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May 6, 2006

Latin American Elite, fighting against change

In Latin America, and really in all underdeveloped countries for that matter, there is one class of society who always has benefited from the economic system, while the rest of the population has remained excluded.  In any poor country, you can expect to find the small, powerful elite who controls and maintains the system.  This is an interesting phenomenon, and a very key element in understanding why the imperialist system has persisted for century after century.  It is a key piece to understanding why much of the world has remained poor, and actually gotten poorer as this system has reached out to all parts of the globe.  The elite class always has relied on the exploitative relationship with the dominant powers, be it England, France, Spain, or, in recent history, the United States.  And, given their dependence on the dominant powers, the elite class is usually characterized by its close ties to these rich countries.   (Photo: elite neighborhood  in Caracas)

Many of them are educated in the first-world schools and universities, learning the latest economic theories and ideas.  Many of them actually spend much of their lives in the first-world countries, mingling with the businessmen and politicians, adopting the culture and values of the rich countries, more than those of their own country.  Interestingly, they sometimes actually speak the language of the 'mother' country, as well as, or better than their own native country's language.  At times, you can even see the influence of these countries in their names.  Vicente Fox, for example, the president of Mexico, was the former president of Coca-Cola.  Educated in the United States, he speaks English perfectly, and Fox is definitely not a Mexican last name, but a North American one.  Former president of Bolivia, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, was educated in the United States, speaks English better than Spanish, and was actually called "el gringo" disdainfully by the people on the street.  And this pattern goes back centuries.  

Much of the elite class in South East Asia speaks French and were educated in France.  In India the elite speak British English, as they do in many Arabic countries, where much of the elite is educated in Europe.  In the Pacific islands Dutch, Spanish and English are all spoken, depending on their colonial history.  Maybe one of the most obvious recent examples is that of Saudi Arabia, with much of their rich ruling class actually living in the United States.  Dozens of wealthy Saudis were quickly swept out of the country immediately after the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center.

In Venezuela, this small elite class is all too visible and influential.  The life they live is modeled after the American lifestyle, driving the hottest cars, and wearing the latest U.S. fashion, shopping at U.S.-style shopping centers.  Many of them would actually prefer to live in the United States, and for that reason many times end up in Miami, or New York.  

Probably the most well-known and important figure in the Venezuelan elite is Gustavo Cisneros.  Not only does he control a huge amount of the Spanish-speaking media, in Venezuela and in the United States, he also holds the Venezuelan franchise of Pizza Hut, DirecTV, American Online, Playboy and others.  Cisneros, born and raised in Venezuela, was educated in the United States.  He graduated from a high school in Massachussetts, attended Babson College of Massachussets, and later married Patricia Phelps, daughter of a North American couple who also belongs to the Venezuelan elite.  Patricia's father, William Phelps, founded the other major media network in Venezuela, Radio Caracas, and Radio Caracas Television.  Together, Patricia and Gustavo have the second largest fortune in South America.   And between their two families, they have nearly all of the nation's media in their hands.  Of course, they are also big supporters of the Free Trade agreements with the United States which have been almost unanimously rejected in recent years among Latin American populations.

Therefore, it's not hard to understand why the media in Venezuela compaigns constantly against the president Hugo Chavez.  He wishes to break away from the imperial system, in order to create a system that benefits everyone.  Chavez approved an article to the constitution that forbids any privatization of Venezuelas oil sector.  Indigenous president Evo Morales has done the same in Bolivia, taking back Bolivia's gas resources for the benefit of all bolivians.  

BBC Newsnight - Greg Palast on Chavez                                         April 10, 2006

Revolution in Venezuela and its importance in the world                April 5, 2006

Yesterday I had a long conversation with a local government employee.  Over a glass of raspberry juice in the local bakery, we discussed the goals of certain government programs.  The focus, he always stressed, is first the social aspect.  Before anything else is considered, the community must be consulted, and the social effects any program will have on the community are the first concern.  His point is that this regime, the Chavez government, is fundamentally humane, concerned primarily with the human being.

