venezuelan workers

every day (and in transport between meetings) we talked with workers about their life in venezuela, whether they were better or worse off since the beginning of ¨el proceso bolivariano¨ (the bolivarian process or revolution) that started when chavez took power in 1999. it was amazing how many different stories and answers we got, and it really depended on who you asked. i intend to write a lot more about these very interesting conversations, but here a couple clips.

i talked to a middle class family one day, and they said that they were neither better nor worse off, but that since the social changes and programs had helped so many poor, that they were supportive of the chavez government.

i talked to some wealthy members of the opposition parties, who had been majorly affected by the nationalization of the oil company--pdvsa--and they were very against the chavez government and very resentful of being marginalized (not even the right word, more like ¨less priviledged¨) for the first time in their lives.

i talked to a syrian businessman who sold nike shoes that he got wholesale from direct trade with china, and he was very positive about the country of venezuela and was a strong chavez supporter (he showed me his mvr party registration card, just like mine). he said that ¨el proceso¨ was excellent for small business owners like himself and the poor. he mentioned that he was muslim and i asked him if he felt racism or discrimination in venezuela. he said that venezuela was the least racist county he had ever been to and that he felt very accepted and a part of ¨el pueblo¨ (the people).

and then there were the conversations with the campesino activists and cooperative owners, but that is a whole other story...

its just a souvenir!

on our second day, our plans suddenly changed (we are constantly reminded to expect changes) and we were taken down to a beautiful square. next to the square was a voter registration booth, where they had a digital photo/card station setup. i guess anyone in venezuela can register to vote, even if not a citizen? anyway, we jumped in line and about an hour later, after some great line converstations and an exchange of my passport and 2000 bolivares (about us$1), i was given my voter registration card for the mvr. i joked that it was bound to become "exhibit a" for my future enemy combatant/terrorist trial ("did you or did you not register to vote in a nation led by a known terrorist, hugo chavez?", blah, blah, blah).
whatever, it is a great souvenir. and for the record i am neutral on mr. chavez, and it is just a damn souvenir. for my n.s.a. and c.i.a. friends that i support with my taxdollars, please read this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvenir.

get on the bus

it has been a non-stop whirlwind here, with every hour something new and unexpected. two days ago we were stuck in traffic downtown in our van, and a chavez motorcycle/bus rally was passing by. no strangers to political campaigns, our group ran up to the bus to take pictures and talk with them. the next thing we knew, the back of the bus opened up and we were piliing in. red shirts and hats from the mvr party passed around and all of a sudden we find ourselves on the top of the bus, ourselves now no longer spectators but participants.
to the right is a pic from the top of the bus. i took a bunch of video, which i can't wait to edit and share. we rode for several miles, music blaring, horns honking, motorcycles corking the cross-streets for our caravan. one of those experiences i will remember for life.

revolutionary coffee

on the second day, we visited "la plaza de la revolucion" (revolutionary plaza). a woman outside the plaza was selling "revolutionary coffee", and we all enjoyed the damn good coffee. something good for this monday morning.

the first full night after arrival, there was a huge political rally just across the street from our hotel. massive stage and live salsa and other dance music, packed with people. it was put on by the mvr, which is one of the political parties supporting chavez. i had more than my share of 50 cent cervezas, and danced and talked to many people. one of the venezuelans i talked to was a cement worker from outside the city. i asked him if his life was better or worse in the last 5 years since chavez's government took power. he said that he has two children and before chavez his children had no chance of going to college. now, they will both go for free, and his family has a chance for a better life. got that.

best laid plans

so much for being able to update the blog every day. the ability to use the internet has proven difficult, mainly due to the logistics of our trip. every day our agenda has changed, but this has led to some wonderful opportunities that we never would have had otherwise. more about those later.

the last couple of days have been incredibly intense. it will be a long time before the experiences more fully reveal themselves to me. i only have a few minutes right now, but i will catch up on the backlog later. i have taken hours and hours of video and can't wait to be able to distill that into something interesting.

day 1 - orientation and community radio

our morning began with breakfast and an orientation to venezuela's social customs and political situation by our guide, leo. leo is highly entertaining and has an excellent grasp of u.s. pop culture and slang. one of the things that he said that stood out to me was "i never trust a person in uniform, police, military, whatever. i use them for one thing only, just like i use mcdonalds. i use mcdonalds for their bathroom, and i use uniformed persons to ask directions. other than that, i avoid both at all costs. police will often approach you and ask for your passport, and then say that they need 'money for coffee' to get your passport back. they are seeking a bribe, do not trust them, ever." similar to police in most countries for sure, and the same in parts of the u.s. depending on your class, skin color or other attribute.

our first stop today was at a community radio station, called radio libre. they are an alternative station, neither funded by the government nor the corporate media. it was bustling with activity and people of all ages when we got there. there was some orientation to media for school children. the founder was an impassioned activist who is able to be both supportive of the social changes going on at a community level in venezuela, but at the same time willing to be critical of the government when needed. will write more about our visit on the next post. someone from portland had also been here, as this pic shows...

touchdown in caracas

had a smooth flight into caracas via atlanta. sat next to a woman whose husband recently died, but they had been married for 63 years. can't imagine that.

when we landed in caracas, the first thing that struck me was how similar most international airports are, and this was no exception. tgi fridays, subway and a whole bunch of chain stores, and some huge video screen with music videos playing on it. the second thing i noticed was that the largest group of non-venezuelans seemed to be chinese businessmen, they seemed to be everywhere. i was very curious what they were up to, but didn't have time to figure it out. the third thing i noticed was that there was the absolute minimum government/official presence at the airport. customs was quick and indifferent, and that was it. the last time i returned to the u.s. from abroad we waited in lines for hours and were under constant surveillance, with countless checkpoints and armed guards. but of course there are not nearly as many people trying to get into venezuela as there are the u.s. similar to mexico, the last time i drove over the border into mexico, the customs posts were abandoned and everyone just drives straight on through.

then piled into the van and to the hotel for checkin, beer and food. fell asleep to the familiar sound of most foreign cities, with odd vehicle/motorbike horns and a sustained buzzing of people and activity. exhausted, excited.

labor delegation press release

November 8th, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact:

Daniel Denvir, Coordinator (info@pcasc.net; 971-227-3527)
Northwest Union Delegation to Venezuela and Colombia Departs November 9th

Portland, Oregon (November 8th, 2006)–The Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC) sponsors a delegation of 8 Oregon and Washington union leaders and members to Venezuela and Colombia, this November 9-20th. The press is invited to meet the delegates at a send off breakfast on November 8th at 8am at the home of Steven Toff (4815 SE Caruthers St., Portland), Organizing Director for the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW).

These union delegates will meet with workers, activists, government officials and opposition figures in Venezuela to determine how workers and the labor movement have faired since President Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998. Delegates will look into claims that poor Venezuelans have increased political power, along with unprecedented access to good healthcare and education. In Colombia, delegates will meet with workers and farmers and investigate the effects of U.S. military aid and a proposed bi-lateral free trade deal has on average Colombians. Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a labor activist.

The delegation includes leadership and members of 7 unions, including the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Locals 4 and 8, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 88, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 503, the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW) and the Oregon Education Association (OEA). Daniel Bonham, a former carpenter, will be representing the Fair Contracting Foundation, of which he is the Director.