Political

 

Argentina

Political system - Federal Republic
National government - Partido Justicialista (PJ or Peronist Party)
National legislature - Congress of 257 member Chamber of Deputies and 72 member Senate
Last elections - October 2007 (Congressional and Presidential)
Next election due - October 2009 (Congressional) and October 2011 (Presidential)
Head of State - Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner
Head of Government - Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner
Main Political Parties - Partido Justicialista (PJ, Peronist Party), Unión Cívica Radical (UCR), Affirmation for a Republic of Equals (ARI), Propuesta Republicana (PRO)

 

Brazil

Political system – Federal Republic

National government – Loose leftist alliance comprised of PT, PPS, PMDB, PL, PSB, PCdoB.

National legislature – Congress comprising 513-member Chamber of Deputies and 81-member Senate.

Last election – October 2006

Next election due – October 2010

Head of State – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Head of Government – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

 

Chile

Political system	Presidential Democracy
National government	Michelle Bachelet of the Partido Socialista (PS) heads the Concertación coalition
National legislature	Bicameral legislature (Congress): a Senate (the upper house) comprising 38 members elected for eight years and partly renewed every four years; and a Chamber of Deputies (the lower house), with 120 members who are all elected every four years
Last election	1 April 2005
Next election due	11 December 2009
Head of State	Michelle Bachelet Jeria
Head of Government	Michelle Bachelet Jeria
Key Ministers	Ministers as at 1 May 2009
President:	Michelle Bachelet Jeria (PS)
Agriculture:	Marigen Hornkohl (PDC)
Defence:	Francisco Vidal (PPD)
Economy:	Hugo Lavados (PDC)
Education:	Mónica Jiménez de la Jara (independent)
Energy:	Marcelo Tokman (PPD)
Environment:	Ana Lya Uriarte (PS)
Finance:	Andrés Velasco (independent)
Foreign affairs:	Mariano Fernández (PDC)
General secretary of the government:	Carolina Tohá (PPD)
General secretary of the presidency:	José Antonio Viera-Gallo (PS)
Health:	Álvaro Erazo (PS)
Interior & cabinet chief:	Edmundo Pérez Yoma (PDC)
Justice:	Carlos Maldonado (PRSD)
Labour:	Claudia Serrano (PS)
Mining:	Santiago González (PRSD)
National property:	Romy Schmidt (PPD)
National service for women:	Laura Albornoz (PDC)
Planning:	Paula Quintana (PS)
Public works:	Sergio Bitar (PPD)
Transport & communications:	René Cortázar (PDC)
Central Bank president :	José de Gregorio(PDC)
Main political parties	National Renewal Party
	Democratic Independent Union
	(make up the right wing Alianza Coalition)
	Christian Democrat Party
	The Party for Democracy
	The Radical Social Democratic Party
	The Socialist Party
	Communist Party
	Humanist Party
	(make up the centre-left Concertación coalition that has held power since 1990)

 

Colombia

Political system – Unitary republic

National government – The president heads the executive branch and is elected for a four-year term, with the possibility of being re-elected for a second term.

National legislature – Legislative power is vested in Congress, which consists of the Senate (the upper house) and the Chamber of Representatives (the lower house), both elected by popular vote for four years.

Last election – May 2006
Next election due – May 2010
Head of State and Government – Alvaro Uribe Vélez
Key Opposition MPs – Carlos GAVIRIA Diaz (PDA)

Main political parties – Colombian Conservative Party or PC [Efrain Jose Cepeda CEPEDA Sarabia]; Alternative Democratic Pole or PDA [Carlos Gaviria Diaz]; Liberal Party or PL [Cesar Gaviria Trujillo]; Radical Change or CR [German Vargas Lleras]; Social National Unity Party or U Party [Carlos Garcia Orjuela].

Cabinet consists of a coalition of the three largest parties that supported President Uribe's re-election - the PSUN, PC, and CR - and independents.

Administration

President	Alvaro Uribe Vélez
Vice-President	Francisco Santos Calderon
Minister for the Interior & Justice	Carlos Holguin
Minister of Foreign Affairs	Jaime Bermudez
Minister of Finance	Oscar Zuluaga
Minister of Defence	Juan Manuel Santos
Minister of Agriculture	Andres Felipe Arias
Minister of Social Protection	Diego Palacio Betancourt
Minister of Mines and Energy	Hernan Martinez Torres
Minister of Trade, Industry & Tourism	Luis Guilllermo Plata
Minister of Education	Cecilia María Vélez
Minister of Environment, Housing and Social Development	Juan Lozano Ramirez
Minister of Communications	Maria del Rosario Guerra de Mesa
Minister of Transport	Andrés Uriel Gallego
Minister of Culture	Paula Marcela Moreno

 

Cuba

Political system – Communist State

National government – Organs of the state and the Cuban Communist Party are closely entwined and power devolved primarily from the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers

National legislature – National Assembly of 614 members

Last elections – Provincial and national assemblies: January 2008; Municipal: October 2007.

Next elections due – Provincial and national assembles: January 2012; Municipal: April 2010.

