1976 in Venezuela

Events from the year 1976 in Venezuela

← 1975 1974 1973 1976 in Venezuela → 1977 1978 1979
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See also:	Other events of 1976 Years in Venezuela Timeline of Venezuelan history

• President: Carlos Andrés Pérez^[1]

• 19 August - Gabriela Jiménez Ramírez, politician

January 1

• CVG Ferrominera Orinoco commences operations.
• Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) formally takes over the responsibilities for extraction and refining of Venezuelan oil, marking a step in the nationalization of the sector. Pre-existing companies exploiting oil resources are transformed into subsidiaries of PDVSA, such as Lagoven, Maraven, and Deltaven, among others. The nationalization process is officially initiated by President Carlos Andrés Pérez with a ceremony at Zumaque I well, the site of the 1914 oil blowout.
• A directive is issued for the restructuring of the INVEPET Foundation, leading to the establishment of the Venezuelan Petroleum Technological Institute.

January 11

• The Pueblo Nuevo Sports Center in San Cristóbal is opened, hosting a football match between Deportivo Táchira and Deportivo Cali, which concludes with a 0-0 draw.

• February 16 - Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State of the United States, visits the country on an official diplomatic tour.
• February 26 - The Revolutionary Commando Group abducts William Niehous, an American businessman and Vice President of Owens-Illinois. Niehous is held captive and is eventually rescued three years later.
• February 27 - The initial segment of the 1976 Simón Bolívar Cup commences in Mérida.

• March 2 - América de Cali wins the tournament, becoming the champion.
• March 9 - The Council of Ministers approves the Fifth National Housing Plan.
• March 16 - The Government formally acknowledges the Institute of Higher Administration Studies (IESA) as a University Institute.
• March 17 - Josip Broz Tito, President of Yugoslavia, commences a three-day official visit to the country.
• March 21 - The San Carlos International Racetrack hosts a leg of the Formula 750 World Championship, where Venezuelan racer Johnny Cecotto secures a first-place finish.

• April 6 - The National Art Gallery, established in 1974, officially opens to the public.
• April 8 - The Venezuelan Television Network changes its name to Venezolana de Televisión.
• April 9 - Air France launches a weekly service of its Concorde supersonic aircraft on the Paris/Charles de Gaulle to Caracas/Maiquetía route. This service continues until March 27, 1982.
• April 14 - The Terepaima Mountains are designated as a National Park.
• April 25 - Aquiles Nazoa, a noted individual, perishes in a car accident on the Central Regional Highway.

• May 24 - Shortly after being crowned Miss Venezuela, Elluz Peraza relinquishes her title. Judith Castillo assumes the position as the new Miss Venezuela.

• June 26 - The National Cooperative Center of Venezuela (CECONAVE) is founded.
• June 28 - Elena Quinteros, a Uruguayan teacher and anarchist activist previously detained by the dictatorship, is brought to the Venezuelan embassy in Montevideo under the guise of being transferred to a "contact." During this, she attempts to escape by leaping over the embassy's fence, declaring her identity and seeking asylum. However, she is forcibly removed from the premises by police and military officers, despite the intervention of diplomatic officials.

• July 3 - Uruguay's National Security Council denies Elena Quinteros the right to seek asylum at the Venezuelan embassy in Montevideo.
• July 6 - Venezuela severs diplomatic ties with Uruguay in response to the refusal by the Uruguayan Armed Forces to surrender Elena Quinteros to Venezuelan authorities.
• July 20 - In connection with the investigation into the Niehous kidnapping, DISIP agents detain Jorge Rodríguez, who dies in custody five days later due to torture. Octavio Lepage, the Minister of Internal Affairs at the time, expresses regret over the incident and initiates comprehensive investigations.
• July 30 - The Congress passes the Budgetary Regime Law, which establishes guidelines for the management and oversight of the public budget.

• August 6 - A significant flood of the Orinoco River inundates the northern region of Ciudad Bolívar, reaching a height of 18.04 meters above sea level. This marks the third highest flood level recorded in the river's history, a record that would later be surpassed in 2018.
• August 9 - The Notitarde, a newspaper based in Valencia, begins its publication.
• August 26 - Parliamentary immunity is revoked for leftist deputies Fortunato Herrera and Salom Mesa Espinoza in connection with the Niehous case.

• September 3 - An Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft crashes near the runway of Lajes Airport on Terceira Island, Azores. The aircraft was transporting all members of the UCV University Choir, including Vinicio Adames. There were no survivors in the tragic accident.

• October 6 - A Cubana de Aviación DC 8 aircraft, en route from Maiquetía to Barbados and Trinidad with 73 passengers, explodes in mid-air due to a terrorist act. Among the passengers were numerous athletes and medical students. The attack was perpetrated by Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch Ávila from Cuba, and Venezuelans Freddy Lugo and Hernán Ricardo Lozano.
• October 15 - The King and Queen of Spain conduct an official one-day visit to Venezuela.
• October 27 - A bust honoring Father Sojo is unveiled, located between the Basilica of Santa Teresa and the National Theater in Caracas.

• November - The second part of the 1976 Simón Bolívar Cup commences, with its headquarters in Acarigua.

• December -

92 / 5,000 December December 5: The football competition ends with Alianza Lima as champion.

• Construction begins on the Museum of Culture in Valencia.
• Unemployment in Venezuela reaches an all-time low of 4%.
• The government purchases a Boeing 737-200 for use as a presidential plane, assigned the registration number F001.
• The first phase of the Centro Ciudad Comercial Tamanaco (CCCT) is inaugurated, introducing the first food court in Venezuela and Latin America.
• At the University of Los Andes, work starts on Prototype 2 of the Venezuelan Electromagnetic Train, a project slated for completion in 1980.

• Left-wing Guerrilla Insurgency: This period, spanning from 1967 to 1994, is characterized by a low-intensity phase of conflict involving various left-wing guerrilla groups.
• Greater Venezuela (1973 - 1983): A period marked by economic and social policies aimed at using petroleum wealth to foster national development and modernization.
• First Government of Carlos Andrés Pérez: Carlos Andrés Pérez's initial term as President, which included significant events and policies that shaped the nation's trajectory during his administration.