United Socialist Party of Venezuela
United Socialist Party of Venezuela Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela | |
---|---|
Leader | Hugo Chavez |
Founded | March 24, 2007 |
Headquarters | Mariperez, Caracas |
Ideology | Bolivarianism, Left-wing nationalism, Socialism |
International affiliation | Sao Paulo Forum |
Website | |
psuv.org.ve | |
The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Spanish: Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela, PSUV) is the name of a left-wing political party in Venezuela which resulted from the fusion of some of the political and social forces that support the Bolivarian Revolution led by incumbent President Hugo Chávez. It is the current ruling party of the country and the largest left-wing party in Latin America and the Western Hemisphere. It has an approximate membership of 7 million people. [1]
Formation
It was initiated by Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez after he won the Venezuelan presidential election of 2006 in order to merge all parties which support the Bolivarian Revolution.[2]. This move had a moderate success with the approval of the Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) [3] and other minor parties such as the People's Electoral Movement (MEP), Venezuelan Popular Unity (UPV), the Tupamaro Movement, the Socialist League and others [4] which all together added up 45.99% of the votes received by Chavez during the 2006 election. [5] Other parties like the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) [6], Fatherland for All (PPT)[7] and For Social Democracy (PODEMOS)[8] , who added 14.60% of the votes from the mentioned election, decided not to join the proposed party for diverse reasons.
On 18 December 2006, the Minister of Communication and Information Willian Lara announced the preparation of a letter addressed to the National Electoral Council, regarding the proposal to formally disband the Fifth Republic Movement. Chávez has stressed the need for a single, united Bolivarian party.[9].
Later on, Chávez sought to fortify the merging political organization by calling the electors to subscribe to the PSUV. Between 29 April and 10 June 2007 a total of 5,669,305 people joined the party, who represented the 80% of the chavista vote of 2006. [10]
The party held its founding congress in early 2008[11].
At its first convention the rank and file, despite the objections of the right wing of the new party, passed a resolution that clarified the party tradition as standing with Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky.[citation needed] But the struggle for the workers revolution in Venezuala is still long from accomplished.
Participants
Of the twenty-four parties which supported Chávez in the 2006 presidential election, eleven are in the process of joining PSUV. On March 7 2007, Chávez presented a phased plan for founding the new party until November 2007.[2] For Social Democracy, Fatherland for All and the Communist Party of Venezuela have stated they will wait until PSUV has been founded and decide their membership in the new party based on its program.[3]
On March 18 2007, Chávez declared in his programme Aló Presidente that he had "opened the doors for Podemos, Patria Para Todos, and the Venezuelan Communist Party so that if they want to go away, they may do so and leave us in peace". He declared that in his opinion those parties are almost in the opposition and added that they had to choose well the way to go, "in silence, hugging us or throwing stones".[12] Patria Para Todos decided at its annual congress from April 10 to April 11 not to dissolve, while re-affirming its support for Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution.[13]
Parties joining PSUV | Parties not joining PSUV |
---|---|
Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) | For Social Democracy (PODEMOS) |
People's Electoral Movement (MEP)[14] | Fatherland for All (PPT) |
Everybody Wins Independent Movement (MIGATO) | Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) |
Venezuelan Popular Unity (UPV)[15] | Revolutionary Middle Class (CMR) |
Revolutionary Movement Tupamaro (MRT)[16] | Emergent People (GE) |
Socialist League (LS)[17] | National Socialist Group of Liberation Pro Venezuela (PROVEN) |
Movement for Direct Democracy (MDD)[18] | Communitary Patriotic Unity (UPC) |
Union Party[19] | New People Concentration Movement (MCGN) |
Militant Civic Movement (MCM)[20] | Active Democracy National Organization (ONDA) |
Action Force of Base Coordination (FACOBA) | National Independent Movement (MNI) |
Independents for the National Community (IPCN)[21] | Labor Power (PL) |
Venezuelan Revolutionary Currents (CRV) | |
Action Networks of Communitary Change (REDES) |
It is also of note that many elements of the revolutionary left have entered into the PSUV and take a enthusiastic and vigorous participation in its struggles. Most notable are the Trotskyist Revolutionary Marxist Current (with the International Marxist Tendency), And International Socialists (Committee for a Workers International).
Structure
The party is headed at the national level by a president (currently Hugo Chavez), vice-president (Cilia Flores), and a 29-member board of directors:
- Alberto Müller Rojas
- Adán Chávez
- Alí Rodríguez Araque
- Ana Elisa Osorio
- Antonia Muñoz
- Aristóbulo Istúriz
- Carlos Escarrá
- Darío Vivas
- Diosdado Cabello
- Elías Jaua
- Érika Farías
- Freddy Bernal
- Héctor Navarro
- Héctor Rodríguez
- Jacqueline Faría
- Jorge Rodríguez
- Luis Reyes Reyes
- María Cristina Iglesias
- María León
- Mario Silva
- Nicolás Maduro
- Nohelí Pocaterra
- Rafael Ramírez
- Ramón Rodríguez Chacín
- Rodrigo Cabezas
- Tarek El Aissami
- Vanessa Davies
- Willian Lara
- Yelitza Santaella
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ BBC NEWS | Americas | Venezuela head seeks party merger
- ^ http://www.cubaencuentro.com/es/encuentro-en-la-red/internacional/noticias/el-partido-de-chavez-se-disuelve-para-dar-paso-a-una-fuerza-unica/(gnews)/1166553960
- ^ http://www.milenio.com/index.php/2006/12/19/24924/
- ^ http://www.cne.gob.ve/divulgacionPresidencial/resultado_nacional.php
- ^ http://www.tribuna-popular.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=698&Itemid=1
- ^ http://economia.eluniversal.com/2007/03/05/pol_ava_05A841497.shtml
- ^ http://www.diarioeltiempo.com.ve/secciones/secciones.php?num=97234&codigo=nnac&llve=dos
- ^ Daily News - eluniversal.com
- ^ http://www.eldiariodeyaracuy.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6010&Itemid=3
- ^ Kiraz Janicke (14 January 2008). "Chavez Inaugurates Founding Congress of New Socialist Party of Venezuela". Retrieved 17 January 2009.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ http://www.eluniversal.com/2007/03/19/pol_art_los-que-se-quieran_216609.shtml
- ^ http://www.ppt.org.ve/20070411.php
- ^ MEP aceptó propuesta de Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela
- ^ UPV se disuelve para formar parte del Partido Socialista Único de Venezuela
- ^ El Tiempo - El Periódico del Pueblo Oriental
- ^ Liga Socialista se adhiere al PSUV
- ^ MDD apoya el llamado a conformar el PSUV
- ^ PSUV: Partido Unión se disuelve para incorporarse al PSUV
- ^ PSUV: Propuestas del Movimiento Cívico Militante (MCM) sobre el Partido Único y el Socialismo del Siglo XXI
- ^ PSUV: Partido Independientes por la Comunidad se incorpora al PSUV