Freddy Bernal

{{Infobox President

|name=Freddy Bernal

|image = Freddy Bernal 2003.png

|imagesize =

| caption= Bernal in 2003

| office= Mayor of Libertador Municipality

| term_start= 30 July 2000

| term_end= 30 November 2008

| predecessor= Antonio Ledezma

| successor= Jorge Rodríguez

| birth_name=Freddy Alirio Bernal Rosales

| birth_date={{Birth date and age|df=yes|1962|06|16}}

| birth_place=San Cristóbal, Táchira, Venezuela

| party= United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) (from 2007)
Fifth Republic Movement (until 2007)

| spouse=|

|}}

Freddy Alirio Bernal Rosales is a Venezuelan politician. He served as mayor of the Libertador Municipality in Caracas and is a member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).{{cite news |url=http://www.eluniversal.com/2010/04/13/pol_ava_bernal:-el-26-de-sep_13A3732651.shtml |work= El Universal |title=Bernal: El 26 de septiembre será como un nuevo 13 de abril |date= 13 April 2010 |access-date= 17 April 2010 |language=es}}

Law enforcement

Prior to becoming a politician, the BBC says he "commanded a notorious metropolitan police elite corps known as the Z Group". In October 2014, President Nicolás Maduro made Bernal head of a newly created presidential commission concentrated on police reform.{{cite news|last1=Bayetti Flores|first1=Verónica|title=VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT OF POLICE REFORM COMMISSION MAKES HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS|url=http://feministing.com/2015/03/19/venezuelan-president-of-police-reform-commission-makes-homophobic-remarks/|access-date=20 March 2015|agency=Feministing|date=19 March 2015}} President Maduro stated that the goal of the commission led by Bernal was to review both CICPC and the Bolivarian National Police.{{cite news|last1=M. Rodríguez T.|first1=Carmen|title=Freddy Bernal estará al frente de la Comisión para la reforma policial|url=http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/141030/freddy-bernal-estara-al-frente-de-la-comision-para-la-reforma-policial|access-date=20 March 2015|agency=El Universal|date=30 October 2014}}

Political career

The BBC described Bernal as President Hugo Chávez's "most trusted mayor in Caracas", adding that the "opposition regard him as ultra-revolutionary".{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2790605.stm | date= 19 March 2004 |title= Venezuela: Chavez's key backers |publisher=BBC |access-date= 17 April 2010}} Bernal was also a leader of the Bolivarian Circles.{{cite book|last1=Nelson|first1=Brian A.|title-link= The Silence and the Scorpion |title=The silence and the scorpion : the coup against Chávez and the making of modern Venezuela|date=2009|publisher=Nation Books|location=New York|isbn=1568584180|pages=20–22|edition=online}}

Controversy

In an 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." 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." Bernal's remarks raised concerns of homophobia in Venezuela among the Venezuelan and the international LGBT communities.{{cite news|last1=Arenas|first1=Vanessa|title=Activistas: "Para ser homosexual no hay que pintarse los labios ni vestirse de rosado"|url=http://www.efectococuyo.com/efecto-cocuyo/activistas-para-ser-homosexual-no-hay-que-pintarse-los-labios-ni-vestirse-de-rosado/|access-date=20 March 2015|agency=Efecto Cocuyo|date=18 March 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Parant|first1=Paul|title=Au Venezuela, un policier peut être gay… s’il le cache|url=http://www.tetu.com/2015/03/19/news/au-venezuela-un-policier-peut-etre-gay-sil-le-cache/|access-date=20 March 2015|agency=Têtu|date=19 March 2015}}

Sanctions

Bernal has been sanctioned by several countries.

= Canada =

Canada sanctioned 40 Venezuelan officials, including Bernal, in September 2017.{{cite news |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/canada-venezuela-sanctions-1.4303663 |work= CBC Canada |date= 22 September 2017 |publisher= Thomson Reuters |access-date= 3 April 2019 |title= Canada imposes sanctions on key Venezuelan officials}}{{cite news |url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/canada-sanctions-40-venezuelans-with-links-to-political-economic-crisis/article36367074/ |work= The Globe and Mail |title= Canada sanctions 40 Venezuelans with links to political, economic crisis |author= Zilio, Michelle |date= 22 September 2017 |access-date= 3 April 2019}} Also at {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20170924234118/http://puntodecorte.com/esta-la-lista-los-funcionarios-venezolanos-sancionados-canada/ Punto de Corte]}} and [http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/mundo/canada-sanciona-nicolas-maduro-funcionarios-venezolanos_204786 El Nacional] The sanctions were for behaviors that undermined democracy after at least 125 people will killed in the 2017 Venezuelan protests and "in response to the government of Venezuela's deepening descent into dictatorship". Canadians were banned from transactions with the 40 individuals, whose Canadian assets were frozen. The sanctions noted a rupture of Venezuela's constitutional order.{{cite web|title=Venezuela sanctions|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2017/09/venezuela_sanctions.html|website=Government of Canada|access-date=22 September 2017|language=en|date=22 September 2017}}

