Territorial organization of Venezuela

Venezuela is a Federal Republic located in South America. This country is divided into Federal Entities: 23 States, the Capital District (which includes part of the city of Caracas) and also includes the Federal Dependencies (islands, mostly uninhabited) and the Federal Territories (which currently do not exist any Territory Federal within the national territory), Venezuela also has a Zone in Claim. The states contain 335 municipalities and these in turn 1146 civil parishes.

The federal States are politically equal and have the same powers, each one has a governor (Regional Chief Executive), a Cabinet of Secretaries, a Secretary of Government, a Prosecutor, a Legislative Council (Regional Parliament that approves state laws), a comptroller, police, flag, shield, anthem and its own constitution (except the Capital District, Federal Dependencies and Federal Territories), since these have federal rank.

At the national level, each state is represented in the National Assembly of Venezuela according to its population by a system of proportional representation, and additionally, each state elects at least 3 deputies.

The states are divided into Autonomous Municipalities and these in turn into Civilian Parishes. Each state determines in how many municipalities it is organized and each municipality has a mayor, a cabinet of directors, a comptroller, a prosecutor, police and a municipal council that issues ordinances, by State Law the municipalities can be associated in Metropolitan Districts. Finally, according to Article 171 of the Venezuelan Constitution of 1999, when 2 or more municipalities belonging to one or more federal entities have common interests, they can associate, constituting Metropolitan Districts or major Mayoralties.

History

Venezuela divided into provinces

Map of the General Office of Venezuela in 1810, by Agustín Codazzi.

Map of the Republic of Venezuela in 1840, by Agustín Codazzi.

The provinces were the administrative divisions used in Venezuela from Spanish colonization until the conclusion of the Federal War, when a new constitution transformed these subdivisions into federal states.

The Captaincy General of Venezuela, precedent of the current country, was created in 1777 by the union of the provinces of Cumaná (or Nueva Andalucía), Guayana, Maracaibo, Margarita, Venezuela and Trinidad; The latter was invaded in 1797 by the British and completely lost in 1802, while in 1786 Barinas was created.

The Venezuelan Declaration of Independence (1811) was signed by the provinces of Caracas, Cumaná, Barinas, Margarita, as well as the newly created provinces of Barcelona, Mérida and Trujillo. The three remaining provinces (Maracaibo, Guayana, and the newly created Coro) chose to remain under Spanish rule. After the Venezuelan War of Independence, all of them were incorporated into Gran Colombia.

After the dissolution of Gran Colombia, Venezuela (then a centralized republic, unified administratively, military, and judicial, with Caracas as its capital) was made up of 11 provinces (Apure, Barcelona, Barinas, Carabobo, Caracas, Coro, Cumaná, Guyana, Maracaibo, Margarita, Merida). By 1840, the one in Trujillo (which had been reincorporated into the one in Maracaibo) and the one in Barquisimeto (separated from the one in Carabobo) had been created.

In 1848 the provinces of Aragua and Guárico (both separated from Caracas) were created. The division of Venezuela into provinces reached its peak in 1856 when the Territorial Division Law divided the country into 21 provinces: Amazonas, Apure, Aragua, Barcelona, Barinas, Barquisimeto, Carabobo, Caracas, Cojedes, Coro, Cumaná, Guárico, Guayana, Maracaibo, Margarita, Maturín, Mérida, Portuguesa, Táchira, Trujillo and Yaracuy.

Birth of the Federation

Although Venezuela was born as a federation after the promulgation of the Federal Constitution of the States of Venezuela on December 4, 1811, this project could not materialize due to the loss of the first Republic. After achieving its definitive independence in 1819, Venezuela joined Gran Colombia, a nation that had a more or less federal model, and after the dissolution of Colombia in 1830, a new Constitution was promulgated where the federation was dissolved for a period of time. long (from 1830 to 1859) and the centralist system was adopted.

Venezuela divided into Federal Entities

Map of the United States of Venezuela in 1875.

Map of the United States of Venezuela in 1890.

