Venezuela: The Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) political party, including its mandate, objectives, structure, leadership, regions of influence, number of members, and activities; treatment of ABP members (2006-April 2014)

1. Mandate and Objectives

The Political Handbook of the World 2013 (PHW) indicates that the ABP was formed in 2000 as a political splinter of the Democratic Action (Acción Democrática, AD) party (2013, 1603). The website of the ABP indicates that the party was created in 2000 by Antonio Ledezma, one of the leaders of the AD, and his AD supporters (ABP n.d.a). The statutes of the ABP define the party as a [translation] "social democrat movement" that seeks to develop the basic concepts of "social justice, freedom, peace, solidarity, equality of opportunities, and progress" (ibid. n.d.b, Art. 1).

The ABP website explains that its [translation] "mission" is "[t]o be a popular political option that improves public governance through democratic power to address the social needs of the Venezuelan population, by promoting citizen participation" (ibid. n.d.c). The statutes further indicate that the party seeks to obtain power through democratic means to [translation] "realize" its principles (ibid. n.d.b, Art. 3).

2. Structure

The structure of the ABP as outlined in its statutes is attached to this Response.

The ABP website identifies, in addition to 22 political coordinators, the members of the National Directorate as follows:

President Antonio Ledezma

First Vice-President Richard Blanco

Second Vice-President Rosaura Sanz

Secretary General Edwin Luzardo

Secretary of the Organization Alcides Padilla

In-exile Secretary of Policy and Coordination Óscar Pérez

Foreign Affairs Coordinator Antonio Sánchez García

Public Policy Coordinator Cipriano Heredia

Social and Communal Action Coordinator Jim Albornoz

Youth Alliance Coordinator Josmir Gutiérrez

Legal Affairs Coordinator Pedro Segundo Blanco

Women and Family Affairs Coordinator Adriana Aguilera

Labour Alliance Coordinator Francisco Canache

Political Training and Leadership Coordinator Mayra Contreras

Culture and Sports Coordinator José Molina

(ibid. n.d.d)

The website also identifies the following regional presidents by state:

Amazonas Roger Galavis

Anzoátegui Francisco Abad

Apure Horacio Hernández

Aragua Ramón Rengifo

Barinas Víctor Aponte

Bolívar Ana Franco

Carabobo Luis Prieto

Cojedes Rubén Mireles

Delta Amacuro Isidro Suárez

Distrito Capital Luis López

Falcón Olaguer Castillo

Guárico Alberto González

Lara Alexis Lamazares

Mérida Alirio Carrero

Miranda Cipriano Heredia

Monagas Juan Manuel Mota

Nueva Esparta Jaime Duarte

Portuguesa Geramel de Armas

Sucre Max Castillejo

Táchira Vincenzo Pallotini

Trujillo Henry Pereira

Vargas Luis Suniaga

Yaracuy Jorge Paiva

(ibid. n.d.e)

Further information on the ABP regions of influence or on the number of members could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. Activities

Sources report that Antonio Ledezma [President of the ABP (ABP n.d.d)] first obtained the position of mayor of Caracas in 2008 (El Universal 11 July 2012; Globovisión 9 Dec. 2013). On 8 December 2013, he was re-elected mayor of Caracas as a representative of the Democratic Unity Table (Mesa de la Unidad Democrática, MUD) (El País.cr 8 Dec. 2013; Globovisión 9 Dec. 2013). The MUD is a coalition of 50 parties that was created in 2009 and ran for the 2010 legislative elections (PHW 2013, 1602). A document produced by the MUD indicates that the ABP is one of its members (MUD 26 Sept. 2011).

The webpage of the National Assembly of Venezuela lists Richard José Blanco [First Vice-President of the ABP (ABP n.d.d)] as the only ABP member of parliament (Venezuela n.d.).

Media list the following ABP activities:

The citizen journalism website Informe21.com reports that Richard Blanco questioned the legislative power's use of the funding for hospitals (Informe21.com 8 July 2013). He said that the health system is in a [translation] "coma" and hospitals lack basic operational resources while the government purchases weapons (ibid.).

The newspaper El Diario de Caracas reports that the National Directorate of the ABP considered the withdrawal of Venezuela from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights as [translation] "irresponsible" (El Diario de Caracas 9 Sept. 2013). Blanco indicated that it created a [translation] "void" that limits Venezuelans' access to justice (ibid.).

El Diario de Caracas reports that Richard Blanco denounced the [translation] "government's militarization of all levels of the state to silence Venezuelans" and the creation of the Strategic Centre for the Security and Protection of the Homeland (Centro Estratégico de Seguridad y Protección de la Patria, CESPPA) as "it establishes a censorship in advance ... that limits dissidence" (ibid. 14 Oct. 2014). One of the objectives of the CESPPA, according to Venezuela's Gaceta Oficial, is to coordinate the collection of information by government and private sources related to [translation] "activities of the enemy, both internal and external" (Venezuela 7 Oct. 2013).

