. Text reads 'Vote Green', green is the
Colour associated with COPEI.]] (''Copei, Partido Social Cristiano de Venezuela'') is a
Political Party in
Venezuela . The name stands for '''''C'''omité de '''O'''rganización '''P'''olítica '''E'''lectoral '''I'''ndependiente'' (Political Electoral Independent Organization Committee). It was founded on January 13th 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
1993 . It has suffered in the polls recently because of a perception among voters that it represents what was wrong with Venezuelan politics in the previous fifty years. Other relevant leaders of this party included
Luis Herrera Campins – the only other COPEI member to preside Venezuela, between 1979 and 1983 – 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.
