Herrera Campins, Luis (1925–)

Luis Herrera Campins (b. 1925), Venezuelan president (1979–1984). A long-time leader of the Social Christian COPEI (Comité de Organización Política Electoral Independiente) Party of Venezuela, Herrera Campins began his political career as president of the (Catholic) National Union of Students in the 1940s and later became the head of COPEI's youth organization. While in exile during the military dictatorship (1948–1958), he received a law degree in Spain. In 1958 Herrera Campins returned to Venezuela and was elected first to the Chamber of Deputies and subsequently to the Senate on the COPEI ticket. During the 1960s and 1970s he served as president of COPEI, president of the party's congressional delegation, and secretary-general of the Latin American Congress of Christian Democratic Organizations. After a bitter primary battle Herrera Campins won COPEI's nomination for president in 1978 and was victorious in the general election. His presidency was marked by falling oil prices, rising foreign debt, and economic crisis. His leadership was regarded by many as weak and ineffective.

See alsoVenezuela, Political Parties: Social Christian COPEI Party .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alfredo Peña, Conversaciones con Luis Herrera Campins (1978).

Donald L. Herman, Christian Democracy in Venezuela (1980).

David E. Blank, Venezuela: Politics in a Petroleum Republic (1984).

Additional Bibliography

COPEI (Political Party). Gestión 89: fracción parlamentaria del Partico Social Cristiano, COPEI. Caracas, Venezuela: COPEI, 1989.

Herrera Campins, Luis. Second Message to Congress, March 12, 1981. Caracas, Venezuela: Ediciones de la Presidencia de la República, 1981.

Herrera Campins, Luis. Sobre la reforma del Estado: Ponencia. Caracas, Venezuela: Fracción Parlamentaria de COPEI, 1985.

Herrera Campins, Luis. Voz y Caminos: 24 editoriales de oposición (mayo 1984–1986). Caracas, Venezuela, 1986.

Herrera Campins, Luis, and Peña Alfredo. Acusa Luis Herrera, Lusinchi fracasó. Caracas, Venezuela: Editorial Ateneo de Caracas, 1987.

Little, Walter, and Eduardo Posada Carbó. Political Corruption in Europe and Latin America. Houndmills: Macmillan Press, 1996.

Mainwaring, Scott, and Timothy Scully. Christian Democracy in Latin America: Electoral Competition and Regime Conflicts. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2003.

                                  Winfield J. Burggraaff