We discussed the differences between the Chavez regime and the previous regime which consisted of a two-party system much like in the United States.  In this system, now known as the Fourth Republic, both parties were practically the same, and all other parties and ideologies were excluded.  This system lasted 40 years and finally collapsed when the nation voted President Hugo Chavez into power in 1998.  

As many Venezuelans, this particular government employee has his own personal reasons for his strong support of Chavez, and strong desire for change.  His uncle, once a member of the Venezuelan Communist Party, was tortured under the old regime, having his toungue cut out and both hands cut off.  Now, at age 95, he's never been able to tell, or write, his story of torture.  This torture was somewhat routine in the 60's and 70's, as most Latin American militaries were trained, supplied, and organized by United States intelligence agencies.

Noting my surprise at the story of his uncle, the Chavez supporter pulled out a book full of faces.  These were the faces of the thousands of people who disappeared during the Fourth Republic.  In the 60's and 70's, as many political parties were made illegal, their activities became clandestine, and many turned to armed struggle.  The government, with the military, trained and supported logistically by the United States, carried out a campaign to erradicate these threats to their power.  Thousands of innocent leftists were killed, tortured, and repressed.  In 1989, during a huge popular uprising against the government, thousands more were murdered and disappeared by the government.  This is nothing very suprising, as all of this happened on a much larger scale in other Latin American countries throughout the last 50 years, almost always with the support of the United States under the excuse of fighting communism.

Later, comparing the reality of today with that of before, the man pulled out another book.  It was a book about the thousands of Venezuelans who have been sent to Cuba in the last few years to have eye surgery.  People who had eye disorders, cataracts, or other vision problems, many with years and years without being able to see, and without any remedy due to the lack of health services, now can see.  The government sends them to Cuba for free, and pays for the surgery.  This, he said, is the book of this regime.  These are faces of this regime, he said, stressing the humanity of the Chavez government.

So what makes the Chavez government different, and why is it such an important phenomenon in the world today?  To start with, we have to understand what is at the root of most of the gravest problems in the world today.  Take your pick, environmental distruction, poverty, inequality, health, war, violence, exploitation, terrorism and many many more.  All of these problems, and many more, basically radiate from the same root; concentration of power in the hands of corporate business interests.  In a democratic society, the people can collectively decide and implement solutions for all of the above problems.  It is only when power is concentrated in the hands of a few when society no longer has the ability to resolve its own problems.  And, unfortunately, nearly every government in the world is controlled by these corporate business interests.  In the world today, it's money that fuels the machine, and all things run in search of profit.

However, in Venezuela, and now beginning in other parts of South America, those in power are not from these traditional ruling powers.  They are not connected to the corporate business interests, and will not be influenced by them.  The Venezuela government is a government coming from the lower exploited classes of Venezuelan society, and looks to resolve the problems of the majority, not a small powerful elite.  One can criticize the Chavez government, and one can say that they do not like the programs or the direction it is going, but the fact that it represents the majority of Venezuelans is without a doubt, and the fact that this government is an alternative to the undemocratic domination of the globe by corporate interests is unquestionable.  Knowing only this, we can understand the immense importance of the revolutionary process in Venezuela and other Latin American countries.  In a world dominated by the elite class of CEO's and multi-national mega powerful corporations, the few nations making the attempt to break free from this disastrous world system deserve our support and solidarity.

Could Venezuela have the answer to all our media woes?            March 5, 2006

Just like in the rest of the world, in Venezuela the media is a disaster.  Nearly all the media is privately-owned, supported by advertising, and completely dominated by the elite and big business in the country.  In other words, it's about the same situation as anywhere you go in the world.  But in Venezuela you have a situation that is unique in comparison with most countries:  the elite media have been continually trying to overthrow their president in any way they can.

In April 2002, when Hugo Chavez was briefly overthrown for 48 hours, the media were instrumental in the planning, staging, and misreporting the events leading up to and after the coup.  When the president was overthrown, the media manipulated video footage to try to show that Chavez had staged the coup against himself.  Then, later, while Chavez was held prisoner and the people took to the streets to protest, the private media showed cartoons instead of informing the country about what was happening in the capital.  The state-owned channel was the only reliable source of information the people could turn to.  The coup failed, but the media have continued their campaign against Chavez.  Lies and distorted news are constantly reported on the television and in the newspapers, trying to sway the people against their immensely popular leader.  For now it hasn't worked, and now the government is developing progressive ways to solve the problem of the media.