= United States =

In 2011, four Hugo Chávez allies were sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury for allegedly helping FARC 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.{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-14848240 |work= BBC |date= 8 September 2011 |access-date= 3 April 2019 |title= US sanctions Venezuelans for alleged Farc links}}{{cite press release |url= https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1295.aspx |publisher= U.S. Department of the Treasury |date= 8 September 2011 |access-date= 3 April 2019 |title= Treasury designates four Venezuelan officials for providing arms and security to the FARC}}

In November 2017, Bernal was again sanctioned by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control after the 2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election;{{cite press release |url= https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0214.aspx |publisher= U.S. Department of the Treasury |date= 9 November 2017 |access-date= 3 April 2019 |title= Treasury sanctions ten Venezuelan government officials}} 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".{{cite news |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-sanctions/u-s-blacklists-10-venezuelans-for-corruption-undermining-state-vote-idUSKBN1D92GJ |work= Reuters |date= 9 November 2017 |access-date= 3 April 2019 |title= U.S. blacklists 10 Venezuelans for corruption, undermining state vote}}

= Panama =

In March 2018, Panama sanctioned 55 public officials, including Bernal;{{cite news |url= http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/mundo/los-funcionarios-sancionados-por-panama-por-blanqueo-capitales_228903 |work= El Nacional |language= es |date= 30 March 2018 |title= Los 55 funcionarios sancionados por Panamá por 'blanqueo de capitales' |access-date= 3 April 2019 }} Also at [https://www.mef.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Comunicado-002-2018.pdf Panama Economic and Finance Ministry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405215206/https://www.mef.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Comunicado-002-2018.pdf |date=2019-04-05 }} the officials were sanctioned by the Panamanian government for their alleged involvement with "money laundering, financing of terrorism and financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction".{{Cite news|url=https://elcooperante.com/conozca-a-los-55-jerarcas-chavistas-que-panama-puso-en-la-mira-por-fondos-dudosos/|title=Estos son los 55 "rojitos" que Panamá puso en la mira por fondos dudosos {{!}} El Cooperante|date=2018-03-29|work=El Cooperante|access-date=2018-04-01|language=es-ES}}

= European Union =

On 25 June 2018, the European Union sanctioned eleven Venezuelan officials, including Bernal,{{cite journal |url= https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018D0901&from=EN |title= Council decision (CFSP) 2018/901 of 25 June 2018 |date= 25 June 2018 |access-date= 3 April 2019 |journal= Official Journal of the European Union }} in response to the May 2018 Venezuelan presidential election, which the E.U. described as "neither free nor fair".{{cite press release |url= https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/06/25/venezuela-eu-adds-11-officials-to-sanctions-list/ |title= Venezuela: EU adds 11 officials to sanctions list |date= 25 June 2018 |access-date= 3 April 2018 |publisher= Council of the European Union}}

= Switzerland =

On 10 July 2018, he was among 11 Venezuelans previously sanctioned by the European Union in June 2018 added to the sanctions list of Switzerland.{{cite news |url= http://laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=10717&ArticleId=2460676 |work= Latin American Herald Tribune |date= 9 July 2018 |access-date= 20 April 2019 |title= Switzerland Sanctions 11 More Venezuelans, including Delcy Rodriguez, El Aissami, Chourio |archive-date= 13 August 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200813021305/http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2460676&CategoryId=10717 |url-status= dead }}{{Cite news|url= https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/toute-l-actu-en-bref/sanctions-suisses-contre-la-vice-pr%C3%A9sidente-du-venezuela/44248640|title=Sanctions suisses contre la vice-présidente du Venezuela|publisher= Swiss Broadcasting Company|access-date=19 April 2019|language=fr|trans-title= Swiss sanctions against the vice president of Venezuela |date= 10 July 2018}}