1.3.2. Political factions and opposition

The Simón Bolívar Great Patriotic Pole (GPPBB, Gran Polo Patriótico Simón Bolívar)79 is the ruling coalition, which includes the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV, Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela),80 the dominant governing party led by Diosdado Cabello.81 Other parties within the GPPBB include the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV, Partido Comunista de Venezuela), the Christian Movement (Movimiento Cristiano), the People's Electoral Movement (MEP, Movimiento Electoral del Pueblo), the Tupamaro Revolutionary Movement (Movimiento Revolucionario Tupamaro), the We Can Movement (Movimiento Podemos), the Alliance for Change (Alianza para el Cambio), the We Are Venezuela Movement (Movimiento Somos Venezuela), the Future Movement (Movimiento Futuro), 82 and Venezuelan Popular Unity (UPV, Unidad Popular Venezolana).83 The GPPBB was founded in 2011 as a broad coalition of political parties to support President Hugo Chávez in the 2012 presidential elections.84

The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD, Plataforma Unitaria Democrática) is the main opposition coalition in Venezuela.85 Created in 202186 and led by María Corina Machado,87 it is described as a '"very broad and diverse"' alliance that brings together parties across the political spectrum, including centrist, social‑democratic, and right‑leaning groups.88 The PUD is composed of ten political parties, among them Citizen Encounter (Encuentro Ciudadano), the Social Christian Party (COPEI, Partido Social Cristiano), the Progressive Movement (Movimiento Progresista), Convergence (Convergencia), and A New Era (UNT, Un Nuevo Tiempo).89 Sources interviewed by the Research Directorate of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada indicated that the coalition is internally fragmented, limiting its ability to maintain internal coherence or a '"unified stand"'.90 Despite this, the PUD generally advocates for improving relations with Western countries, restoring constitutional order and the rule of law, strengthening human rights protections, and promoting national reconciliation.91 For the July 2024 elections, the PUD absorbed the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD, Mesa de la Unidad Democrática) and endorsed Edmundo González Urrutia after the government barred Corina Machado from running and prevented the registration of an alternative candidate.92

Come Venezuela (VV, Vente Venezuela) is a right-wing, liberal political party founded by Corina Machado in 2012.93 In 2023, VV took the lead in the opposition movement and won the presidential primaries in 2024.94 The disqualification of Corina Machado, however, led Corina Machado to support González Urrutia.95

The MUD was created in 2006 as a unified opposition coalition aimed at promoting democratic reforms and countering the political project of Hugo Chávez.96 The coalition is composed primarily of centre‑right parties, along with some former pro‑Chávez parties.97 The MUD has long served as the principal opposition force and is described as the most electorally successful coalition in the country’s history.98 Its most prominent current figure is Edmundo González Urrutia.99 Since 2021, MUD has functioned as an electoral card for the PUD.100

UNT was founded in 1999 in Zulia state by Manuel Rosales, the state’s governor, and is generally characterised as a centre‑left party.101 In 2006, UNT expanded its presence nationwide.102 For the 2024 presidential elections, UNT initially registered Rosales as its candidate, but later, in April 2024, the party aligned itself with the PUD to support González Urrutia's candidacy.103

First Justice (Primero Justicia) is an opposition political party founded in 2000, but that started as a political movement in 1992. The party emerged from a new generation of leaders aiming to revitalise Venezuelan politics after the deterioration of the traditional Fourth Republic parties. Early on, it positioned itself as a citizen‑oriented movement promoting social justice, institutional reform, decentralisation, and anti‑corruption efforts. Main figures of Primero Justicia include Henrique Capriles and Julio Borges.104

Democratic Action (Acción Democrática) is a centre‑left, social‑democratic opposition party founded in 1941 that promotes representative democracy, social reforms, civic nationalism, strong union involvement, and state intervention in key areas. The party functions more as a symbolic legacy and a marker of democratic tradition than as an effective vote‑mobilising organisation.105

Popular Will (Voluntad Popular) is a liberal‑progressive, social‑democratic Venezuelan opposition party founded in 2009, focused on democracy, civil rights, and resisting authoritarianism. It emerged from Primero Justicia and its main leader was Leopoldo López.106

In the May 2025 regional elections, the governing coalition won 23 of the country’s 24 governorships,107 with Cojedes being the only state secured by the opposition.108 The GPPBB also secured 256 of the 285 seats in the National Assembly,109 distributed as follows: PSUV and its allies (256 seats), Democratic Alliance (13 seats), UNT-Única (11 seats), Fuerza Vecinal (4 seats), and the Pencil Alliance (1 seat).110 The elections also included, for the first time, the selection of a 'governor' and a 'legislative council' for the so‑called '"Essequibo Guayana state"', in open defiance of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling prohibiting Venezuela from holding elections in the disputed territory.111 Sources reported accusations of a lack of transparency,112 state repression, and high abstention rates, estimated between 70 and 90 %.113 The opposition chose not to participate as part of a broader strategy to boycott the elections.114

In the 27 July 2025 municipal elections, the governing coalition won 285 of the country's 335 mayoralties, with most opposition victories concentrated in Cojedes state.115 The elections were marked by low turnout (29.14 %), the use of state resources to promote ruling-coalition candidates, a lack of transparency, and political exclusion.116 For information on the treatment of critics of the government and members of the political opposition, see section 3.1 Political opponents and activists, and human rights defenders.