Teodolitos entre montoneras: La ingeniería venezolana en tiempos Pre-petroleros

as part of an attempt to systematically evaluate the history of engineering in venezuela, a line of research whose previous contribution was méndez 1997, we present a detailed chronological compilation of facts, protagonists and events related to the evolution of engineering in our country from colonial times up to the third decade of the twentieth century, the moment when the emergence of petroleum exploitation on a large scale marked the beginning of decisive changes leading to the modernization of venezuela and, as a matter of course, to changes in the way engineering was practiced in the country. to this end, we have carried out a thorough review of all bibliographical and referential material on the subject so as to select the data considered most pertinent to the aims of this study. this has been understood as an absolutely vital step towards creating a vision of the seeds sown in the first three centuries of engineering and similar activities in the country, so that we may be able to understand what the current state of engineering is and what the future may hold for the profession. as such, we consider that this contribution might be of some value if we are to begin to comprehend the sociohistorical role of engineering in venezuela, since, as far as we know, no other similar study has been attempted, although there are publications that concentrate on specific areas (military, civil construction, hydraulics, education and training, etc.), though these have placed less emphasis on presenting a general, integrated view of the evolution of venezuelan engineering.