SUMMARY
Bandera Roja (also known as Red Flag, Red Flag-Front Americo Silva and GBR) was an armed group active in Venezuela during the 1970s to 1990s. Led by Carlos Betancourt and Gabriel Puerta Aponte, Bandera Roja’s aim was to overthrow the Venezuelan government and establish communist rule in the country. The group was formed on 20 January 1970 when it split from the Venezuelan communist opposition movement MIR (Movement of the Revolutionary Left), which at that time abandoned its armed struggle and transitioned into peaceful politics. Rejecting MIR’s move, Bandera Roja remained committed to using violent tactics in order to purpose its goals.
Bandera Roja adhered to a Marxist-Leninist ideology and initially supported the philosophy of the Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha. The group allegedly had support from the Cuban government for a short period in the early 1970s and it is also said to have had links to other leftist guerrilla groups in Latin America, such as M-19 and ELN in Colombia. As indicated by their name, Bandera Roja’s symbol was a red flag with the initials ‘BR’ in white in the center.
Bandera Roja had an armed wing called Américo Silva Front. It carried the same name as one of the group’s founders, Américo Silva, who was killed during a confrontation with the Venezuelan armed forces in 1972. Although precise estimates of the group’s size are hard to find, most sources report that its armed wing had between 50 - 100 members. Bandera Roja operated mainly in eastern Venezuela and along the Venezuela-Colombian border but also managed to establish itself in some of the cities. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the group engaged in guerilla warfare and clashed sporadically with security forces. It also carried out high-profile kidnappings as a strategy to gain attention and revenues.
In May 1994, Bandera Roja renounced its violent struggle and a couple of years later it officially gained recognition as legal political party in Venezuela. Despite its Maxists-Leninist ideology, Bandera Roja openly opposed Hugo Cháves after he was elected president of Venezuela in 1998. Bandera Roja consequently aligned with right-wing opponents of Cháves, which created a split within the group and led to the defection of several members. Until 2014, the Bandera Roja was part of the opposition coalition MUD (Mesa de la Unidad Democrática). Bandera Roja took part in organizing the 2014 and 2017 Venezuelan protests.
