ta,
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), Eduardo FERNANDEZ, secretary general;
Democratic Action (AD), Gonzalo BARRIOS, president, and Humberto CELLI,
secretary general;
Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Argelia LAYA, president, and
Freddy MUNOZ, secretary general

_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18, though poorly
enforced

_#_Elections:

President--last held 4 December 1988 (next to be held
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 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 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.)

_#_Other political or pressure groups: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative
business group; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers, the Democratic
Action-dominated labor organization

_#_Member of: AG, CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, 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, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador