Venetian People's Unity

{{Distinguish|Union of the Venetian People}}

File:UPV Flag.png

The Venetian People's Unity (Unitá Popołare Veneta, UPV) is a Venetist socialist and separatist political party.

Founded in 2008, the party seeks to represent the Venetian left wing and takes example from Herri Batasuna.Francesco Jori, Dalla Łiga alla Lega. Storia, movimenti, protagonisti, Marsilio, Venice 2009, p. 143 According to its website, the party's goal is to create a "synthesis between socialist ideals, the defense of Venetian national identity and the fight for the self-determination of Venetian lands": in this respect, the UPV seeks to "spread Venetism within the left-wing and the left-wing within Venetism, in order to form a Venetian independentist and identitarian left".http://upveneta.blogspot.com/ {{User-generated source|date=August 2022}}

In November 2009 the UPV joined other separatist parties, including the more mainstream Liga Veneta Repubblica and grassroots Venetians Movement, to form Veneto Freedom.http://www.venetoliberta.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58:comunicato-stampa&catid=1:comunicati-e-news{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.ilgazzettino.it/articolo.php?id=82370&sez=REGIONI&ssez=VENETO |title=- Il Gazzettino |access-date=2009-11-30 |archive-date=2011-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722035959/http://www.ilgazzettino.it/articolo.php?id=82370&sez=REGIONI&ssez=VENETO |url-status=dead }} However, as soon as in January 2010, the coalition was disbanded and its independentist core formed a more coherent outfit, the Party of the Venetians (PdV).{{Cite web|url=http://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/veneto/notizie/politica/2010/5-gennaio-2010/partito-veneti-candida-polo-ma-galassia-anti-lega-va-pezzi--1602245812184.shtml|title = Il partito dei veneti candida Polo Ma la galassia anti lega va in pezzi - Corriere del Veneto}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.larena.it/stories/Cronaca/117228__il_partito_dei_veneti_lancia_la_sfida_a_lega_e_pdl |title=L'Arena.it - Cronaca |access-date=2010-01-09 |archive-date=2011-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724082953/http://www.larena.it/stories/Cronaca/117228__il_partito_dei_veneti_lancia_la_sfida_a_lega_e_pdl/ |url-status=dead }} In September 2010 the PdV was merged into Veneto State,{{Cite web|url=http://www.pnveneto.org/2010/09/nasce-veneto-stato-pizzati-segretario-e-cherubin-presidente/|title = WordPress › Errore| date=12 September 2010 }} but the UPV retained its identity within the new party.

In January 2012 the UPV endorsed the faction of Veneto State led by Antonio Guadagnini. Riccardo Lovato, the UPV spokesperson,{{Cite web |url=http://www.lindipendenza.com/no-red-bull/ |title=RED BULL? NO GRASIE! IL VENETO BOICOTTA l'ENERGY DRINK | L'Indipendenza |access-date=2012-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223094551/http://www.lindipendenza.com/no-red-bull/ |archive-date=2012-02-23 |url-status=dead }} addressed the party's congress and proposed a coalition between the two parties.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lindipendenza.com/veneto-stato-uniti-si-vince/ |title=VENETO STATO: UNITI SI VINCE | L'Indipendenza |access-date=2012-02-19 |archive-date=2012-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603095727/http://www.lindipendenza.com/veneto-stato-uniti-si-vince/ |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=http://upveneta.blogspot.com/2012/02/upv-ospite-di-veneto-stato.html|title = Unità Popolare Veneta: UPV OSPITE DI VENETO STATO|year = 2012}}

In April 2014 Lovato was arrested, along with a group of Venetian separatists (including Franco Rocchetta, leading members of the Venetian Most Serene Government and the European Federalist Free Entrepreneurs), for suspected crimes including criminal association for terrorism and subversion of the democratic order.{{Cite web|url=http://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/veneto/notizie/politica/2014/2-aprile-2014/blitz-contro-indipendentisti-24-arresti-2236075968.shtml|title = Indipendentisti, blitz all'alba: 24 arresti Sequestrato 'tanko', in manette Rocchetta|date = 2 April 2014}} Lovato was released on 18 April, along with Rocchetta and most of the others, as the tribunal of Brescia did not uphold the accusations.{{Cite web|url=http://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/veneto/notizie/politica/2014/18-aprile-2014/riesame-scarcera-rocchetta-chiavegato-22392040249.shtml|title = Scarcerati Rocchetta e Chiavegato Il riesame: Cade l'accusa di terrorismo|date = 18 April 2014}}{{Cite web |url=http://nuovavenezia.gelocal.it/2014/04/24/news/l-accusa-non-regge-secessionisti-a-casa-liberi-o-ai-domiciliari-1.9102292 |title=La Nuova di Venezia |access-date=2014-04-29 |archive-date=2014-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429192056/http://nuovavenezia.gelocal.it/2014/04/24/news/l-accusa-non-regge-secessionisti-a-casa-liberi-o-ai-domiciliari-1.9102292 |url-status=dead }}