Chronicling community action, revolutionary and revealing thought

Wednesday, October 06, 2004

Building Social Infrastructure in Venezuela

Hi Parkdale People,

it`s been awhile since I`ve written and I just wanted to let you
know that I am still in Venezuela documenting the social programs
this government has begun. That is, the government of President
Hugo Chavez.

I have looked into the housing program, and I am now investigating the Guaicaipuro mission, a social program for indigenous Venezuelans. It is amazing to learn that native people here on the whole support Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian Revolution. Our native breathren here not only support their president but identify with him as well. Chavez often refers to his own African and indigenous ancestry.

Travelling through the oil state of Zulia, it is appalling to see how much poverty accumulated throughout this oil rich country. To witness the vast scale of poverty is to look at the reality of Venezuela created by decades of monopolization of the country`s resources in the hands of a few.

It is this poverty that led to the Bolivarian revolution. And these conditions were
created by those who ruled Venezuela without concern for the vast majority of people
in this country. Is it any surprise that Chavez and his Bolivarian revolution swept in?
Conditions were ripe for revolution as Marxists would say. It isn`t Chavez who created these conditions of poverty.

So now Chavez is creating a social infrastructure for Venezuela. This is includes healthcare, education, housing, employment programs, food security, rights for indigenous people and the building of massive infrastructure like subways in the major cities and a train system across the country as well as a state telecommunications systems that includes low cost cell phones and internet communication centres free of charge for the general population.

Chavez is setting up everything we have in Canada in terms of social programs and more.
And remember he is doing this by using the oil income of this country that was once in the hands of a tiny oil elite.

If Venezuela can begin a "housing revolution" and invest in subway lines, why can`t Canada?

Your friendly neighbourhood Robin

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