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Freddy Bernal | |
|---|---|
 Bernal in 2003 | |
| Mayor of Libertador Municipality | |
| In office 30 July 2000 – 30 November 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Antonio Ledezma |
| Succeeded by | Jorge Rodríguez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Freddy Alirio Bernal Rosales (1962-06-16)16 June 1962 (age 63) |
| Political party | United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)(from 2007) Fifth Republic Movement(until 2007) |
Freddy Alirio Bernal Rosales is a Venezuelan politician. He served as mayor of theLibertador Municipality inCaracas and is a member of theUnited Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).[1]
Prior to becoming a politician, the BBC says he "commanded a notorious metropolitan policeelite corps known as the Z Group".[2] In October 2014, PresidentNicolás 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 bothCICPC and theBolivarian National Police.[4]
The BBC described Bernal as PresidentHugo Chávez's "most trusted mayor in Caracas", adding that the "opposition regard him as ultra-revolutionary".[2] Bernal was also a leader of theBolivarian Circles.[5]
In an 18 March 2015 interview withGlobovisión, 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 againstsexual 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 ofhomophobia in Venezuela among the Venezuelan and the international LGBT communities.[3][6][7]
Bernal has beensanctioned by several countries.
Canada sanctioned 40 Venezuelan officials, including Bernal, in September 2017.[8][9] The sanctions were for behaviors that undermined democracy after at least 125 people will killed in the2017 Venezuelan protests and "in response to the government of Venezuela's deepening descent into dictatorship".[8] Canadians were banned from transactions with the 40 individuals, whose Canadian assets were frozen.[8] The sanctions noted a rupture of Venezuela's constitutional order.[10]
In 2011, fourHugo Chávez allies were sanctioned by theUnited States Department of the Treasury for allegedly helpingFARC obtain weapons and smuggle drugs. Bernal, one of the sanctioned, dismissed the charges as "an aggression", saying he would not be frightened by the sanctions.[11][12]
In November 2017, Bernal was again sanctioned by the United StatesOffice of Foreign Assets Control after the2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election;[13] the Treasury Department described the individuals sanctioned as being "associated with undermining electoral processes, media censorship, or corruption in government-administered food programs in Venezuela".[14]
In March 2018, Panama sanctioned 55 public officials, including Bernal;[15] the officials were sanctioned by the Panamanian government for their alleged involvement with "money laundering, financing of terrorism and financing the proliferation ofweapons of mass destruction".[16]
On 25 June 2018, theEuropean Union sanctioned eleven Venezuelan officials, including Bernal,[17] in response to the May2018 Venezuelan presidential election, which the E.U. described as "neither free nor fair".[18]
On 10 July 2018, he was among 11 Venezuelans previously sanctioned by the European Union in June 2018 added to the sanctions list ofSwitzerland.[19][20]
| Preceded by | Mayor of Libertador Municipality 2000–2008 | Succeeded by |