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]
References
- ↑ "Bernal: El 26 de septiembre será como un nuevo 13 de abril". El Universal (in Spanish). 13 April 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
- 1 2 "Venezuela: Chavez's key backers". BBC. 19 March 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 Bayetti Flores, Verónica (19 March 2015). "VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT OF POLICE REFORM COMMISSION MAKES HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS". Feministing. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Parant, Paul (19 March 2015). "Au Venezuela, un policier peut être gay… s’il le cache". Têtu. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- "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 |