Venezuela Government 1997

Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form: Venezuela
local long form: Republica de Venezuela
local short form : Venezuela

Data code VE

Government type republic

National capital Caracas

Administrative divisions 22 states (estados, singular - estado),1 federal district* (distritofederal), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui,Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, DependenciasFederales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas,Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia
note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groupswith a total of 72 individual islands

Independence 5 July 1811 (from Spain)

National holiday Independence Day, 5 July (1811)

Constitution 23 January 1961

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

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); note - thepresident is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez (since 2 February 1994); note - thepresident is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election lastheld 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998)
election results : Rafael CALDERA Rodriguez elected president; percent of vote - RafaelCALDERA Rodriguez (National Convergence) 30.45%, Claudio FERMIN (AD) 23.59%,Oswaldo ALVAREZ PAZ (COPEI) 22.72%, Andres VELASQUEZ (Causa R) 21.94%, other1.3%

Legislative branch bicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica consistsof the Senate or Senado (53 seats, two from each state and the Federal District,and retired presidents; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-yearterms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (203 seats; membersare elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1998);Chamber of Deputies - last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA December1998)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AD 18, COPEI15, Causa R 9, MAS 5, National Convergence 6; note - three former presidents(2 from AD, 1 from COPEI) hold lifetime Senate seats; Chamber of Deputies- percent of vote by party - AD 27.9%, COPEI 26.9%, MAS 12.4%, National Convergence12.9%, Causa R 19.9%; seats by party - AD 55, COPEI 53, MAS 24, National Convergence26, Causa R 40, other 5

Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), magistrates areelected by both chambers in joint session

Political parties and leaders National Convergence (Convergencia), Jose Miguel UZCATEGUI, president,Juan Jose CALDERA, national coordinator; Social Christian Party (COPEI), LuisHERRERA Campins, president, and Donald RAMIREZ, secretary general; DemocraticAction (AD), Pedro PARIS Montesinos, president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretarygeneral; Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Gustavo MARQUEZ, president, andEnrique OCHOA Antich, secretary general; Radical Cause (La Causa R), LucasMATHEUS, secretary general

Political pressure groups and leaders FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederationof Workers (CTV, labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action); VECINOSgroups

International organization participation AG, BCIE, 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, MINURSO,NAM, OAS, OPANAL, 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 Pedro Luis ECHEVERRIA
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,and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission : Ambassador John Francis MAISTO
embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1060
mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037
telephone: [58] (2) 977-2011
FAX: [58] (2) 977-0843

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

NOTE: The information regarding Venezuela on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Venezuela Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Venezuela Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.