Document #1082765
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
No reports on threats of reprisals and
pressures against deserting, defecting or unorthodox members of
MBR-200 nor on the internal discipline of the party could be found
among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
Please note that the MBR-200 has gathered
more than 100,000 signatures in 19 states of Venezuela to register
as a legal and official political party under the name of Fifth
Republic Movement (Movimiento Quinta República 3/4MVR) at
the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) (VHeadline/VENews, 16 Jan.
1998). "According to MVR executives, the number of signatures is
double the amount required by the CSE and can be taken as a sign of
MVR's growing acceptance by Venezuelan citizens (ibid.)."
Along with the political parties Movimiento
al Socialismo (MAS) and Patria Para Todos (PPT), the MVR is part of
"an alliance called the 'Patriotic Pole' to strengthen Hugo Chavez
Frias' presidential campaign and... incorporate more people into
their camp" (ibid., 21 June 1998).
However, since the public appearance of
MBR-200 in 1992, some of its supporters have been arrested on
various occasions because of the government's suspicion of their
participation in organizing or fomenting social unrest and
subversive activities (Reuters, 6 Feb. 1996; ibid., 14 March 1995).
Agence France Presse also reports that "the move to clamp down on
MBR-200 ... follows an Interior Ministry investigation into alleged
links between the group and Colombia's rebel National Liberation
Army (14 March 1995). Those charges were denied by Hugo Chavez
Frias, the leader of MBR-200, who qualified them as a "government
farce" (Reuters, 17 March 1995), part of a campaign "by the
Venezuelan state intelligence services to blacken his movement.
(ibid.)"
More recently during the 1998 electoral
campaign, The Economist reports that "Mr Chavez, whom
polls credit with twice as much support as any rival ..., has
repeatedly said that his opponents may try to kill him. Given the
antipathy that Venezuela's elite, and some members of the armed
forces, feel toward him, it is not simply absurd. Bombs have indeed
been used against a few of Mr Chavez's supporters. The government
has had to promise an investigation of his charges3/4and to double
his bodyguard" (22 Aug. 1998, 27).
The president of the political party
Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), claims he has evidence that "a plot
is afoot to stop Chavez Frias from reaching the presidency and that
a hit-list has been drawn up against secondary targets" mainly
politicians and highranking members of the clergy who joined his
party (VHeadline/VENews, 18 Aug. 1998). This allegation of a plot
has been strongly condemned by COPEI and AD, the main political
parties, which called on the MAS to produce this evidence
(ibid.).
In its relation with the military Chavez
Frias has the support of some high ranking military commanders
involved in the February and November 1992 attempted coups "while
two former Defense Ministers are bitter opponents" (ibid., 17 May
1998).
As for MBR-200 connections with criminals,
"Venezuela's new Anti-Drugs Commissioner, Raul Dominguez insists
that the Anti-Drugs Committee (CNA) has no information whatsoever
that Hugo Chavez Frias or any other presidential candidate is
receiving laundered money from drug barons" (VHeadline/VENews, 29
July 1998).
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 to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the
list of sources consulted in researching this Information
Request.
References
Agence France Presse. 14 March 1995.
Tamara Rodriguez. "Venezuela Arrests More Than 30 As Populist
Leader's Impact Looms Large." (NEXIS)
The Economist. 22 August 1998.
"Venezuela: Democracy at Work."
Reuters. 6 February 1996.
"Venezuela-Govt Arrests MBR-200 Revolutionaries." (NEXIS)
_____. 17 March 1995. Andrew Cawthorne.
"Venezuela Ex-Coup Leader Alleges Plot Against Him." (NEXIS)
_____. 14 March 1995. "Venezuelan Police
Round Up Alleged Subversives." (NEXIS)
VHeadline/VENews. 18 August 1998.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue. "MAS Claims Chavez Frias Is On Hit List And
Smear Campaign Experts Are Coming Shortly From Brazil." [Internet]
http://www.vheadline.com/9808/4861.htm
(Accessed on 8 Sept. 1998)
_____. 29 July 1998. Patrick J.
O'Donoghue. "Anti-Drugs Committee Says No Evidence To Show That
Chavez Frias Or Other Candidates Are On The Take From Drug
Traffickers." (Accessed on 8 Sept. 1998)
_____. 21 June 1998. Patrick J.
O'Donoghue. "Chavez Frias' Parties Launch Plan To Form Patriotic
Pole." (Accessed on 8 Sept. 1998)
_____. 17 May 1998. Patrick J.
O'Donoghue. "Replay Of 1992 Military Divisions Emerge In
Venezuela's 1998 Political Arena." (Accessed on 8 Sept. 1998)
_____. 16 January 1998. Patrick J.
O'Donoghue. "Commandante Chavez Registers His Party With Record
Number of Signatures." (Accessed on 8 Sept. 1998)
Additional Sources Consulted
Situación de los derechos humanos
en Venezuela: informe anual Octubre 1996 - Septiembre 1997. 1997.
Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos
Humanos, Caracas: PROVEA.
_____. informe anual Octubre 1995 -
Septiembre 1996. 1996. Programa Venezolano de
Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos. Caracas:
PROVEA.
_____. informe anual Octubre 1994 -
Septiembre 1995. 1995. Programa Venezolano de
Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos, Caracas:
PROVEA.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases,
Global News Bank, Internet, REFWORLD, World News Connection
(WNC).