1908-1935: FROM PÁEZ TO GÓMEZ: THE STRONGMAN LINE HARDENED José Antonio Páez established the pattern. Juan Vicente Gómez perfected it. Páez ruled through charisma, cavalry, and negotiated loyalty in a fractured land. Gómez inherited a quieter battlefield and weaponized administration, prisons, and contracts. Where Páez balanced regions, Gómez crushed them. Where Páez tolerated rivals, Gómez …








