Alfredo Peña
Encyclopedia
Alfredo Antonio Peña is a Venezuela
n journalist
and politician
.
and became well known after he was hired as the director of the newspaper El Nacional
. He also hosted his own interview
program on the television channel
Venevisión
, in which he severely criticized the two dominant parties
of the second half of the twentieth century in Venezuela, AD and COPEI
. His late-night TV program faced harsh criticism over its main theme and it changed names from "Conversaciones con Alfredo Peña" to a more aggressive "Los Peñonazos de Peña". During this time he suffered several attempts on his life
, one of them occurring in his apartment, presumably not only to kill him but to destroy his computer and archives. In 1998 he supported the candidacy of Hugo Chávez
for the Presidency of Venezuela, and invited Chávez to his program in several occasions.
. President Chávez named him Minister of the Secretary of the Presidency. Peña was later elected to the finance committee of the 1999 Constituent Assembly
, becoming its chairman. The Assembly wrote the 1999 Constitution of Venezuela
.
In July 2000, following the Venezuelan regional elections, 2000, he became the first Mayor of Caracas (Alcaldía Mayor de Caracas, a position that replaced the Venezuelan Federal District) for the Fifth Republic Movement after winning the elections by a landslide. His nomination for Mayor by the Fifth Republic Movement created division within the party, as Aristóbulo Istúriz
, chair of the party Patria Para Todos, also wanted the position. Patria Para Todos then abandoned the coalition with the Fifth Republic Movement, only to join it again 18 months later.
In 2001 Peña instituted the Bratton Plan (by William Bratton) to modernize the Metropolitan Police.
In October 2004, shortly before the new mayoral elections, Peña withdrew from the race, alleging national government fraud.
In 2005 Peña was thought to be in Miami, with the Venezuelan government asking for extradition for alleged irregularities relating to the Bratton contract. In 2007 a Venezuelan court ordered his arrest, and in 2009 Venezuela applied to Interpol
for assistance in bringing Peña before the court. In 2005 he was also accused by a Venezuelan court of responsibility for some of the deaths during the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt, some of which Metropolitan Police, under Peña's supervision, were held responsible for.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Journalism career
He studied journalism at the Central University of VenezuelaCentral University of Venezuela
The Central University of Venezuela is a premier public University of Venezuela located in Caracas...
and became well known after he was hired as the director of the newspaper El Nacional
El Nacional
El Nacional is a Venezuelan publishing company under the name C.A. Editorial El Nacional, most widely known for its El Nacional newspaper. It, along with Últimas Noticias and El Universal, are the most widely read and circulated daily national newspapers in the country, and it has an average of...
. He also hosted his own interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
program on the television channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
Venevisión
Venevisión
Venevisión is one of Venezuela's largest television networks and a Venezuelan cable and terrestrial television network, which is owned and presided over by Gustavo Cisneros...
, in which he severely criticized the two dominant parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
of the second half of the twentieth century in Venezuela, AD and COPEI
COPEI
Copei – Social Christian Party of Venezuela is a third way political party in Venezuela. The name stands for Comité de Organización Política Electoral Independiente...
. His late-night TV program faced harsh criticism over its main theme and it changed names from "Conversaciones con Alfredo Peña" to a more aggressive "Los Peñonazos de Peña". During this time he suffered several attempts on his life
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, one of them occurring in his apartment, presumably not only to kill him but to destroy his computer and archives. In 1998 he supported the candidacy of Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
for the Presidency of Venezuela, and invited Chávez to his program in several occasions.
Political career
In 1999, Peña quit his television program and became one of the prominent members of the Fifth Republic MovementFifth Republic Movement
The Fifth Republic Movement was a left-wing, Socialist political party in Venezuela. It was founded in July 1997, following a national congress of the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200, to support the candidacy of Hugo Chávez, the current President of Venezuela, in the Venezuelan presidential...
. President Chávez named him Minister of the Secretary of the Presidency. Peña was later elected to the finance committee of the 1999 Constituent Assembly
1999 Constituent Assembly of Venezuela
The 1999 Constituent Assembly of Venezuela was a constitutional convention held in Venezuela in 1999 to draft a new Constitution of Venezuela. The Assembly was endorsed by a referendum in April 1999 which enabled Constituent Assembly elections in July 1999...
, becoming its chairman. The Assembly wrote the 1999 Constitution of Venezuela
Constitution of Venezuela
||The Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the current and twenty-sixth constitution of Venezuela. It was drafted in mid-1999 by a constitutional assembly that had been created by popular referendum. Adopted in December 1999, it replaced the 1961 Constitution - the longest...
.
In July 2000, following the Venezuelan regional elections, 2000, he became the first Mayor of Caracas (Alcaldía Mayor de Caracas, a position that replaced the Venezuelan Federal District) for the Fifth Republic Movement after winning the elections by a landslide. His nomination for Mayor by the Fifth Republic Movement created division within the party, as Aristóbulo Istúriz
Aristóbulo Istúriz
Aristóbulo Istúriz is a Venezuelan politician and academic. He was a professor at the Centro de Estudios del Desarrollo of the Universidad Central de Venezuela. He was elected to Parliament several times for Acción Democrática, representing the Federal District , before joining the Radical Cause...
, chair of the party Patria Para Todos, also wanted the position. Patria Para Todos then abandoned the coalition with the Fifth Republic Movement, only to join it again 18 months later.
In 2001 Peña instituted the Bratton Plan (by William Bratton) to modernize the Metropolitan Police.
In October 2004, shortly before the new mayoral elections, Peña withdrew from the race, alleging national government fraud.
In 2005 Peña was thought to be in Miami, with the Venezuelan government asking for extradition for alleged irregularities relating to the Bratton contract. In 2007 a Venezuelan court ordered his arrest, and in 2009 Venezuela applied to Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
for assistance in bringing Peña before the court. In 2005 he was also accused by a Venezuelan court of responsibility for some of the deaths during the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt, some of which Metropolitan Police, under Peña's supervision, were held responsible for.