Before we can fix it, we have to understand what is wrong.  So what's the deal with the media anyway?  In the United States, we know our media is a joke.  But what's wrong?  Does it have a conservative bias?  Or a liberal one?  Is there too much censorship or not enough?  Is the media independent or not independent enough?  All of these things are debateable, but none of them are really the root of the problem.  The real root problem of the media is concentrated control.  Most media in the world are controlled by very large private corporations whose goal is not to provide good information, but to make profit.  They sell a product (the audience) to a client (advertisers).  And, with this structure there are countless problems.  First, the content  can't go against the interests of the clients (large corporations who advertise), and, second, the media must deliver a desirable audience (poor people aren't preferred, it's not likely they will buy that shiny new car, or computer).  Therefore, forget about news coverage that is critical or scrutinizes the corporate world and its operations, and expect content that will attract the elite, wealthier consumer.  Coverage of dead children in Iraq, or the causes of poverty probably won't attract too many advertisers, but a reality show about the lives of some rich superficial bitch might encourage people to buy!  Encouraging lifestyles like Paris Hiltron will definitely get people to imitate this materialism and consumerism.  

These are  only a few of the problems inherent with a privately-owned, for-profit media system.  Another grave problem is the lack of investigative journalism.  Sorry, but investigations are expensive, and time-consuming.  When you've got to worry about the bottom line, forget about those investigations.  It's much cheaper to pay a couple hot heads to yell at each other on live television than to pay a team of investigators to uncover the hidden facts.  So, instead of the great investigative reports like you see on the public-owned BBC, you get the ridiculous Bill O'Reilly and the rest of the wannabe's on the private channels.  And newspapers are just as bad.  When you have the major corporations of the country advertising on nearly every other page, how can you expect a news article explaining how those same companies buy their politicians?  That would be suicide, as those advertisers would soon be advertising in a more friendly environment, and could possibly bring litigation against the media company.  So, what you get is news that doesn't touch any sensitive topics (which tend to be the most important topics for any democracy), and simply gives a succession of events.  It's cheap, non-controversial, and safe.  Exactly what is required to make big profit, and avoid risk.  And also keeps the population ignorant, confused, and apathetic.

So what's the solution?  If the problem is concentrated control of the media, the solution should be democratic control.  In many countries there exist state-funded media; BBC in Britain, CBC in Canada, VenTV in Venezuela, PBS in the United States.  In Venezuela, the Chavez government has developed several public-sector television stations, the most famous being Telesur.   Telesur is jointly owned by the governments of Venezuela, Argentina, and Brazil, and is the first Latin American T.V. station dedicated to reporting about Latin America.  Before, Latin America learned about itself from outside media, such as CNN and other stations from the north.  However while these new public media, being controlled by elected officials, usually have more public participation, and studies have shown that viewers of public-sector media are much better informed than viewers of the private media, they still lack a great amount of public participation and also risk being undemocratic.

But, it looks like Venezuela has a solution for that too.  In a truely exciting and amazing new program, the Chavez government is supporting and organizing community radio and T.V. stations in communities around the country.  They provide funding, equipment, training, and organization to help poor communities all over Venezuela set up and organize their own independent media operations.  Controlled and operated by the community members themselves, and funded publicly, these alternative media will allow for the free spread of information and the public debate needed for any democracy to flourish.  And there has been talk of a network between all of them so that they can share news and announcements directly between communites around the country.  So, instead of restricted information and a narrow debate controlled by the elite business interests, the communites of Venezuela will have independent, local, public media, free from advertising and full of public participation.  So, when the major media of the United States claim to be "giving the people what they want", they might take a lesson from Venezuela.  Give the people the control of their media, and you'll be sure that they are giving themselves what they want.

Check back for updates on alternative community media in Venezuela.  I hope to get involved in this process and should have more information on the process in the near future.  See Telesur live online, or listen to Radio Sur.

