Chapter 5: Beauty Pageant to the Presidential Palace
Sergeant Foley
Well-known member
Senora Presidente!
(Summer/Fall 1999)
La Casona
Caracas, Venezuela
(Summer/Fall 1999)
La Casona
Caracas, Venezuela
Following the chaotic military coup d'etat on 4 February 1992 which resulted in the controversial ouster of then-Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez and the ascension of Army Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Chavez Frias as the 42nd President of Venezuela. Chavez immediately began using authoritarian methods by cracking down on political opponents, nationalizing foreign businesses, industries, exports, etc., which alarmed many foreign investors including several from the international community. He also successfully pushed through a controversial constitutional referendum which changed the South American country's official name from the Republic of Venezuela to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with the adoption of the 1993 Constitution officially renaming Venezuela in honor of the late Simon Bolivar.
He also had the 1993 Constitution augmented by jack-rigging the presidential term from five years to six years. While in office, Chavez aggressively began enacting social reforms as part of what he called "The Bolivarian Revolution". The Chavez administration also created democratic Communal Councils and pushed the implementation of many social programs such as the Bolivarian Missions, which expanded access to food, housing, healthcare and education.
However, it was also during the Chavez administration that democratic backsliding quickly escalated in Venezuela: aggressively suppressed the press including several national television stations, manipulated election laws in order to stay in office; arrested and exiled majority of government critics.
There was one person, who noticed the backsliding and wondered if anyone would take on the Dictator. When nobody else was brave enough to stand up to Chavez, there was one person who had the courage and toughness in not only taking on the Chavez administration but ultimately instigating its demise.....
That person was the one and only, former Miss Universe 1981 Irene Saez herself.
Saez, who won the 30th Miss Universe Pageant at the age of 19 on 20 July 1981, became at that time, one of the youngest Miss Universe winners in the organization's history. Following a year of traveling as the 30th Miss Universe, Saez attended the Central University of Venezuela, where she studied Political Science; she also expanded international contacts while serving as the South American country's cultural representative to the United Nations: which gave her the taste of politics.
Upon winning the Mayoralty of Chacao Municipality in 1992 (the same year Chavez ousted Perez from the Presidency), Saez oversaw the following under her Mayoralty: professionalizing the Municipal Police Department; increasing higher pay among the law enforcement officers which included university graduates; new police automobiles; mobility devices in order to allow law enforcement officers moving around quicker. The crime rate in Chacao fell dramatically due to her innovative ideas which many people greatly appreciated her hardworking efforts. In 1995, Saez was overwhelmingly reelected to a second term as Mayor with 96% of the vote. The London Times also rated her as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World, ranking her 83rd on their list.
Saez began launching her campaign for the Presidency ahead of the 1998 Presidential elections by forming her own political party which was called the Integrated Representation of New Hope. At first, many political observers wondered if a former Miss Universe could be able to run for the South American country with an economy relying on oil and gas and other economic imports and exports. Many thought her campaign would be a total disaster due to the uphill task of taking on a controversial and authoritarian incumbent President.
Chavez assumed that Saez was a weak challenger and basically ignored her during the entire campaign. He also had cronies using controversial sinister methods in defaming Saez's personal character in mailers that contained "Irene Saez opened her legs to everything and everyone that moved because she was a sex addict. Do you want that prostitute to serve as President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela?" The Chavez-controlled news agencies also aired alleged videotapes of someone purportedly of Saez's likeness having sex with more than 20+ people. For a while, it appeared that Saez's campaign was going to implode due to people expressing skepticism on whether she can handle the Presidency and the like.
However, Saez's campaign received major boost from the endorsement of former Venezuelan Presidents Luis Herrera and Miss Universe 1979 Maritza Sayalero and Miss Universe 1986 Barbara Palacios including Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado as well as several former Venezuelan politicians. Then the tide began to turn in her favor during the last five months as protests against the Chavez regime escalated in parts of Venezuela as well as the economic blockade against Chavez's controversial nationalizing of industries and foreign-owned companies and businesses including backlash against human rights violations. Chavez's polling numbers began to suffer and continued its downward trend all the way to election day.
On 6 December 1998 during Election Night, the uncertainty of the presidential election had dragged on non-stop for weeks. It wasn't until the afternoon of 27 December 1998 that the National Electoral Council announced the bombshell: Saez had defeated Chavez in one of the major political upsets in Venezuelan history by less than 1 percentage point nationwide: Saez garnered 3,573,603 votes (50.73%) to Chavez's 3,363,984 (49.19%). Saez was inaugurated as the 43rd President of Venezuela inside the Venezuelan National Assembly chambers in Caracas, making history as the South American country's first female President and the youngest to hold the Presidency.
