First Republic of Venezuela
The First Republic of Venezuela ("Primera República de Venezuela" in Spanish) was the first independent government of Venezuela, lasting from July 5, 1811, to July 25, 1812. The period of the First Republic began with the overthrow of the Spanish colonial authorities and the establishment of the Junta Suprema de Caracas on April 19, 1810, initiating the Venezuelan War of Independence, and ended with the surrender of the republican forces to the Spanish Captain Domingo de Monteverde. The congress of Venezuela declared the nation's independence on July 5, 1811, and later wrote a constitution for it. In doing so, Venezuela is notable for being the first Spanish American colony to declare its independence.
Abortion in Venezuela
Hugo Chavez intended to minimize the gap between the rich and poor and give Venezuelans a better life. This, along with his intent to reform the Constitution, implies that he was in favor of abortion rights, though it was not explicitly said. In Venezuela, the discovery of oil provided an economic boom lasting a period from World War 1 to the 1980s. This period of prosperity was ended by an oil crisis in 1973, which led to a great amount of debt that continued into Chavez's presidency and topped 120 billion in 2011. During the Trienio Adeco period (1945-1948), Venezuela was under democratic rule by several presidents, until Hugo Chavez won Venezuela's presidential election in 1998. Chavez ruled Venezuela as a Bolivarian government starting in 1999, one that followed a left-wing socialist movement that advocated mainly for financial equity, democracy, and anti-corrupt government. He formed the United Socialist Party of Venezuela in 2007, as well as many other programs that catered to the poor, such as the “Bolivarian Missions” to provide universal healthcare coverage under 'Chavezcare' and increase educational opportunities for the poor. Among his policies were plans to amend the Venezuelan constitution to decriminalize abortion.