How is the United States trying to get rid of Hugo Chavez?       February 4, 2006

Over the last few years, the United States has tried many things to get rid of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias.  But every time they have failed in their attempt, and now many of us are waiting to see what their next move will be.  Little known in the United States, but being revealed little by little, is the U.S. involvement in the overthrow of Haitian president Jean Betrand Aristide just about 2 years ago in February of 2004.  In a recent New York Times article, a former U.S. ambassador Brian Dean Curran revealed some of the activities of the International Republican Institute in Haiti.  The IRI, which is a government-funded organization linked to the Republican party, not only was giving massive amounts of financial support to opposition groups in Haiti, but also financed and convened training sessions for anti-Aristide groups inside Haiti.  Two key leaders of the coup that eventually overthrew Aristide in 2004, Guy Philipe and Paul Accelin, were involved in these meetings.   Rea

Aristide was a leftist leader devoted to improving the conditions of the majority poor in Haiti.  He had the support of the huge majority of the population, but was removed from power two seperate times, once in 1990 and again in 2004, by violent groups who were armed, financed, and trained by Washington groups.   These same government groups were used in the 1980's in Nicaragua to get rid of the Sadinistas.  Read more about Washington's subversion in Haiti here.

So what is Washington doing to get rid of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela?  The exact same strategy is being used.  The International Republican Institute is only one of the many groups used to funnel money and provide strategical training and support to Haiti, Venezuela and other Latin American countries.  Other Washington groups such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the CIA are also active in "democracy promotion" as they call it, using terminology that would impress Orwell.  All of these various organizations are obviously just covert ways to disguise and hide the actions of the U.S. government by making it look like it is only these private organizations who are funding and working in Latin America.  The NED and IRI both have offices in Caracas, and have been handing out millions of dollars to anti-Chavez groups.  And, as documentation obtained from the U.S. government shows, these organizations have been involved in all of the recent attempts to overthrow President Chavez.

In 2002, the Chavez opposition organized and carried out a coup which overthrew Chavez and took him into custody for 48 hours.  He was returned to power after mass ive public protests demanding his return.  Later, in early 2003, the opposition groups, with the cooperation of the leading labor union, organized a general strike of the oil industry and other large sectors of the economy, (an action very reminiscent of the CIA-organized transportation strike in Chile that eventually led to the overthrow of Salvador Allende in 1973.)  After several months, Venezuela was in a very precarious situation with huge shortages of gas, food, and distribution of goods, but workers eventually overtook the industries and production was started back up.  The U.S.-led strategy  had failed again.  Later, in 2004, the opposition organized a Referendum, provided for in the new constitution, to legally put Chavez up to a public vote to remove him.   Chavez won the vote by a significant margin and the opposition failed once again.

Barrio Adentro, my visit with the local Cuban doctor            December 29, 2005

A couple weeks ago I went to explore what I had been told was a new Barrio Adentro hospital here in Merida.  Mission Barrio Adentro is the Chavez government's plan for universal health care in Venezuela.  There are 3 stages.  The first stage, which began some years ago, was the introduction of Cuban doctors to the poorest communities of Venezuela.  These communities, called barrios, have long been excluded, and have remained without basic services, access to health care, and in many cases without basic education.  The general tendency in the years before Chavez was the privitization of the health service, making it even more exclusive to the upper wealthy classes, and excluding the vast majority of Venezuelans.

The second stage, Barrio Adentro II, is now the contruction of new, state-of-the-art health centers all across the country.  The goal is to have 600 built around the country in the next years.  So, for this I was excited to see one of these new Centers for Integral Diagnosis, as they are called.   When I went to one that was constructed a couple months ago here in Merida, I was not at all prepared for what I would find.  Immediately I was greeted by several Cuban doctors at the door.  They were glad to show me around and answer all my questions.  The place was amazing.  Everything brand new, shiny clean, and state-of-the-art equipment.  They showed me the ambulance that is dedicated to this center, all equiped in Cuba with the latest equipment.   Most of the medicine they use also comes from Cuba, manufactured in Cuba.  And it's all free, for anyone and everyone.  If something happens to me while I'm here, that's where I'll go!

