Freddy Bernal

Freddy Bernal
Mayor of Libertador Municipality
In office
30 July 2000 – 30 November 2008
Preceded by Antonio Ledezma
Succeeded by Jorge Rodríguez
Personal details
Political party PSUV
Residence Caracas

Freddy Bernal is the ex-mayor (2004–2008) of the Libertador Municipality in Caracas, Venezuela and a member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).[1]

Law enforcement

Prior to becoming a politician, the BBC says he "commanded a notorious metropolitan police elite corps known as the Z Group".[2] In October 2014, President Nicolás Maduro made Bernal head of a newly created presidential commission concentrated on police reform.[3] President Maduro stated that the goal of the commission led by Bernal was to review both CICPC and the Bolivarian National Police.[4]

Political career

The BBC described Bernal as President Hugo Chavez's "most trusted mayor in Caracas", adding that the "opposition regard him as ultra-revolutionary".[2] Bernal was also a leader of the Bolivarian Circles.[5]

Controversy

In a 18 March 2015 interview with Globovisión, Bernal was asked "Can a homosexual be a police officer?" to where he replied, "Yes ... so long as they don’t manifest their sexual preference publicly. Because imagine if a police officer that might want to wear a pink shirt, or wear lipstick. I think that that, at least in Venezuela, I don’t know in other places, doesn’t go with our culture.[3] He then attempted to clarify, stating "I have nothing against sexual diversity ... But they couldn’t manifest it publicly, because it goes against the structure of what a police officer should be."[3] Bernal's remarks raised concerns of homophobia in Venezuela among the Venezuelan and the international LGBT communities.[3][6][7]

Sanctions

On 22 September 2017, Canada sanctioned Bernal due to rupture of Venezuela's constitutional order.[8][9]

On 9 November 2017, United States renewed sanctions against Bernal originally imposed in 2011 against him and three other Venezuelan individuals, extending them to nine other politicians.[10][11]

On 29 March 2018, Bernal was sanctioned by the Panamanian government for his alleged involvement with "money laundering, financing of terrorism and financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction".[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Bernal: El 26 de septiembre será como un nuevo 13 de abril". El Universal (in Spanish). 13 April 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Venezuela: Chavez's key backers". BBC. 19 March 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bayetti Flores, Verónica (19 March 2015). "VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT OF POLICE REFORM COMMISSION MAKES HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS". Feministing. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  4. ↑ M. Rodríguez T., Carmen (30 October 2014). "Freddy Bernal estará al frente de la Comisión para la reforma policial". El Universal. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Nelson, Brian A. (2009). The silence and the scorpion : the coup against Chávez and the making of modern Venezuela (online ed.). New York: Nation Books. pp. 20–22. ISBN 1568584180.
  6. ↑ Arenas, Vanessa (18 March 2015). "Activistas: "Para ser homosexual no hay que pintarse los labios ni vestirse de rosado"". Efecto Cocuyo. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  7. ↑ Parant, Paul (19 March 2015). "Au Venezuela, un policier peut être gay… s'il le cache". Têtu. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Venezuela sanctions". Government of Canada. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  9. ↑ "Canada sanctions 40 Venezuelans with links to political, economic crisis". The Globe and Mail. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  10. ↑ https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1295.aspx
  11. ↑ https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20171109.aspx
  12. ↑ "Estos son los 55 "rojitos" que Panamá puso en la mira por fondos dudosos | El Cooperante". El Cooperante (in Spanish). 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  • "Venezuelan Military Picks Businessman to Replace Ousted Chavez". FOX News. 22 April 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  • Byrne, Jennifer (6 March 2003). "Venezuela - Bolivarian Revolution". Foreign Correspondent. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
Preceded by
Antonio Ledezma		 Mayor of Libertador Municipality
2000–2008		 Succeeded by
Jorge Rodríguez


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