ivisions:
21 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 territory* (territorios, singular
- 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)
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 Justica)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Carlos Andres PEREZ (since 2 February 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Social Christian Party (COPEI), Hilarion CARDOZO, president, and Eduardo
FERNANDEZ, secretary general; Democratic Action (AD), Humberto CELLI,
president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general; Movement Toward
Socialism (MAS), Argelia LAYA, president, and Freddy MUNOZ, secretary
general
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1993); results -
Carlos Andres PEREZ (AD) 54.6%, Eduardo FERNANDEZ (COPEI) 41.7%, other 3.7%
Senate:
last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held NA 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 1988 (next to be held NA 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
Communists:
10,000 members (est.)

:Venezuela Government

Other political or pressure group