Tupamaro (Venezuela)
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Revolutionary Movement Tupamaro Movimiento Revolucionario Tupamaro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Williams Benavides |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Caracas |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-left |
| National affiliation |
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| Colors | Red, Black |
| National Assembly | 7 / 277
|
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| www | |
| Revolutionary Movement Tupamaro | |
|---|---|
| Country | Venezuela |
| Ideology | Communism Marxism–Leninism |
| Political position | Far-left |
| Part of | Great Patriotic Pole Colectivos |
| Allies |  Venezuela (Maduro government) ELN[1] FARC (Historical)[2] |
| Opponents |  Venezuelan opposition |
Revolutionary Movement Tupamaro (Spanish: Movimiento Revolucionario Tupamaro, MRT), often shortened to Tupamaro, is a far-left Marxist-Leninist communist party and one of the most prominent colectivos in Venezuela.[3] Several Tupamaros participate in peaceful movements while some believe in the "idea of armed struggle as a means to gain power."[4] The group supports the National Liberation Army (ELN)[1] and allegedly had ties with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).[2]
Founding
After the end of the dictatorship of General Marcos Perez Jimenez, the Caracas area known as "el 23 de Enero" that was occupied by his wealthy officials was then taken over by poor squatters.[5] Since then, the area has been described as a "hot bed of radicalism" and that residents have "a resistance mentality".[5] When the Tupamaro in Uruguay were being targeted by the Uruguayan government, some of the Uruguayan members supposedly settled "el 23 de Enero".[5] The Venezuelan Tupamaros have at least ideological links to the Tupamaros in Uruguay, who took the name of Tupac Amaru, the last Incan leader of Peru, who was executed by Spanish authorities in 1572 for opposing colonial rule.[6] In the 1970s and 1980s, people who would later join the Tupamaros were allegedly taking part in guerrilla activities and performing vigilante actions during a period of rising crime in Venezuela.[5]
The Tupamaros were officially founded in 1992 and allegedly had the chance in prison to come into contact with Hugo Chávez, who was imprisoned for the 1992 Venezuelan coup d'état attempts.[5] Chávez and the Tupamaros allegedly made a deal since Chávez needed protection and the Tupamaros needed resources.[5] The election of Hugo Chávez as President of Venezuela resulted in the consolidation of former opposition groups in support of the new Movement for the Fifth Republic president.[citation needed]
The ideological basis of the movement began to deteriorate. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, the group was denounced by interests and stakeholders who disapproved of its actions, specifically alleged attacks on student movements that did not agree with Hugo Chávez.[6]
Leadership
The original leader of the Tupamaros was Jose Pinto, who was the General Secretary of the MRT.[5] Alberto "Chino" Carías is the current leader of the Tupamaros and calls himself "a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla fighter".[2] He states that he keeps contact with Carlos the Jackal and "has lost count of how many people he's murdered", saying "after ten [murders] you stop feeling remorse".[2]
Social work
With the emergence of Chavez as president, the group also cooperated with the state in administering social programs and promoting political participation. It is involved in after-school programs to keep children out of trouble, child care centers, puppet shows, drug rehabilitation and sports programs.[6] A Tupamaro leader known as Chino, said of the group that "Our greatest accomplishment is having been able to change things through elections."[6]
According to Dr. George W. Knox, executive director of the National Gang Crime Research Center, the Tupamaros are a "gang" and that they use claims like "helping the oppressed peoples" as a ploy that he describes as similar "to Al Capone offering free soup to Chicago's poor".[5]