1958 Venezuelan general election

1958 Venezuelan general election

7 December 1958
Presidential election
Turnout93.42%
 
Candidate Rómulo Betancourt Wolfgang Larrazábal Rafael Caldera
Party Democratic Action URDPCV Copei
Popular vote 1,284,092 903,479 423,262
Percentage 49.18% 34.61% 16.21%

Results by state

President before election

Edgar Sanabria
Independent

Elected President

Rómulo Betancourt
Democratic Action

General elections were held in Venezuela on 7 December 1958. They were the first elections held after the overthrow of military ruler Marcos Pérez Jiménez earlier that year, and only the second free regular elections in the country's history.

The presidential elections were won by Rómulo Betancourt of Democratic Action, who received 49% of the vote, whilst his party won 73 of the 132 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 32 of the 51 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 93% in the presidential election and 92% in the Congressional elections.

The Soviet Union covertly supported Wolfgang Larrazábal, who had led the coup against Pérez Jiménez and briefly served as provisional president, in the elections.