Published at: 05/02/2025 09:00 PM

(EL NACIONAL, February 3, 1999)

• On February 2, 1999, in the Protocol Chamber of Parliament, when taking the oath of law as Head of State, Hugo Chávez Frías modified the text of style and stated the historic oath: “I swear before God, before the Fatherland and before my people, on this moribund constitution, that I will enforce and promote the democratic transformations necessary for the new Republic to have a letter suitable for the new times”.
• Already as sworn President of the Republic, he said: “The political model that the country is still alive must die, for a new one to be born, which guarantees well-being to all citizens.”
• In this regard, in exercise of the powers contained in the Organic Law of Suffrage and Political Participation, it officially called for a popular referendum for the People to decide on the installation of a National Constituent Assembly.
• Under the commitment to advance a democratic and peaceful revolution in Venezuela, Hugo Chávez Frías took office as constitutional president of Venezuela, stating: “We are going to receive an extremely difficult situation... and we will take on the gigantic task of overcoming the economic breakdown of a political model that collapsed and swept away Venezuelan society.”
• He announced that he would ask the parliament for approval of an Enabling Law to take measures in economic matters, conversion of consumption tax to VAT, reform of the Income Tax and the temporary application of the bank debit tax.
• He assured that his economic project was neither statist nor neoliberal, but intermediate: “As much State as necessary and as much liberalism as possible.”
• He stated that he would incorporate the Armed Forces into the mission of “opening a war operation against misery.”
• For his part, José Vicente Rangel, as designated foreign minister, at his first press conference, asked the United States government to lift the criminal blockade against Cuba.

Mazo News Team