 5,292,000 bolivars from internal revenue duties, 

 and 4,250,000 bolivars from State revenues. The 

 total expenditures are made to balance the rev- 

 enue. The amount of the national debt on June 

 30, 1898, was 201,419,202 bolivars, of which 66,- 

 614,550 bolivars represent the external 3-per-cent. 

 debt, 63,439,430 bolivars the internal consolidated 

 6-per-cent. debt of 1896, 49,250,000 the 5-per-cent. 

 Venezuelan loan of 1896, 10,565,199 bolivars the 

 5-per-cent. aqueduct bonds, 7,774,893 bolivars the 

 3-per-cent. Spanish, French, and German loan, 

 3,605,773 bolivars warrants repayable at the rate 

 of 1 per cent, a month, and the remainder the debt 

 resulting from the revolution and unpaid balance- 

 of older debts. 



Forces. The permanent army in 1898, its 

 strength being fixed by the reorganization law of 

 July 30, 1895, consisted of 10 battalions, each 

 composed of 6 companies of 60 men. The fleet 

 comprised 3 steamers. 



Commerce and Production. On the alluvial 

 lands of the coast and the delta of the Orinoco 

 sugar cane, coffee, cacao, grain, and other agri- 

 cultural products are grown, about a fifth of the 

 total population of the country being employed 

 in their cultivation. On the grassy plains at a 

 higher elevation stock raising is carried on. The 

 herds of cattle are estimated to number 5,000,000 

 head. The forest regions furnish rubber, copaiba, 

 tonga beans, vanilla, and other commercial prod- 

 ucts. Gold mining is carried on in the Yuruari 

 territory, half of which is in dispute between 

 Venezuela and Great Britain. In 1897 43,500 

 ounces were exported. Silver is mined in Ber- 

 mudes, Lara, and Los Andes. Copper is mined 

 also. Iron is found in abundance, and coal, sul- 

 phur, lead, asphaltum, kaolin, and tin could be 

 mined. There are deposits of salt in various 

 places, and these are worked for the Government, 

 which obtained from them a revenue of 1,727,490 

 bolivars in 1894. The total value of the exports 

 in 1896 was 111,455,143 bolivars. The chief article 

 of export is coffee, the shipments of which in 1897 

 amounted to 44,667 tons. Of cacao 4,047 tons 

 were exported. Of hides and skins there were ex- 

 ported 3,440,109. The export of rubber was 339 



tons; of quina bark, 31,044 kilogrammes. Minor 

 exports were copaiba, tonga beans, fustic, divi- 

 divi, feathers, and fish sounds. The value of the 

 coffee exported in 1896 was 85,786,000 bolivars; 

 of cacao, 10,091,000 bolivars; of gold, ll,7!2.noo 

 bolivars; of hides, 2,957,000 bolivars; of animals, 

 1,552,000 bolivars. The export of bar gold waa 

 1,353 kilogrammes. The chief imports were pro- 

 visions, piece goods, hardware, coal, kerosene. 

 timber, and machinery. 



Navigation. The number of vessels entered 

 and cleared at the port of La Guayra in 1897 \\as 

 312, of 676,500 tons; at Maracaibo, 285, of 7s.',JO 

 tons; at Ciudad Bolivar, 133, of 58,367 tons. The 



lliereliailt tleet ill 1MIS eoii-i-1 ed <if 11 -trainers, 



of 2,185 tons, and 17 sailing vessels, of 2,760 tons. 

 The merchant marine in 1898 consisted of 17 sail- 

 ing vessels, of 2,760 tons, and 11 steamers, of 

 2,185 tons. 



Railroads and Telegraphs. The length of 

 railroads in operation in 1898 was 530 miles, and 

 1,000 miles more were projected. 



The telegraphs in 1898 had a total length of 

 3,882 miles. 



Revolution. A revolution against the ad- 

 ministration of President Andrade was started in 

 the province of Los Andes in June, 1899, and in 

 the course of the next two months it spread 

 through the country. Gen. Manuel Hernandez, who 

 headed the first rising, was defeated. He \\ a- < -ap- 

 tured and put in prison in the capital, and his 

 followers were dispersed. Gen. Cipriano, Gov- 

 ernor of Los Andes, then assembled an insurrec- 

 tionary force, and by rapid marches through the 

 passes of the mountains arrived before Banpiisi- 

 meto, where the scattered forces of Gen. Hernan- 

 dez joined his army. In August many jmlii ieian* 

 were arrested. In a battle near Barquisimeto on 

 Aug. 23 the revolutionary forces made prisoners 

 of several battalions of Government troops and 

 captured a large quantity of ammunition. AY lien 

 the President left Caracas to take command of 

 the troops in the field, a new Cabinet \\a~- ap- 

 pointed, symptoms of vacillation and defection 

 having been observed among the ministers, one of 

 whom, Zoilo Rodriguez, of the Department of the 

 Interior, was arrested on Sept. 6. Gen. Juan 

 Pietry and Ramon Ayala, members of Conu 

 after making an energetic protest against the die- 

 tatorial acts of President Andrade, fled to Cura- 

 goa to prepare a filibustering expedition in aid 

 of Castro's rebellion. Gen. Rangel Garviras raised 

 the revolutionary standard, invaded the state of 

 Tachira, and captured Colon, San Cristobal, and 

 other important places. Gen. Francesco, with an- 

 other body of insurgents, operated around San 

 Antonio. Gen. Gutierrez raised a force to atta<-k 

 Guirra. 



Gen. Castro had 10.000 men under his 'immediate 

 command. On Sept. 15 he captured Valencia 

 after a severe engagement with the garrison, 

 which was unable to hold out until Gen. Andrade 

 arrived with re-enforcements. The Government 

 troops were afterward surprised in the plains near 

 Valencia and Avere put to rout with a los> of 

 more than 1,000 killed or wounded. The revolu- 

 tionists next occupied Puerto Cabello and Mara- 

 cay, and advanced on Caracas. The American, 

 British, and French ministers asked their gov- 

 ernments to send men-of-war to protect the in- 

 terests of their citizens. Gen. Andrade com en- 



