The Idealistic Policy Of The United States To Venezuela(1958-1963)

Idealism and realism have always been the two major issues in American diplomacy.In academia,there have always been debating on which is the nature of America's diplomacy,the pursuit of promotion of democracy and freedom which idealism puts an emphasis on,or the pursuit of economic,security interests which realism sticks to.From 1958 when Perez Jimenez dictatorial government was overthrown,to 1963 when Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello was a democratically voted president,Venezuela was in the progress of the bourgeoisie representative democracy.By analyzing the policies toward Venezuela under the administrations of Eisenhower and Kennedy,we think that the idealism was the nature of the American foreign policy to Venezuela at that time.By inspecting American foreign policies toward Venezuela,which included Eisenhower's military aid and increasing economic aid,the Kennedy' s expanding economic aid to Venezuela in the framework of "Alliance for Progress",thesis draws a conclusion that the nature of the policy to Venezuela of the U.S.is to promote democracy and freedom in the country by following the American model.The economic and military aids from the U.S.created a relatively good economic and social conditions for the new democratic government of Venezuela,and halted the expansion of Communism.The pursuit of idealism was,however,restricted by American interests of economic and oil security as well as some domestic factors like economic and political conditions in Venezuela.Therefore,the American democracy did not really take root in Venezuela.