They have 45 years of revolution in Cuba, and this small island, under constant attack and economic strangulation by Washington, continues to make incredible contributions to the world.  The doctor showed me a list of his colleagues there, and where they had worked before.  These Cuban doctors had worked in countries all around the world, doing what doctors SHOULD do, helping people who need it.  They go where doctors are needed, and they do it for free.  The Cuban government pays for it.  The Cuban doctor explained to me "When we treat a patient we treat them as a human being, from beginning to end.  There is never a thought of our pocketbooks.  We aren't thinking about how to make money."  They recieve a very social education in Cuba, and it has produced amazing results.

Click here to see Chavez inaugurating the first Center for Integral Diagnosis on his weekly program Aló Presidente.  

The Left growing in Latin America                              December 26, 2005

These are interesting times in Latin America, as the political left is becoming stronger and stronger, and is taking power in more and more countries.  With the recent landslide victory of Bolivia's Evo Morales, it adds another country to the long list of current leftist governments in Latin America.    In Venezuela there is Hugo Chavez, elected in 1998, who strongly rejects Washington's policies for the region, and has called for a plan of integration among Latin American states.  His discourse and charismatic rhetoric has made him a major leader of the left in Latin America.  Following him there is Kichner in Argentina, Lula in Brazil, Tabare in Uruguay, Jagdeo in Guyana, Torrijos in Panama, Fidel Castro in Cuba of course, and, now, Morales in Bolivia.  It appears that in Nigaragua the Sandinistas are gaining ground in the government, and in 2006 Manuel Lopez Obrador should be elected as president of Mexi co.  

One important feature that all of these governments have in common is their rejection of the imperialist policies of Washington.  Never has there been a time in Latin America with so many leftist regimes in power, and so much rejection of the policies of Washington.  The largest economies of South America are now controlled by leftist governments and they are beginning a  process of regional integration and support .  Instead of opening their economies to the free trade exploitation promoted by Washington, they are looking for ways to integrate their economies and engage in trade that is beneficial to the majority.

Throughout the 20th Century, it was the official policy of the United States to stamp out any leftist governments before they could have any success and spread to other countries.  This can be easily demonstrated with even the slightest study of Latin American history.  The long list of subversions and invasions by the United States in Latin America throughout the 20th Century is too long to list here.  Every single country in Latin America has been a victim of Washinton's policies of subverting democracy at least once, some countries, such as Nicaragua, Panama, Haiti, Cuba, and others have been victims to numerous invasions and interventions by their imperialist neighbor.  Haiti's popular president Aristide was overthrown by a U.S. invasion just last year, for example.  And in 2002, Washington orchestrated the overthrow of Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez, but failed.  Washington would have us believe that all these invasions were to "protect democracy" or to stop "communism."  But the reality is that these regimes were all attempts to escape the brutal imperialist policies imposed upon them by Washington.  They were all attempts to develop the local economies and improve the lives of the poor majority that inhabit these countries.  Since Washington, which is controlled by the business class, not the people of the United States, could not let their colonies escape from their control, they had to quickly stamp out any small outbreaks before the infection could spread.  However, now it appears it may be too much for Washington to handle as much of Latin America has quickly shifted left and has elected some very popular leftist leaders.

As the Spanish colonies benefitted from the Napoleonic Wars in Europe 200 years ago to break free from Spanish rule, maybe the countries of Latin America can take advantage of the Iraq War to gain their independence from the United States.  It seems the United States is currently unable to do much against Chavez and the rest of the left taking over Latin America.  They are busy in imperialist wars.

After 500 years, the people take back the control in Bolivia      November 27, 2005

This December, barring any American imperialist intervention, the first ever indigenous president in South America will be elected.  In Bolivia, on December 18th, general elections will be held for president, and it is more than likely that indigenous coca grower Evo Morales will win the presidency.  [He has since won the presidency in a landslide victory]  After years of struggle by the people of Bolivia, they have thrown out two oligarchic presidents (one just last June) through popular struggle and protest.  These presidents were guilty of basically handing Bolivia's immense natural resources over to American corporations, and causing serious unrest among the poor, indigenous majority of the country.