Federalism was restored in 1859 and in 1864 the Constitution of the United States of Venezuela of 1864 was promulgated, the second Federal Constitution of the country and which was a direct consequence of the Federal War. After the war, the federal states acquired greater autonomy than those of the federalist provinces of 1811. Since then, the federal system has remained embodied in the successive Constitutions of Venezuela as a form of government (although the country has had governments that have been highly centralist), a model that has lasted until today and that is reflected in the National Constitution of 1999, in its article 4:

"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a decentralized Federal State in the terms enshrined in this Constitution, and is governed by the principles of territorial integrity, cooperation, solidarity, concurrence and co-responsibility. ".

Although from 1863 to 1909 there were several divisions and unions of territories that drastically changed the territorial organization of the country, the political-territorial division of Venezuela remained the same for much of the century XX with few changes, until the incorporation at the end of the century of the States of Delta Amacuro, Amazonas and Vargas.

Since 1917

Starting in 1913, oil exports reached a significant level until 1926, when they assumed the main role in the country's trade balance, oil Venezuela appeared, agrarian Venezuela was left behind; the economy changes its structure, the production of hydrocarbons makes the economy revolve around a new export axis, thus the elements that originate a different organization of space arise.

Current oil Venezuela is characterized spatially by the existence of a structure in which there are two fundamental areas: the center and the periphery; This implies the existence of a distribution of economic activities, in which a greater importance of coastal-mountainous locations is observed over locations in the interior of the country.

This gives the central-north-coastal area, and particularly the Caracas metropolitan area, a centralizing role for the population, economic activities, and political-administrative management, while the rest of the country participates little in the national development, which gives it a peripheral character.

The excessive concentration of socio-economic activities in the center-north of the country retards overall national development, since such a spatial organization only makes it possible for the periphery to be squeezed out of its resources and reduced to a situation of little economic dynamism.

This spatial imbalance can be overcome by implementing regional development policies, which require the formulation and execution of regional development plans. For this it is necessary to establish the administrative regions.

The outstanding characteristic of regional development plans is the spatial coordination of the different economic and social activities of the future.

Territory administration

State Public Power

Refers to the organization of public power at the state or regional level, according to article 159 of the 1999 Constitution:

"States are autonomous and equal entities in the political sphere, with full legal personality, and are obliged to maintain national independence, sovereignty and integrity, and to comply with the Constitution and laws of the Republic."

The States of the Venezuelan Federation are autonomous and equal among themselves. They have a Constitution, the highest Law of the state system that must not contradict the National Constitution, nor should it be about matters reserved exclusively for the National Assembly, (such as criminal, civil and procedural matters, among others.). States cannot make alliances with other states or with any independent nation without the authorization of the National Assembly. The political organization of each Federal Entity is based on the separation of powers.

Executive Branch

According to article 160 of the 1999 constitution, each federal state has as Executive Branch a Governor elected by simple majority every 4 years with the possibility of re-election for new periods, and the possibility of revoking his mandate halfway through the Constitutional period. Each governor appoints a cabinet of secretaries of his trust for various areas according to the particularities of each state (in general, a Secretary of Education, Health, etc. is created), the Secretary General of Government being the most important one, in addition to designate a general attorney (prior authorization of the Legislative Council)

The state governor is responsible for the government and administration in the jurisdiction in which he or she is elected and is accountable to the state comptroller and submits an annual report to the State Legislative Council.

Legislative Branch

The Legislative Council (Article 162 of the Constitution) is a unicameral legislative body made up of between 7 and 15 members called "legisladores" elected every 4 years under the system of proportional representation of the population of the State and its Municipalities, being able to be re-elected for new periods and with the possibility of revoking their mandate halfway through the Constitutional period.

Other institutions

There will also be a State Comptroller's Office that has autonomy (Article 163 of the Constitution). In addition to a Public Policy Planning and Coordination Council made up of the Governor, the Mayors, the State Directors of the ministries and representation of the legislators elected by the State to the National Assembly, the Legislative Council, of the councilors or councilors and of the organized communities, including the indigenous ones where there are any, it will function and be organized in accordance with what is determined by law (Article 166 of the Constitution). In addition, according to Article 164 of the Constitution, each state must organize its municipalities, and all those not expressly reserved by the Constitution to the National or municipal Public Power will be among its powers.

Representation in the National Assembly

In the National Assembly, federal entities; the States and the Capital District— are represented by the deputies elected in each entity by universal suffrage based on 1.1% of the country's population, in addition to three deputies for each State. Due to the elimination of the Senate of the Republic in 1999, the Deputies of the unicameral Assembly represent the States together with the people, thus preserving the federal model, as expressed in art: 201 of the National Constitution in the form following:

"Deputies or deputies are representatives of the people and of the States as a whole, not subject to mandates or instructions, but only to their conscience. Their vote in the National Assembly is personal. ".

