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Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez (born October 27, 1922) was President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993.
A member of Acción Democrática, in his first term he was praised by the country's leftist groups for taking steps to nationalize the petroleum and iron ore industries in order to control profits. He denounced advocates of globalization as "genocide workers in the pay of economic totalitarianism". He lashed out at institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, claiming that it was the equivalent of a "Neutron Bomb that killed people, but left buildings standing." As a result he nationalized Shell Oil, Exxon, U.S. Steel and Bethlehem Steel operations in the country.
In February 1989, at the beginning of his second term as President, he accepted an International Monetary Fund proposal known as the Washington consensus. In return for accepting this proposal, the International Monetary Fund offered Venezuela a loan for 4.5 billion US dollars. Poor economic conditions during his tenure led to massive popular protests in Caracas, the capital. These protests resulted in the deaths of many and resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency. The protest is now referred to as the Caracazo.
In February 1992, his government survived a bloody coup attempt by then-Army officer Hugo Chávez, who was later elected President of Venezuela. Pérez was impeached in 1993, following a scandal on the mishandling of US$17 million, used to help Violeta Chamorro's government in Nicaragua.es:Carlos Andrés Pérez