United Socialist Party of Venezuela facts for kids

Quick facts for kids United Socialist Party of Venezuela Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela
President	Nicolás Maduro
Vice President	Diosdado Cabello
Founder	Hugo Chávez
Founded	24 March 2007; 18 years ago (2007-03-24)
Merger of	• Fifth Republic Movement  • Socialist League  • Movement for Direct Democracy [es]  • Union Party [es]  • Militant Civic Movement [es]
Headquarters	Maripérez, Caracas
Newspaper	Cuatro F
Youth wing	JPSUV
Membership (2024)	4,240,032
Ideology	Socialism of the 21st century Bolivarianism Chavismo Left-wing populism Anti-imperialism
Political position	Left-wing to far-left
National affiliation	Great Patriotic Pole (GPP)
Regional affiliation	COPPPAL São Paulo Forum
International affiliation	Axis of Resistance World Anti-Imperialist Platform
Colors	Red
Anthem	"La Hora del Pueblo" ("People's Hour")
Seats in the National Assembly	219 / 277
Seats in the Latin American Parliament	4 / 12
Governors	19 / 23
Mayors	303 / 335
Party flag
Elections

The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Spanish: Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela, often called PSUV) is a major political party in Venezuela. It is known for its left-wing to far-left socialist ideas. Since 2007, it has been the ruling party in Venezuela.

The PSUV was created by combining several political groups. These groups supported the Bolivarian Revolution, which was led by former President Hugo Chávez.

In the 2015 Venezuelan parliamentary election, the PSUV lost its majority in the National Assembly. This was the first time this happened since the Assembly was formed in 2000. They won 55 out of 167 seats. However, in the 2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, many opposition parties did not participate. The PSUV then won a large majority of seats back.

How the PSUV Started

The idea to combine many pro-Bolivarian Revolution parties came from Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. He suggested this after winning the 2006 Venezuelan presidential election. His own party, the Fifth Republic Movement, led this effort.

Many smaller parties supported this merger. These included the People's Electoral Movement and the Socialist League. Together, these parties had received a large share of votes for Chávez in 2006.

However, some other pro-Bolivarian parties chose not to join. These included the Communist Party of Venezuela and Fatherland for All. They had also contributed to Chávez's votes in the 2006 election.

On March 7, 2007, Chávez shared a plan for creating the new party. He wanted it to be fully formed by November 2007. Some parties said they would wait to see the new party's plans before deciding to join.

Chávez later said that parties not joining were free to leave his alliance. He felt they were acting like the opposition.

The party Fatherland for All decided not to join the PSUV. However, they still supported Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution.

Here is a list of some parties that joined the PSUV and those that did not:

The PSUV held its first big meeting, called a founding congress, in early 2008. Over 1600 delegates took part. On March 14, Hugo Chávez was named the President of the new party.

By 2014, some people felt the party was "breaking apart" or "getting weaker." This was due to the death of Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's struggling economy, and lower oil prices. The party also faced internal problems. For example, a special way was set up to report "internal enemies." In party elections in November 2014, very few members reportedly voted.

What the PSUV Believes In

The PSUV has clear values and principles. They believe that a socialist society is the best way to move beyond the capitalist system.

They get their ideas from important thinkers like Simón Bolívar, Simón Rodríguez, and Ezequiel Zamora. The party also values scientific socialism, Christianity, and liberation theology. They support ideas of fairness for everyone and protecting the Earth.

The PSUV sees itself as a party for many different cultures. It draws inspiration from the history of Afro-Venezuelan and Indigenous peoples. They are also inspired by Commander Hugo Chávez's ideas. Their goal is to create a new kind of society in Venezuela.

The party believes in a strong connection between citizens and the military. This is to protect the country's independence and the will of the people.

The PSUV sees the Bolivarian Revolution as a peaceful move towards socialism. This means moving away from capitalism. They believe that creating socialism also means fighting against imperialism. They hope to form a group of socialist countries in Latin America.

After the PSUV was created, relationships with parties that did not join became difficult. By the 2008 Venezuelan regional elections, Chávez even said that some former allies would "disappear from the political map."

Chávez often said the PSUV was a "very young party." The average age of its members was about 35. Experts agreed, noting that younger people often supported Chávez because their families benefited from his social programs.

In April 2010, a special meeting of the PSUV happened. They agreed on several "general principles." These included socialism, Marxism, and Bolivarianism. They also emphasized humanism, internationalism, and patriotism. The party also committed to participatory democracy and internal party democracy. They see themselves as the main political group leading the revolutionary process.

The party held its 3rd Congress in 2014. At this meeting, Nicolás Maduro was elected as the party's second president. Hugo Chávez was honored as the party's eternal president and founder. Party policies were also updated. The 4th Party Congress took place in 2018.

Party Symbols

The PSUV often uses symbols related to Hugo Chávez. This includes revolutionary symbols like the Chávez eyes. These symbols are sometimes used with the party's own logos.

Visual Symbols of the PSUV

• 

  Official logo,
  2007–present

• 

  Electoral logo,
  2010 election

• 

  Variation of the official logo featuring Hugo Chávez's eyes

• 

  Street painting of Hugo Chávez in Punta de Piedras

• 

  A billboard with Hugo Chávez's eyes and signature in Guarenas

How the PSUV is Organized

A PSUV party meeting in Maracaibo in December 2012

Party Congress

The highest level of the PSUV is the National Party Congress. This is the party's most important group. It meets when the National Board decides it's needed.

Delegates from across the country attend this Congress. They are elected from national and state party committees. The Congress has the power to:

• Nominate the President and Vice President of the Party.
• Elect new or returning members to the National Board and other groups.
• Change the Party's rules and guidelines.
• Discuss and create new party policies, or change old ones.

The National Party Congress usually takes place every four years.

National Board

The party is led by its Eternal President, Hugo Chávez (this is a title given after his death). The current president is Nicolás Maduro, and the vice-president is Diosdado Cabello.

The National Board of directors helps lead the party. It includes many important figures. The PSUV National Board is the highest leadership group. It can create new policies between Party Congresses.

Units of Battle Hugo Chávez (UBCh)

The Units of Battle Hugo Chávez (UBCh) are groups of PSUV members. They have both military and political roles. The UBCh started as groups to protect the Bolivarian Revolution. They also helped the party during elections in Venezuela. In 2013, they were given their current name.

These units are the basic party groups in Venezuelan communities. Four or more UBCh groups form a People's Struggle Circle in a community. Each Unit is divided into ten smaller groups called Unit Patrols. These patrols help party members in different areas.

Other groups that help the PSUV include:

• PSUV National Political Bureau
• PSUV Regional Departments, led by Regional Vice Presidents
• PSUV Sectors Organizations, led by Sectoral Vice Presidents
• United Socialist Party of Venezuela Youth (JPSUV)

Election Results

Presidential Elections

Parliamentary Elections

Election Year	Total Votes	% of Vote	Total Seats Won	Change in Seats	Leader
2010	5,451,419 (#1)	48.3	96 / 165	22	Diosdado Cabello
2015	5,599,025 (#2)	40.9	52 / 167	44
2020	4,317,819 (#1)	69.3	219 / 277	167

See also

In Spanish: Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela para niños

• Revolutionary Marxist Current