Betancourt Doctrine

Romulo Betancourt during a speech to a group of officers

The Rómulo Betancourt Doctrine is a doctrine of foreign policy promoted by the president of Venezuela Rómulo Betancourt that establishes the rupture of diplomatic relations with governments without democratic and dictatorial origins.

History

When he was sworn in before the Congress of the Republic in the Federal Legislative Palace, In his inaugural address, Betancourt made clear his political perspective and proclaimed what is now known as the Betancourt Doctrine and made his pronouncement about the new police doctrine for the country:

We will request cooperation from other democratic governments of America to ask, united, that the Organization of American States exclude dictatorial governments from their bosom because they not only affront the dignity of America, but also because Article 1 of the Charter of Bogotá, constituent act of the OAS, establishes that only governments of respectable origin born of popular expression can be part of this organism, through the only legitimate source of power that are the freely chosen elections. Regimes that do not respect human rights, that violate the liberties of their citizens and tyranny with the support of totalitarian policies, must be subjected to a rigorous sanitary cord and eradicated through the collective peaceful action of the international legal community.

— Rómulo Betancourt

This proclamation is understood as an instrument of protection for democratic regimes, the result of the free election of the people. It rejects the recognition of non-democratic or illegitimate governments, which has its meaning in the rupture of diplomatic relations with those dictatorial countries and proclaims the alliance with those who practice a democratic politics in their villages.

Under the Betancourt Doctrine, Venezuela maintained good relations with the democratic governments, especially with the government of John F. Kennedy in United States, Luis Muñoz Marín in Puerto Rico, Manuel Ávila Camacho and Adolfo López Mateos in Mexico and Alberto Lleras Camargo in Colombia. In turn, it cut diplomatic relations with the governments of Spain, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti.

See also

• Estrada Doctrine