Head of State – Raúl Castro Ruz

Head of Government – Raúl Castro Ruz

Key Ministers –

First Vice-President - José Ramón Machado Ventura

Vice-President - Carlos Lage Dávila

President of the National Assembly - Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada

Foreign Relations - Felipe Pérez Roque

Agriculture - Ulises Rosales del Toro

Foreign Trade - Raúl de la Nuez Ramírez

Economy & Planning - José Luis Rodríguez García

Finance & Prices - Georgina Barreiro Fajardo

Main political parties – Only one legal political party: the Cuban Communist Party (PCC)

 

El Salvador

Political system – Democratic, universal adult suffrage

National government – Council of Ministers appointed by President

National legislature – Unicameral Legislative Assembly; 64 local and 20 nationally elected deputies (elected every three years)

Last elections – Presidential - March 2004; Legislative and municipal - March 2006

Next elections due – Legislative and municipal - January 2009; Presidential – March 2009

Head of State – President Elías Antonio Saca González

Head of Government – President Elías Antonio Saca González

Key Ministers –

Vice President: Ana Vilma Albanez de Escobar

Foreign Affairs: Marisol Arqueta de Barillas

Agriculture: Mario Salaverría Nolasco

Economy: Roberto Esmahan d’Aubuisson

Main political parties –

Government: Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (ARENA)

Opposition:

Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN)

Partido de Conciliación Nacional (PCN)

Partido Demócrata Cristiano (PDC)

Cambio Democrático (CD)

 

Guatemala

Political system – Democratic, universal adult suffrage
National government – Cabinet, headed and appointed by President
National legislature – Unicameral Congress of 158 members
Last election – September 2007 (presidential, congressional, municipal). Presidential second round November 2007.
Next election due – September 2011 (presidential, congressional, municipal).
Head of State – President Álvaro Colom Caballeros
Head of Government – President Álvaro Colom Caballeros

Key Ministers –
Vice President:   Rafael Espada
Foreign Relations: Roger Haroldo Rodas Melgar
Agriculture:   Julio César Recinos Salas
Economy and Trade:  Rómulo Caballeros Otero

Main political parties –
Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE)
Gran Alianza Nacional (GANA)
Frente Republicano Guatemalteco (FRG)
Partido de Avanzada Nacional (PAN)

 

Mexico

Political system – Presidential; Federal; Universal adult suffrage

National government – Cabinet appointed by President

National legislature – Bicameral Congress

Last election – President and Congress July 2006

Next election due – Congressional (lower house only) – July 2009; Presidential and Congressional (upper and lower house) – July 2012;

Head of State – President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa

Head of Government – President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa

Key Ministers –

Foreign Affairs: Patricia Espinosa Cantellano

Economy:  Gerardo Ruiz Mateos

Agriculture: Alberto Cárdenas Jiménez

Finance and Public Credit: Agustín Carstens

Main political parties –

Government: National Action Party (PAN)

Opposition: Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD)

Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)

 

Peru

Political system	Presidential democracy
National government	Alan Garcia Peréz leads the government; his party, the Partido Aprista Peruano (Apra), has 36 of 120 seats in Congress
National legislature	Congress consists of a 120-member single chamber, which can be dissolved once during a presidential term
Last election	April 2006
Next election due	April 2011
Head of State	Alan García Pérez
Head of Government	Yehude Simon Munaro (President of the Council of Ministers and Prime Minister)
Key Ministers	Ministers as at 1 May 2009
Agriculture	Carlos Leyton
Defence	Ántero Flores-Aráoz
Economy & finance	Luis Carranza
Education	José Antonio Chang
Energy & mining	Pedro Sánchez
Environment	Antonio Brack Egg
Foreign relations	José García Belaunde
Health	Oscar Ugarte
Housing, construction & sanitation	Nidia Vilchez
Interior	Mercedes Cabanillas
International trade & tourism	Mercedes Aráoz
Justice	Rosario Fernández
Labour	Jorge Villasante
Production	Elena Conterno
Transport & communications	Enrique Cornejo
Women & social development	Carmen Vildoso
Central Bank president	Julio Velarde

 

Uruguay

Political system – Republic

National government – Encuentro Progresista-Frente Amplio (EP-FA Broad Front)

National legislature – Bicameral congress of 31 member senate and 99 member chamber of deputies (proportional representation)

Last election – October 2004

Next election due – October 2009

Head of State – Dr Tabaré Vázquez

Head of Government – Dr Tabaré Vázquez

Key Ministers

Vice President - Rodolfo Nin Novoa

Agriculture & Fisheries - Ernesto Agazzi

Defence - José Bayardi

Economy & Finance - Álvaro García

Education & Culture - María Simon

Foreign Affairs - Gonzalo Fernández

Housing & Environment - Carlos Colacce

Industry & Energy - Daniel Martínez

Interior - Daisy Tourné

Labour & Welfare - Eduardo Bonomi

Planning and Budget - Enrique Rubio

Public Health - María Julia Muñoz

Social Development - Marina Arismendi

Tourism - Héctor Lescano

Transport & Works - Víctor Rossi

Key Opposition MPs – Jorge Larrañaga, Leader of Partido Nacional

Main political parties

Encuentro Progresista - Frente Amplio (EP-FA Broad Front)
Nuevo Espacio

Partido Nacional (Blancos)
Partido Colorado (PC)

Partido Independiente (PI)

 

Venezuela

Political system – Presidential; Universal adult suffrage

National government – Council of Ministers appointed by President

National legislature – 167 member unicameral National Assembly

Last election – Presidential – December 2006; legislative – December 2005

Next election due – Presidential – December 2012; legislative – December 2010

Head of State – President Hugo Chávez Frías

Head of Government – President Hugo Chávez Frías

Key Ministers –

Foreign Affairs: Nicolás Maduro

Light Industry and Trade: William Antonio Contreras

Main political parties –

Movement of the Fifth Republic (MVR).

The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) has been created to unite the MVR with other pro-Chávez parties, but some parties will remain outside the grouping.

Opposition parties include:

Democratic Action (AD)

Socialism Movement (MAS)

First Justice (PJ)