Constitution:
30 December 1999
Legal system:
open, adversarial court system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
1999); Vice President Jorge RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 3 January 2007);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
1999); Vice President Jorge RODRIGUEZ Gomez (since 3 January 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006
(next to be held December 2012)
note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new
constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an
election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of
this new constitution
election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of
vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 62.9%, Manuel ROSALES 36.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three
seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)
elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other
25), opposition 0
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:
A New Time or UNT [Manuel ROSALES]; Christian Democrats or COPEI
[Cesar PEREZ Vivas]; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup];
Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Fifth Republic Movement
or MVR [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward
Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique
SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]
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, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera
chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214
FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans,
New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)