4. Treatment of ABP Members

The PHW indicates that "some ABP members faced politically-motivated arrests in 2009 [and] 2010" (2013, 1603). Sources report that Richard Blanco was arrested in August 2009 after organizing a demonstration against the government's education reforms (ibid.; AI 23 Dec. 2009). An Amnesty International (AI) document indicates that Richard Blanco, who was still in detention in December 2009, was arrested for "inciting violence and injuring a police officer" during the 22 August 2009 demonstrations (ibid.). According to AI, the video footage of the demonstration that they examined does not show Blanco inciting such violence or injuring the police officer (ibid.). Blanco was released on 6 April 2010 (Globovisión 6 Apr. 2010).

Media report that on 17 September 2009, Oscar Pérez claimed political asylum in Lima, Peru, alleging [translation] "political persecution" by the Venezuelan government (El Universal 17 Sept. 2009; AFP 18 Sept. 2009). On 27 August 2009, an arrest warrant was issued in Caracas against Pérez for his participation in the 22 August 2009 demonstrations against the education reforms; he was charged with "inciting violence and conspiracy to commit a crime" (ibid.; El Universal 17 Sept. 2009).

Sources report that on 10 September 2011, Juan Carlos Marquina [Political Secretary of ABP (La Patilla 10 Sept. 2011)] was killed in Caracas (La Patilla 10 Sept. 2011; Últimas Noticias 11 Sept. 2011). La Patilla, a Venezuelan news source, reports that Marquina had been shot after trying to flee an attempted theft of his car (10 Sept. 2011). However, Últimas Noticias, a Caracas-based newspaper, reports that, according to sources close to the investigation, authorities suspect an attempted kidnapping (11 Sept. 2011). Further information on this incident could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Globovisión, a Venezuelan television news station, reports that the house of Richard Blanco's mother and his car were shot at by a group of motorists on 4 November 2011 (Globovisión 5 Nov. 2011). The article reports that there were no injuries as a result of the attack (ibid.). Further information on this incident could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France-Presse (AFP). 18 September 2009. "Opositor a Chávez pide asilo al Perú." [Accessed 11 Apr. 2014]

Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP). N.d.a. "Reseña Histórica." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

_____. N.d.b. "Estatutos." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

_____. N.d.c. "Misión." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

_____. N.d.d. "Directiva Nacional Partido Alianza Bravo Pueblo." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

_____. N.d.e. "Presidentes regionales del partido Alianza Bravo Pueblo." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

Amnesty International (AI). 23 December 2009. "Document - Venezuela: Government Official Held in Venezuela." [Accessed 11 Apr. 2014]

El Diario de Caracas. 14 October 2013. "'CESPPA, militarización y controles violan derechos fundamentales'." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

_____. 9 September 2013. "'Retirarse de la CIDH es una irresponsabilidad del Estado'." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

El País.cr. 8 December 2013. "Chavismo gana mayoría de alcaldías en Venezuela." [Accessed 17 Apr. 2014]

El Universal. 11 July 2012. "Ledezma: 'En el 2008 Capriles y yo le ganamos a Hugo Chávez." [Accessed 17 Apr. 2014]

_____. 17 September 2009. "Óscar Pérez solicitó asilo político en Perú." [Accessed 11 Apr. 2014]

Globovisión. 9 December 2013. "Psuv se mantiene firme en Caracas y Ledezma repite como alcalde metropolitano." [Accessed 11 Apr. 2014]

_____. 5 November 2011. "Richard Blanco denuncia ante la Fiscalía agresión de oficialistas en la residencia de su familia." [Accessed 16 Apr. 2014]

_____. 6 April 2010. "Richard Blanco aclaró que se postulará a la Asamblea Nacional tras ser liberado este martes." [Accessed 17 Apr. 2014]

Informe21.com. 8 July 2013. "ABP: 'El sistema de salud en Venezuela entró en coma'." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

La Patilla. 10 September 2011. "Mataron de tres disparos a dirigente de ABP." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (MUD). 26 September 2011. Un compromiso ante el Pueblo Venezolano. [Accessed 11 Apr. 2014]

Political Handbook of the World (PHW) 2013. 2013. "Venezuela." Edited by Tom Lansdorf. Washington, DC: CQ Press.

Últimas Noticias. 11 septembre 2011. « Desconocen motivos del asesinato de comerciante ». [Date de consultation : 2 avr. 2014]

Venezuela. 7 October 2013. Gaceta Oficial. No. 40.266. [Accessed 16 Apr. 2014]

_____. N.d. Asamblea Nacional. "Richard José Blanco Cabrera." [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact representatives of Alianza Bravo Pueblo were unsuccessful.

Internet sites, including: ecoi.net; Factiva; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; International Federation for Human Rights; La Nación; Noticierodigital.com; Organisation of American States; Peru - Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores; United Nations - Integrated Regional Information Networks, Refworld, Reliefweb; United States - Agency for International Development, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of State; Venezuela - Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Interiores, Justicia y Paz; Venezuela al Día.

Attachment

Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP). N.d. "Estatutos." Translated by the Translation Bureau, Public Works and Government Services Canada. [Accessed 2 Apr. 2014]