Hi, I'm Alberto, a Politician, from Venezuela.

Alberto Isaac Pérez Levy (born 25 April 1971) is a Venezuelan politician, activist and social worker who serves as president of Venezolanos en España NGO, and nonprofit board director in Venezuela Somos Todos NGO; the first one based in Spain and the second one based worldwide. A former member and leader with Justice First a centre-right political party in Venezuela, and former member, leader and official representative in Madrid - Spain with Popular Will a progressive and social-democratic political party in Venezuela founded by former Mayor of Chacao, Leopoldo López. 

Pérez Levy has been described by the Venezuela Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello Rondón as "fugitive, self-exiled, opponent belonging to the extreme right, stateless and defender of the enemies of Venezuela" due to his work in denouncing corruption and violation of human rights by the Venezuelan regime before Spanish and European institutions. An outspoken critic of the Venezuelan government of Chavez and Maduro, focused on corruption and serious crimes committed against civilians which do not contribute to the country needs, he has been widely covered by the media and journalists for his fully founded and documented accusations as well as public activities and campaigns of denunciation and protest.

Pérez Levy has been persecuted in Spain by Lieutenant Colonel José Rafael Vásquez Mora, with a specialty in military police, deputy defense attaché at the Venezuela diplomatic mission, who had five officers under his command, in addition to eight civilian officials belonging to the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin). The Spain Ministry of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García-Margallo, has issued a warning to the Venezuelan Embassy in Madrid to cease the harassment and espionage of the Venezuelan opposition.

Early life

Alberto Isaac Pérez Levy was born on 25 April 1971 in  Baruta municipality within the Metropolitan District of Caracas in Venezuela to Alberto Pérez Ramírez and Menna Mercedes Levy Matos; both with a long Jewish ancestry. Alberto was a descendant of Brigadier Marcos Francisco de Bethencourt y Castro who arrived in 1700 and was governor and captain general of Venezuela between the years 1701-1707. A lawyer by profession, Alberto was a key player in the development of shopping centers and modern cinema in Venezuela. Menna with origins from the city of Tanger in Morocco, was born in La Victoria a city in the state of Aragua, that is famous for the independence battle of 12 February 1814, where José Félix Ribas, who is an ancestor of the family too, led a young and inexperienced army that succeeded in halting the royalist troops. Her father, Isaac Levy Benzaquen, was one of thousands of Jews who fled persecution in Europe and North Africa towards Latin America.

Pérez Levy is the great-nephew of Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo who was a prominent Venezuelan diplomat, politician and lawyer primarily responsible for the inception and creation of the OPEC, persecuted and imprisoned by the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez, he went into exile in Mexico City and Washington DC. He is also related as a family with his second cousin Isaac Pérez Recao, businessman present during the coup attempt caused by the abandonment of the presidency of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, on April 12, 2002. And is cousin of Gerardo Blyde Pérez, politician and lawyer who was mayor of the Baruta Municipality of Caracas and head of the Unitary Platform delegation during the political negotiations between it and the Venezuelan Government. 

Upon completing his primary and secondary studies at Colegio Santo Tomás de Aquino where he was goalkeeper of the soccer team, Pérez Levy enrolled at the Saint Mary University  for his law studies, but did not finish. Dedicating himself to his father's legal office where he found his way into politics and public service.

He has three sisters and one brother, Menna (passed away), Yasmin, Mariela and David Simon Pérez Levy. Who live in Alicante - Spain and Fort Lauderdale - United States.

Father of three, Samuel Isaac, Santiago and Miranda. All of them living in Spain.

Political life

Pérez Levy worked in Alcaldia de Chacao and Alcaldia Metropolitana de Caracas for Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma respectively. Joined First Justice political party in 2002 and then helped with the dissemination of the Popular Networks, formed in 2004 as a means to promote social action and leadership. He also helped found the political party Popular Will as the International Movement member in open elections, which were held on 10 July 2011. As a social activist promotes several NGO across the capital city and worldwide as well as other structures of neighborhood and group participation. In 2012, and hand in hand with his position as political representative of Popular Will in Madrid, he founded the Venezolanos en España NGO with several Venezuelans in exile. Worked directly with Isadora Zubillaga, current international advisor to Venezuelan President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez and collaborates and has collaborated directly with the Vice President of the Foreign Policy Commission of the Venezuelan National Assembly and the current president of the Assembly; Ramon Lopez Colina and Dinorah Fighera respectively. In 2015 and as a consequence of the growing departure of Venezuelans abroad due to the crisis in Venezuela, he founded and directed with a group of leaders and members of Venezuelan NGOs present in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and the United States the Venezuela Somos Todos NGO platform. To which civil society and politicians from different parts of the world have been able to actively join through different campaigns.

In addition to organizing and giving statements and street activities criticizing and condemning the Venezuelan government before the media and public opinion, he has participated in various international campaigns, among which the following stand out:

#YoDenuncio

Campaign focused on denouncing the Venezuelan state before the European Parliament, International Criminal Court, United Nations and the Organization of American States in the person of its general secretary Luis Almagro by means of the delivery of a letter supported by thousands of signatures collected in different cities around the world for the systematic persecution and limitation of Venezuelans abroad, preventing the exercise of their civil rights by denying them the right to obtain a passport, vote and be properly identified. 

#QueHayaJusticia

The objective of this action was to deliver a letter in The Hague in which the authors of the campaign expressed the different considerations that lead them to denounce the Venezuelan state for violating human rights. The document, whose drafting was advised by human rights experts such as Dr. Orlando Viera-Blanco, was accompanied by the signatures of thousands of people of the most diverse nationalities. These were physical signatures, not virtual ones. Venezuela Somos Todos (VST), helped by Maria Corina Machado, called upon leaders and associations of Venezuelans in the 5 continents as coordinators of the campaign in their area of ​​activity. These coordinators collected the signatures.

Each signer had the opportunity to read the letter before signing it.

#LiberenASteyci

The increase in denunciations against the Maduro regime resulted in the direct persecution of Venezuela Somos Todos activists, with the kidnapping in Venezuela, imprisonment, and torture of the NGO's Swiss representative, Steyci Escalona. This campaign denounced and requested international support for the release and transfer to Europe of the organization's director and activist.

#UnaMedicinaParaVenezuela

As part of the international campaign to collect medicines, led by activist Lilian Tintori, wife of Venezuelan leader Leopoldo Lopez, the Venezuelan Civil Association in Spain organized the largest collection worldwide to send to Venezuela; from Madrid, Spain.

2007 Venezuelan RCTV protests

Participation and organization through neighborhood and community groups in protests and legal actions in support of freedom of expression and against the closure of the RCTV television channel. This led to personal recognition from the head of institutional relations.

Perez Levy is currently working on a project to facilitate the voluntary relocation to Spain of Venezuelans in the United States, Mexico, and Central America who have lost their immigration status or are simply in the country illegally.