Venezuela: Government
The World Factbook 1993: Venezuela Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela conventional short form: Venezuela local long form: Republica de Venezuela local short form: Venezuela

Digraph: VE

Type: republic

Capital: Caracas

Administrative divisions: 21 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 territory* ( territorio), 1 federal district** (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependence*** (dependencia federal); Amazonas*, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales***, Distrito Federal**, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia

note: the federal dependence consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands

Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)

Constitution: 23 January 1961

Legal system: based on Napoleonic code; judicial review of legislative acts in Cassation Court only; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Political parties and leaders: Social Christian Party (COPEI), Hilarion CARDOZO, president, and Jose CURIEL, secretary general (acting); Democratic Action (AD), Humberto CELLI, president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general; Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Argelia LAYA, president, and Freddy MUNOZ, secretary general; The Radical Cause ( La Causa R), Pablo Medina, secretary general

Other political or pressure groups: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOS groups

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Elections:

President: last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held 5 December 1993); results - Carlos Andres PEREZ (AD) 54.6%, Eduardo FERNANDEZ (COPEI) 41.7%, other 3.7%; note - President Carlos Andres PEREZ suspended pending trial on corruption charges

Senate: last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held 5 December 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (49 total) AD 23, COPEI 22, other 4; note - 3 former presidents (1 from AD, 2 from COPEI) hold lifetime senate seats

Chamber of Deputies: last held 4 December 1992 (next to be held 5 December 1993); results - AD 43.7%, COPEI 31.4%, MAS 10.3%, other 14.6%; seats - (201 total) AD 97, COPEI 67, MAS 18, other 19

Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)

Leaders:

Chief of State and Head of Government: Interim President Ramon Jose VELASQUEZ (since 5 June 1993); note - President Carlos Andres PEREZ suspended pending trial on corruption charges

Member of: AG, CARICOM (observer), CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Simon Alberto CONSALVI Bottaro chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 342-2214 consulates general: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Martin SKOL embassy: Avenida Francisco de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta, Caracas mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A, or APO AA 34037 telephone: [58] (2) 285-2222 FAX: [58] (2) 285-0336 consulate: Maracaibo

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band