Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce

The Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Production (Spanish: Federación de Cámaras y Asociaciones de Comercio y Producción de Venezuela) or Fedecámaras is Venezuela's main business union. It is formed by businesses that represent all economic sectors of the country.

Fedecámaras is composed of chambers of commerce (cámara in Spanish) in fourteen basic trade groups: banking, agriculture, commerce, construction, energy, manufacturing, media, mining, ranching, insurance, transportation, tourism, real estate and telecommunications. Additionally, 18 regional Fedecámaras chapters complete the organisation. Fedecámaras represents small, medium and large-size companies.

In practice, the intended function of Fedecámaras is to act as a cartel controlling these sectors of the Venezuelan economy, setting wages and working conditions within each respective trade. Fedecámaras enforces these conditions by several means, including strikes against their aggregate employees to enforce wages and conditions. The cámaras also seek to informally control the amount of competition they will allow into each trade by controlling membership, and the rights enjoyed by members.

This organization was at political odds with former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. During a failed coup d'état against him in April 2002, former Fedecámaras president Pedro Carmona assumed the role of interim de facto president of Venezuela for two days.

Background

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Founded in 1944, Fedecámaras was formed with the main objective of protecting the free enterprise, by promoting the development and diversification of the country within a regulatory system that guarantees the rights of all individuals, and by defending its members and affiliates.

President and leadership

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The current leadership for the 2021-2023 period is the following: Carlos Fernández Gallardo is the president; Adán Celis Michelena is the first vice-president, Felipe Capozzolo is the second vice-president, and César Augusto Guillén Lamus is the treasurer.[1]

List of past presidents Fedecámaras:

Presidents of Fedecámaras
Name Period
Luis Gonzalo Marturet 1945–1946
Domingo Navarro Méndez 1946–1947
Óscar Machado Zuloaga 1947–1949
Lope Mendoza G. 1949–1950
Silvio Gutiérrez 1950–1952
Luis Gonzalo Marturet 1952–1953
Ibrahim Velutini 1953–1954
Francisco Morillo R. 1954–1955
Feliciano Pacanins 1955–1956
Ángel Cervini 1957–1958
Alejandro Hernández 1958–1960
Rafael Echeverría 1960–1961
Armando Branger 1961–1963
Emilio Conde Jahn 1963–1965
Concepción Quijada 1965–1967
Alfredo Lafée 1967–1969
Óscar de Guruceaga 1969–1971
Carlos G. Rangel 1971–1973
Alfredo Paúl Delfino 1973–1975
Antonio Díaz Martínez 1975–1977
Carlos Vogeler Rincones 1977–1979
Ciro Añez Fonseca 1979–1981
Carlos Sequera Yépez 1981–1983
Adán Celis 1983–1985
Rafael Marcial Garmendia 1985–1987
Hugo Fonseca Viso 1987–1989
Eddo Polesel 1989–1991
Freddy Rojas Parra 1991–1993
Edgar Romero Nava 1993–1995
Jorge Serrano F. 1995–1997
Francisco Natera 1997–1999
Vicente Brito 1999–2001
Pedro Carmona Estanga 2001–2002
Carlos Fernández 2002–2003
Albis Muñoz 2003–2005
José Luis Betancourt 2005–2007
José Manuel González 2007–2009
Noel Álvarez 2009–2011
Jorge Botti 2011–2013
Jorge Roig 2013–2015
Francisco Martínez 2015–2017
Carlos Larrazábal 2017–2019
Ricardo Cusanno 2019–2021
Carlos Fernández Gallardo 2021–2023
Adán Celis Michelena 2023-present

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Quienes Somos". Fedecamaras. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
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