Evo Morales, and his party Movement towards Socialism (MAS), led these struggles against the imperialist North American interests and the oligarchic class in Bolivia.  Now, after years of struggle against these minority interests, Bolivia will finally have a president that represents the majority of the population.  It is only fitting that Bolivia have an indigenous president since 80% of the population identifies itself as indigenous.  However, Bolivia has never had an indigenous president, nor has any country in South America since the Spanish invasion over 500 years ago.  Morales has said that he will stop the privatization of Bolivia's natural resources, and intead nationalize the industries to use them for the benefit of the majority of Bolivians, much like what Chavez claims to be doing in Venezuela.  When accused of being an agent of Chavez and Fidel Castro, Morales replied “Chávez and Fidel are in no way part of any axis of evil. They are the commanders of the liberating forces of this continent.”

This an exciting turn of events as Latin America seems to be rapidly turning against the imperialist policies of the United States and instead electing governments that actually represent the people and search for solutions to their grave issues.  Leftist, anti-Washington presidents have now been elected in Venezuela, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, and it appears that soon we will be able to add Bolivia and Mexico in 2006.  This is a very interesting time in Latin America as it seems to be on the brink of real economic and social change, possibly leaving their 500 year history of imperialist exploitation behind them, and moving toward a brighter future for the poor majority.

<>Free Trade for the Americas all but killed in Argentina          November 6, 2005

This weekend, all the leaders of North and South America met in Mar Del Plata,  Argentina, for the Summit of the Americas.  While the Bush and the United States continue to try to push for free trade in the region with F.T.A.A., in this summit it was clearly rejected, as was Bush himself.  Thousands and thousands of people took to the streets to protest Bush's arrival in Argentina, and several leaders sharply criticized the economic policies of the United States.  Kirchner of Argentina said it is the United States that is responsible for the social tragedy in Latin America.  Chavez said what he usually says, that the United States is an imperialist power that expliots the poorer countries for their own benefit.  Brazil and Uruguay are among the other countries who refuse to agree to Bush's free trade plans.

Anti-American protests got violent not only in Mar Del Plata, but in other Argentine cities as well and also in neighboring Uruguay.  Protesters waved signs calling Bush the Devil, a  Fascist, a Terrorist and many other things.  Many of them burned the American flag and violently attacked U.S.-based stores and businesses.

Chavez took a moment to step out of the Summit and speak to the protesters.  "To the tomb!" Chávez shouted. "All of us here have brought an undertaker's shovel, because here in Mar del Plata is the tomb of the FTAA."  "If it occurs to U.S. imperialism, in its desperation, to invade Venezuela, a 100-years' war will begin."

While Washington continues with it's neoliberal policies which don't allow for the development of the poorer nations, and definitely don't solve any of the most pertinent issues, such as poverty, hunger, health care, and education, Chavez and other South American leftists are working on regional integration and beneficial, fair trade.

Chavez in New York; speaking truth to power                      September 15, 2005

La Loma de los Maitines Elects Leaders                                   October 9, 2005

On Sunday, October 9th, the community of La Loma De Los Maitines held community elections and elected community leaders for the new community organization in charge of carrying out the work of La Mision.  Under the Program of Endogenous Transformation of Barrios each community must elect leaders to formulate the plans and carry out the work in the community.  The election was carried out through a process of secret ballots, run by the community themselves, and the votes counted publicly in front of the community.

In La Loma de los Maitines, there are a variety of problems that this new organization will be working towards solving.  In some parts there is a high risk of flooding of houses built along the banks of a river.  In other sectors there are problems of ground stability, and houses in danger of falling.  However, the problems that are most widespread continue to be those related to water and basic public services.  Most of the community only has water for a few hours a day and only a part of the community has a sewage system.  Those houses lacking sewage systems dump their sewage directly onto the ground and others into the river.  This not only causes a variety of health risks, but also further enhances problems of ground instability.

At right, as the line extends out the door of the voting center, an indigenous Guajiro man tells me about his life.

The votes are counted publicly in front of the community, as they see that each vote is registered and counted up on the wall.

