Abstract
This panoramic article poses the question of the relation between the state, the constitution and the law in Venezuelan republican history. In the 19th century, Venezuela became independent, congresses approved constitutions that organized the national state, comprehensive legal codes and legislation were produced and the universities developed legal studies and produced a small number of lawyers. Nevertheless, the law had little impact on a turbulent and impoverished country, and lawyers mainly found occupation in the state and political system. In the 20th century, Venezuela constructed a powerful state that pacified the country that created conditions for a relatively prosperous economy. The profession and legal studies flourished. Politically, the country had authoritarian and democratic periods, but through all of them the rule of law was weak. In the 21st century, a political revolution shook the state and the law, impoverished the society and plunged the country into a chaotic situation. Approximately eight million Venezuelan left the country. The political power completely controlled the judges and the legal profession entered into a severe crisis. This case history illustrates that in a given country the relation between the constitution, the state, and the legal system can be fluid and often problematic.
Recommended Citation
Rogelio Pérez-Perdomo, Constitutions, the State and Law in Republican Venezuela (1830-2025), 1 Latin Am. & Carib. L. Rev. (2026), https://ecollections.law.fiu.edu/latinamericancaribbeanlawreview/vol1/iss1/12.
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