Just recovered from a shutdown measure dictated by General Juan Vicente Gómez's government in 1912, the Central University of Venezuela found in the celebration of its 200th anniversary an excuse to speak up.

Born on December 1721, at the Santa Rosa Seminary, the institution got the status of Royal and Pontifical Seminar, Santa Rosa de Lima de Santiago de León del Valle de Caracas University in 1725, upon graduation of its first class. Two hundred years later, the occasion was celebrated as Central University of Venezuela.

UCV President Diego Carbonell led the celebration. His speech was echoed by Mario Briceño Iragorry, for the students, and Eloy G. González, for the intellectuals.

Forced march
Juan Vicente Gómez displayed among his achievements the completion, in a first stage, of the Trans-Andean freeway, running from Andean Táchira state to Caracas in a five-day journey. The Andean pole, where the strength of his movement came and where he focused a great deal of his repression, moved closer to the center of the nation. It also allowed the wealthy class in that region to get to La Guaira and travel abroad.

The road will be improved and expanded thanks to the prisoners' hard labor. They were used by Gómez to clear the way in the jungle, no matter if they were eaten by bugs or swept along by the flooding of a river.

On June 24th, a new Constitution, where Gómez redefined the Vice-Presidencies, was enacted. In this way, he finished the land layout in place and created the incumbency of Vice-President. José Vicente Gómez was appointed to the position. General Gómez made room in the Constitution to settle down outside Venezuela's capital city.

That same year, another strained event was recorded. For the first time since Venezuela became an oil producer, oil-sector workers went on strike, asking for better conditions. The government promises never came true.

From overseas
A set of agreements to pacify Europe after World War I were executed. Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain and Italy were parties to the Locarno Treaty. The instrument was aimed at border recognition between France and Germany and between Germany and Belgium, as well as dispute settlement between Germany and Czechoslovakia, and between Germany and Poland. Despite the parties' agreement on December 1st, 1925, Germany eventually disregarded its contents.