This same process is being carried out in 20 barrios in the state of Mérida.  If all goes as planned, and funds arrive, construction should begin in 2006, with the organized community, and the elected leaders carrying out the work to improve their own communities.  I'll keep updating what's going on with the process here.

Antonio, one of the candidates, looks on as votes are counted one by one.

See more photos of the election day on the October photos page.

Presentation of the Master Plan in San Jose                  September 18, 2005

In the community San Jose de Las Flores, on Sunday, the Master Plan of projects to be carried out in the barrio was presented to the community assembly to be approved by them.  The Plan, which was formulated by the community's elected leaders, in conjunction with the Engineer facilitator, shows all of the work, social and physical, which will be carried out in the community, and how much each will cost.  Every last cent of the resources is accounted for, showing the community exactly how the government resources will be spent.  The Plan was presented to the community in a general assembly on Sunday, so that they could understand and decide if they would approve this Master Plan, or reject it.

After 2 long hours of discussing, explaining, and examining the Master Plan.  The community agreed, voted to approve the plan, and signed the document.  This is an exciting step forward for them, as they see that projects to improve their living conditions will be carried out shortly.  The principal projects are:  Replacement housing, drainage systems, sewage systems, reparations of access roads, and rehabilitation and improvement of existing homes.  Among the social community projects are: various leadership training and community organization courses for the community leaders so that they can better execute their responsibilties as community leaders (accounting, management), enlargement of the community center building, computer technology for the community center,  funds for a community radio station and a community newspaper run by the community members, an d courses to train the community in the creation of private businesses.  

At right, after listening to the explanation of the plan, the community gives it's approval.  Having been approved, they now send the plan to the government for evaluation, and later the government should grant the finances for the projects.  All of this should bring some incredible benefits to the comminty if it is carried out as planned.  It seems to be a very hopeful project.  Keep checking back to see how it turns out!

United States to invade Venezuela?                                 September 6, 2005

Venezuelan intelligence has uncovered a U.S. plan for the invasion of Venezuela.  The plan, called Plan Balboa, is a simulation exercise for land, air, and water operations to invade Venezuela from Colombia and Panama.  It calculates the number of daily bombings, what types of weaponry and how many bombs would be needed to atack and destroy certain targets within Venezuela.

In response to the question on CNN: "You really believe the United States has plans to invade Venezuela?", Chavez responded, "I am a soldier.  You don't just make a plan like this to pass the time, and much less when it is known; actually, the reason is, in this book written by Juan Carlos Ferrari, the crisis of the imperial power.  The United States doesn't have oil reserves anymore.  The American people should know that.  North America has only 22 billion barrels, but with its wild consumption that will only last for 10 or 15 years."  Later he said, "We are preparing for an invasion.  If the United States thinks they are going to invade Venezuela, there will be a war, taking the phrase of Fidel Castro, of a hundred years.  It will incite not only this country but a large part of the continent.  But don't make the mistake, we are preparing to resist an invasion."

Eliminating Capitalism?                                                          September 2, 2005

Chavez is calling it "Socialism for the 21st Century", but really it is just an attempt at a different system of organization in which there is not as much hierarchy.  Wealth is shared more equally, and participation is more democratic.  Many will say that it won't work, and of course it also has it's problems.  But, to me, this is something very interesting because it is something different!  As Chavez has said "within the limits of capitalism, the problems of misery, poverty and inequality that Venezuelans face, cannot be solved."  And so for decades countries have been trying to find a way out.  Cuba, Chile, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Haiti, Vietnam, and now Venezuela, to name a few.  Each time they have been crushed by the United States who sees any form of economic independence as a threat to their economic interests.  

Perhaps this system will not function well.  Perhaps there will be many problems, conflicts, and failures.  But these are things we can learn from, and can help us find a way to organize society in a better, fairer way.  If this experiment is not crushed by the United States like the rest, perhaps it can be a learning process for a new way forward.  After all, the current system certainly isn't working, as more than half the world's population lives in poverty.  What we need is to open the debate for new ways of organizing, and new ways forward.  At the very least, the Venezuelan revolution is doing that!

For more, check out the following article on Znet -- Venezuela Expropriates

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