Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea
Nacional; 165 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of
Venezuela
elections: last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: Pro-government: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MVR 92, MAS 6, indigenous 3, other parties 7; Opposition: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - AD 33, COPEI 6, Justice First 5, other parties 13
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)
Political parties and leaders: Brave Peoples Alliance or ABP [leader
NA]; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fifth Republic
Movement or MVR [leader Luis MIQUILENA]; Homeland for All or PPT
[Pablo MEDINA]; Justice First [leader NA]; Movement Toward Socialism
or MAS [Felipe MUJICA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [Dr.
Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez]; Radical Cause or La Causa R [Andres
VELASQUEZ]; Social Christian Party or COPEI [Jose CURIEL]; Venezuela
Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Ronier]
Political pressure groups and leaders: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)
International organization participation: CAN, Caricom (observer),
CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Alfredo TORO Hardy
chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214