COPEI

1998 COPEI presidential election poster in support of Irene Sáez. Text reads 'Vote Green', green is the colour associated with COPEI.

1988 COPEI presidential election poster, in support of the party candidate Eduardo "El Tigre" Fernández

Copei – Social Christian Party of Venezuela (Copei, Partido Social Cristiano de Venezuela) is a right-wing political party in Venezuela. The name stands for Comité de Organización Política Electoral Independiente (Political Electoral Independent Organization Committee). It was founded on January 13, 1946, by Rafael Caldera (who later served as president under the party's banner), and, along with Democratic Action (AD), was the dominant Venezuelan party between 1958 and 1998. The other relevant leader of the party was Luis Herrera Campins, the only other COPEI member to preside over Venezuela, between 1979 and 1983. The party's leaders were Lorenzo Fernández, Eduardo Fernández and Oswaldo Álvarez Paz.

At the legislative elections, held on 30 July 2000, the party won 5 out of 165 seats in the National Assembly; four additional seats were won by an alliance with Democratic Action. In the most recent legislative elections, 4 December 2005, Copei staged an electoral boycott and consequently did not win any seats in the National Assembly.

Venezuelan Presidents by COPEI

	President	Dates in office	Form of entry	Occupation
	Rafael Caldera Rodríguez	1969-1974 1994-1999	Direct elections	Lawyer
	Luis Herrera Campins	1979-1984	Direct elections	Lawyer

External links

• Official web site

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