babble home
rabble.ca - news for the rest of us
today's active topics


Post New Topic  Post A Reply
FAQ | Forum Home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» babble   » current events   » international news and politics   » Fascinating insight into the Bolivarian revolution

Email this thread to someone!    
Author Topic: Fascinating insight into the Bolivarian revolution
martin dufresne
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11463

posted 24 September 2008 07:14 PM      Profile for martin dufresne   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
in the latest ZNet Communications Update (Subscribe at [email protected] )
quote:
Politics In Venezuela:
An Interview with Julio Chavez

(Michael Albert: ) In early September I went to Venezuela to give a talk about economic vision at a conference there. I stayed a week, and with Greg Wilpert interviewed numerous people about the Bolivarian Revolution. The interview we did about the polity in Venezuela, was with Julio Chavez, Mayor of Carora and prominent activist in all dimensions of the Bolivarian Revolution, especially concerning the Communal Councils.


Michael Albert: To get started, how would you say being a Bolivarian Mayor is different from being a Mayor before 1998?

Julio Chavez: When we first came into office, and before that, the Mayor was protecting the interest of the oligarchy, not the people. Only a handful of families was in control of the land, finances, communications, agriculture, and all the assets. And they also upheld and were within the Religious hierarchy. They excluded the majority of the population from determining the life of the society.

They even had clubs where they would meet that only family members could enter - and even the Church had sections and seats that were reserved for these family members.

Indeed, up until 1960, this small group of families controlled everything in town. When there was a marriage, the first night the owner of the hacienda sponsoring the wedding would even have the right to spend the night with the bride.

There was for 45 years, during the democratic period, government protecting the interests of the local land owning families. Assets were privatized in a few hands.

When the Bolivarian government came into office, things began to change. The head of the Catholic Church of the municipality, for example, a local Bishop, was until then receiving a lifelong pension from the Major and was cousin of the owners of the largest Hacienda.(...)

[ 24 September 2008: Message edited by: martin dufresne ]


From: "Words Matter" (Mackinnon) | Registered: Dec 2005  |  IP: Logged

All times are Pacific Time  

Post New Topic  Post A Reply Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
Hop To:

Contact Us | rabble.ca | Policy Statement

Copyright 2001-2008 rabble.ca