The rise of Causa R was greatly facilitated by the process of state reform initiated in 1984 with the for- mation of the Presidential Commission for the Reform of the State (COPRE). The COPRE-generated reforms were an institutional response to the country's critical economic conditions and consequent political turmoil. COPRE has proposed the decentralization of power as an essential aspect of progressive, rational and growing democratization. In May, 1986, COPRE released its first document, entitled "Proposals for Immediate Political Reforms." Beginning with a few proposals for the democratiza- tion of the political parties, and modifications of the existing forms of suffrage, it proposed the re-imposi- tion of constitutional rule, suspended since 1961, which would require the direct election of state gover- nors. In the same document, the commission signaled the need to rescue the "municipality"a unit of self- government smaller than, and typically within Venezuela's larger citiesas the country's "primary and autonomous political unit." COPRE proposed establishing a division of powers within this unit, and creating the position of mayor, elected by universal, secret and direct vote. From this point of departure, COPRE projected com- plementary reforms. These included strengthening the state and municipal levels with their own powers of political decision-making; the direct election of gover- nors and mayors; reform of the existing electoral system so that members of the state legislative assemblies and municipal councils would be chosen by their communi- ties and not by party committees; and reforms in the administration of federal entities that would create true civil-service careers and decentralize many administrative powers. To finance these reforms, COPRE did not advo- cate raising fiscal funds at the state level, but rather redistributing available resources. Some of these proposals stirred up strong opposition from then-President Jaime Lusinchi and his AD party. The traditional leadership of the party feared the reforms would jeopardize their positions of power. In contrast, some proposals obtained a lot of support from the parties of the opposition, and especially from a number of non-party popular organizations which saw the possibility of finding space for their political expres- sion and activity. The debate over reforms began in 1986 when Causa R was one of the many microscopic groups on the Left. In that sense, its position on reform was irrelevant, though surely, as part of the opposition, the group would have been in favor of it. And in the 1970s, before this whole process began, the Causa R- affiliated neighborhood movement Pro Catia was a pio- neer in the struggle for reforms at the municipal level, collecting 24,000 signatures in a petition to institute a representative city council. Just before Carlos Andres Perez assumed the presi- dency in 1989, many of the reforms recommended by COPRE were implemented. These changes opened up the state and the political system. Causa R took full advantage of this opening.
