For Social Democracy (Spanish: Por la Democracia Social), abbr. PODEMOS, (Spanish: We can) is a political party in Venezuela. In the 2005 legislative elections the party won 15 out of 165 seats in the National Assembly.

For Social Democracy
Por la Democracia Social
AbbreviationPODEMOS
LeaderDidalco Bolívar
Founded2002; 22 years ago (2002)
Split fromMovement for Socialism
HeadquartersCaracas
IdeologySocial democracy
Democratic socialism
Political positionCentre-left to left-wing
National affiliationGreat Patriotic Pole
Regional affiliationCOPPPAL
Seats in the Latin American Parliament
0 / 12
Seats in the National Assembly
4 / 277
Governors of States of Venezuela
0 / 23
Mayors
0 / 337
Website
https://twitter.com/PartidoPODEMOS

History

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The party is led by Ismael García and Didalco Bolívar. It once supported president Hugo Chávez, but refused to join the new United Socialist Party (PSUV) created by the president in 2007, and opposed Chávez's proposals in the 2007 constitutional referendum. Since then, it broke with Chávez and became the only opposition voice in the Parliament. Hugo Chávez accused García of "raising the flags of the right."[1]

PODEMOS is a member of COPPPAL,[2] and used to be a consultative member of Socialist International.[3]

In 2012, the party split and the anti-Chávez faction supporting Ismael García joined the anti-Chávez faction of Fatherland for All, creating Progressive Advance, a centre-left party in opposition to the government. The leadership of PODEMOS was then taken by the pro-Chávez Didalco Bolívar. Under Bolívar's leadership, the party left the Democratic Unity Roundtable and joined the PSUV-led Great Patriotic Pole.

The party's youth wing is called the Unión de Jovenes Podemos.

Notes

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