FVE — Federación Venezolana de Esgrima

What is the FVE?

The Federación Venezolana de Esgrima (FVE) is the national federation for fencing in Venezuela. Its statutes open: “La Federación Deportiva se denominará FEDERACIÓN VENEZOLANA DE ESGRIMA y podrá utilizar las siglas F.V.E.” (Article 1).^[2] The federation describes itself as “una entidad deportiva de carácter asociativa, privada, sin fines de lucro”, and adds: “Disfruta de personalidad jurídica y patrimonio propio.”^[1] Its statutes give it functional, administrative, organisational, economic and financial autonomy and state that it is constituted under the Ley Orgánica de Deporte, Actividad Física y Educación Física (Article 3).^[2]

That law defines national sports federations as “entidades de derecho privado para la promoción y desarrollo del deporte y la actividad física con alcance y carácter nacional” (Article 48).^[9] The federation covers the three Olympic weapons — foil, épée and sabre — in categories from children to masters, with a Paralympic category in its national championship.^[3] The Comité Olímpico Venezolano (COV) lists it among the “Federaciones inscritas en el Comité Olímpico Venezolano”.^[8]

What does the FVE govern or do?

The federation gives its object in these words: “LA F.V.E. tiene por objeto velar que dentro del territorio nacional los ciudadanos del país sin discriminación de ningún tipo […] tengan acceso a la práctica del deporte de la esgrima.”^[1]

In practice it publishes national rankings (“clasificaciones”) across categories, the national calendar and national results, and keeps a referees’ section.^[3] Its documents page carries its statutes alongside the FIE’s rules, the FIE administrative regulation, the FIE’s equipment and homologation rules, the Olympic Charter and the Venezuelan sports law.^[5] The technical rules applied are therefore the FIE’s.

Article 49 of the 2011 sports law gives every national federation the attributions to direct and supervise its discipline, issue its technical and ethical norms, exercise disciplinary authority, organise its competitions, recognise and proclaim national teams, adopt its statutes and account publicly for its funds.^[9]

When was the FVE founded and where is it based?

The statutes published on the federation’s site are titled “Estatutos 2020 - 2024”.^[5] Their first title covers the federation’s name, affiliation, constitution, domicile, duration and symbols, and Article 4 states: “El domicilio legal de la FEDERACIÓN VENEZOLANA DE ESGRIMA se encuentra en el Distrito Metropolitano de Caracas - Venezuela.”^[2] The federation gives its offices as Avenida Teherán, Velódromo Teo Capriles, Torre Central, Caracas,^[1] and the CPE lists the same address.^[6]

The statutes set out its organs: the General Assembly, the Board of Directors (Junta Directiva), the Council of Honour, the Comptroller Council and the Electoral Commission (Article 23). Board members serve four-year terms (Article 35), as do members of the Council of Honour (Article 52).^[2] The board the federation lists is Francisco Marín (president), Johanna Fuenmayor (vice-president), Richard Blanco (secretary general), Hermes Camacaro (treasurer) and Eduardo Figueroa (member).^[1] The CPE and the FIE list Francisco Rafael Marín Álvarez as president and Darwin Cordero as secretary.^[6][7]

How is the FVE recognised?

Statutory affiliations. Article 2 of the statutes states: “La FEDERACIÓN VENEZOLANA DE ESGRIMA, está afiliada a la Federación Internacional de Esgrima (FIE), al Comité Olímpico Venezolano (COV), a la Confederación Panamericana de Esgrima (CPE)”. The same article refers to the federation’s registration in the Registro Nacional del Deporte, Actividad Física y Educación Física at the Instituto Nacional de Deportes (IND).^[2]

FIE. The FIE’s page for the Pan American Fencing Confederation lists the Federacion Venezolana de Esgrima, with its president and secretary general, in Caracas.^[7]

CPE. The Confederación Panamericana de Esgrima lists the Federación Venezolana de Esgrima on its “Federaciones” page, at the Velódromo Teo Capriles address.^[6]

COV. The COV lists the federation among those “inscritas” with it, with Francisco Marín as president.^[8] Under the 2011 sports law, a national federation’s constitution and operation require the prior authorisation of the board of the Instituto Nacional de Deportes (Article 48).^[9]

What does the FVE organise?

National championships. The federation’s senior national championship is the Campeonato Nacional Absoluto; its 2025 edition was held in Caracas in December 2025, across cadet, junior, adult, Paralympic and masters categories, and the results are published on its site.^[3] Its calendar also lists national ranking events in age categories from children (infantil and precadete) to masters, held in cities including Caracas, Valencia, Barquisimeto and Mérida.^[3] It published a national calendar for the 2024–2025 season.^[5]

Rankings and national teams. The national rankings it publishes cover all categories and the three weapons.^[3] Under Article 49 of the 2011 sports law, national federations organise and direct the competitions of their speciality and recognise and proclaim the members of national teams.^[9] The FIE lists the federation as Venezuela’s member within the Pan American confederation, which stages the Pan American Fencing Championships.^[7]

Who are its members?

Article 9 of the statutes names as members, once their affiliation is admitted, the state fencing associations (“las Asociaciones Estadales de Esgrima”), clubs, leagues, fencers, referees, coaches and armourers.^[2] That mirrors the 2011 sports law, under which national federations “están constituidas por los integrantes de las asociaciones deportivas estadales” (Article 48) and state associations are “integradas por los clubes para la promoción de una disciplina deportiva” (Article 44).^[9]

The federation’s page of affiliated associations lists state fencing associations from Anzoátegui, Aragua and Barinas to Táchira, Trujillo, Yaracuy and Zulia, including those of the Distrito Capital, Miranda, Lara, Mérida, Nueva Esparta and La Guaira. It points those wanting to take up the sport to “las escuelas de esgrima en Venezuela y los clubes de esgrima disponibles en su estado”.^[4]