Dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez

The dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez (also known as Gomecismo and self-named Rehabilitación) refers to the presidency of Juan Vicente Gómez and his subsequent puppet governments in Venezuela. It began after Gómez, then vice president, betrayed and overthrew Cipriano Castro in a 1908 coup d'état, ending Castro's dictatorship. The regime lasted 27 years until Gómez's death in 1935, following his fourth reelection.

Initially presenting itself as a government with democratic tendencies, Gómez abandoned this facade when faced with the possibility of losing the 1914 elections. He fabricated claims of a foreign invasion led by Castro and launched a crackdown on political opponents, solidifying his authoritarian rule by 1913.

The government was marked by severe repression. In Táchira alone, an estimated 20,000 people fled into exile. State security forces carried out widespread torture and forced disappearances, though the exact number remains unknown. Nationwide, hundreds of political prisoners were subjected to forced labor, including the construction of highways and public works.

Gómez's government resolved the Dutch–Venezuelan crisis of 1908 and restored diplomatic relations with the United States. Venezuela remained neutral during World War I, with Gómez maintaining this stance throughout the conflict.