Capital District

It is a Federal Entity with a special government regime, it was created by the Constitution of 1999, and in its territory are the headquarters of the National Public Powers, for which reason it does not have local Powers of the District, only the corresponding municipal ones to the Municipality of Libertador de Caracas, in its territory there are only Government Bodies, it is governed by the Special Law on the Organization and Regime of the Capital District, approved on April 7, 2009, establishing the same form of government of the extinct Federal District.

Your organization is the responsibility of the National Power as established in Article 156 numeral 10 of the Constitution of Venezuela of 1999:

Article 156. It is from the competence of the National Public Power: 10. The organization and regime of the Capital District and the federal units.

According to Article 3 of the Special Law on the Organization and Regime of the Capital District, the executive function is exercised by the Head of Government appointed by the President of the Republic.

The legislative function is exercised directly by the Republic through the National Assembly

“Article 3. The special regime of the Capital District is a system of government constituted by an executive body exercised by a Head or Head of Government and the legislative function will be in charge of the National Assembly.”

Municipal Public Power

Refers to the organization of the Public Power at the local level, according to article 168 of the 1999 Constitution:

"The municipalities constitute the primary political unit of the national organization, enjoy legal personality and autonomy within the limits of the Constitution and the law"

The local organization resides in the autonomous Municipalities of each State.

Executive Branch

Its government and administration is in charge of a Mayor who is also the first civil authority (Article 174 of the Constitution) elected by simple majority for 4 years with the possibility of re-election for new periods.

The mayor appoints a Cabinet of Directors for various areas that vary according to the Municipality, in general (Education Directorate, Health, etc.), it is the administrator of the municipality's own resources, it can be revoked at the half of its management by citizens according to the National Constitution.

Legislative Branch

It is represented by a Municipal Council (Article 175 of the Constitution) that exercises legislative functions in the localities and that are also elected every 4 years with the possibility of re-election for new periods, issue municipal ordinances that are mandatory in their jurisdiction, these ordinances cannot be in contradiction with state and national laws.

They regulate and control the activities of the other municipal entities. Appoint the municipal comptroller. Also, in and when they meet in valid sessions called the Municipal Chamber, they can be revoked in the middle of each constitutional period.

Other institutions

The supervision is carried out by the Municipal Comptroller's Office (Article 176 of the Constitution). They also have a Local Public Planning Council, chaired by the mayor or mayoress and made up of councilors, the Presidents of the Communal Parish Board and representatives of neighborhood organizations and others from society. organized, in accordance with the provisions established by law (Article 182 of the Constitution). The Constitution establishes that municipalities have tax authority (Article 180) and can create and establish their parishes in compliance with the requirements established by law (Article 173).

Districts

According to Article 171 of the Venezuelan Constitution of 1999, when 2 or more municipalities belonging to one or more federal entities have common interests, they can be associated by becoming metropolitan districts or mayoralties, through the approval of the respective law:

Article 171. When two or more municipalities belonging to the same federal entity have economic, social and physical relations that give to the group characteristics of a metropolitan area, they can be organized as metropolitan districts. The organic law that will be enacted will guarantee the democratic and participatory character of the metropolitan government and establish its functional competencies, as well as the fiscal, financial and control regime. It will also ensure that the respective municipalities have adequate participation in metropolitan government bodies, and will indicate how to convene and conduct popular consultations that decide to link the latter to the metropolitan district.

When a district has municipalities from 2 different federal entities, (as in the case of Caracas with the Capital District and Miranda State) it will correspond to the National Assembly to legislate on its organization and powers.

Article 172 (...) When municipalities wishing to form a metropolitan district belong to different federal entities, the National Assembly will be set up and organized.

District Councils

Each Metropolitan District has a Mayor and a Metropolitan Council, who will be elected by direct, universal and secret ballot every 4 years, with the possibility of being reelected, and with the possibility of being revoked halfway through their term.

The Cabildos are made up of Metropolitan Councilors (in the case of the Metropolitan District of Caracas) or District Councilors (in the case of the Alto Apure District), they issue ordinances and they approve agreements that must be fulfilled in the municipalities coordinated by the respective district.

Federal Dependencies

According to the Constitution of Venezuela of 1999, they are the portions of territory of the Republic not included within States, Federal Territories and the Capital District, as well as the islands that are formed in the territorial sea or in the one covered by the platform continental, Article 17 of the Constitution in its second paragraph refers to these:

"Federal units are non-integrated maritime islands in the territory of a State, as well as islands that form or appear in the territorial sea or where the continental shelf is covered. Its description, geographical position, regime and administration will be noted in the law. ".

According to the Organic Law of Federal Dependencies of 1938 still in force, everything related to the government and administration of said dependencies corresponds directly to the Federal or National Executive (Art.3) They are under the administration of the National Directorate of Coordination of the Border Development and Federal Dependencies.

Federal Territories

The Federal Territories are a special political division of the territory of Venezuela provided for in Article 16 of the National Constitution, its administration is in charge of the National Power in accordance with the law.

"Art.16. The political-territorial division will be regulated by organic law, (...) The Act may provide for the establishment of federal territories in certain areas of the States, which are subject to the establishment of an approved referendum in the respective entity. The category of State may be given to a federal territory by special law, all or part of the area of the respective territory.

If the Federal Dependencies are excepted, there are currently no Federal Territories in the country, since the last two to have this condition (Amazonas Federal Territory and Delta Amacuro Federal Territory) were elevated to the category of Federal States by special law approved in 1992, it is also important to highlight that in 1998 the former Department of Vargas was separated from the now-defunct Federal District, giving it the category of Vargas Federal Territory that became a State shortly after in 1999. In October 2011 the Miranda Island Territory was created, but as part of another federal entity, the Federal Dependencies.

Administrative Regions

In 1969, Decree No. 72 was promulgated, creating an intermediate administrative level between the national powers and federal entities, made up of the administrative regions. From this decree, the Political-Administrative Regions were created, as well as the planning, promotion and regional development bodies that compose them.

The political-administrative regions are not part of the formal political division nor are they part of the administrative structure of states and municipalities, but they were created to stimulate regional planning, promotion and development from the central government, without affecting the political division of the states and municipalities or their autonomy and powers.

The originally created Political-Administrative Regions were successively modified by their extension, until reaching the current situation in which we have the following regions:

Map	Region	Population	Surface	Territories
	The Andes		90.550km2	Mérida, Trujillo, Táchira, Barinas and Municipality Páez (Apure).
	Capital		9,880km2	Miranda, La Guaira and Capital District
	Central		23,464km2	Aragua, Carabobo and Cojedes
	Guayana		458,344km2	Bolivar, Amazon and Delta Amacuro
	Insular		1,411km2	New Sparta and Federal Units
	The Llanos		142,900km2	Guárico and Apure, with the exception of the Municipality Páez (Apure).
	Northeast		84,030km2	Anzoátegui State, Monagas and Sucre
	Central West		66,900km2	Falcon, Lara, Portuguesa and Yaracuy
	Zuliana		63,100km2	Zulia
	Venezuela		916.445

Federal Entities of Venezuela

Federal Entities of Venezuela
Bolívar Amazon Apure Zulia Tachira Barrels Merida Trujillo Lara Portuguesa Guárico Cojedes Yaracuy Falcon Carabobobo Aragua Miranda Capital District La Guaira Anzoátegui Sucre New Sparta Federal Units Monagas Delta Amacuro Trinidady Tobago Guyana Colombia Brazil Caribbean Sea Atlantic Ocean

Political-administrative map of Venezuela

Districts

Entity	District	Municipalities	Surface	Population	Parliament	Map
Capital District	Capital District	(1) Freedom	433 km2	3.030.564 (2017)	Municipal Council of Libertador

Federal Dependencies

Federal entity	Federal units	Surface	Population	Map
Federal units	(12) Monks — Los Hermanos — Los Frailes — Isla de Aves — La Sola — La Tortuga — La Blanquilla — Los Testigos — Patos	342,25 km2	1.765 (2007)

Island Territories

Territory	Federal units	Surface	Population	Map
Francisco de Miranda	Las Aves — Los Roques — La Orchila	83.96 km2	1,300 (2007)

{It also has an area under claim, with the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, called Essequibo}