Edward Mercado
For the last seven years, a great majority of Venezuelans, including myself, have defended a new democratic administration being built under Venezuela's new constitution. This is the only constitution in our history that has ever been approved through a popular referendum vote. In fact, today Venezuelans are engaged in the highest amounts of democratic political participation in the hemisphere.
The policies implemented under the President Hugo Chavez's administration have been inclusive by promoting the rights of the marginalised indigenous and African communities, something that has never been done before in Venezuela. One of the most amazing new social policies is the literacy campaign. Brought to fruition through the collaboration of thousands of Venezuelans, illiteracy has been eradicated in less than two years. So many wonderful things are taking place in my country of birth today that I find it hard to understand all of the negative press towards Venezuela that currently exists.
I must also mention that all Venezuelan citizens now have access to free medical attention, something crucial for a nation that is entrenched in such dire poverty. Thanks to Cuban and Venezuelan doctors through the "Barrio Adentro" program, poor Venezuelans now have access to subsidised medical treatment, resulting in the care of more than 10 million citizens in the last three years.
These are just a few of the reasons why I find myself very proud of Venezuela today. Unfortunately I continue to be saddened by the rhetoric of US President George Bush's administration and the US media against my sovereign land. Not only is Venezuela a reliable source of energy for the US and the US's second-largest trading partner in the hemisphere, she is also helping the poor of America. CITGO, a US subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA, has been providing heating oil at a 40% discount to poor communities throughout the US this winter. Focusing on those areas most in need, CITGO has been able to reduce monthly heating bill payments for hard working families by hundreds of dollars, making a real difference for the most marginalised, especially communities of colour.
On that note I find it disheartening to read the anti-Venezuelan resolution H. Con. Res. 328 recently sponsored by Connie Mack, which supports the funding of opposition groups who were involved in the attempted coup against Chavez in 2002. Although the coup was thwarted, these groups dissolved all political powers including the Supreme Court and the constitution and clearly violated the law. The United States was the first and only country to recognise this illegitimate de-facto government and since then has lost a lot of credibility in Latin America.
This is no way to treat an important trading partner regardless of whether or not we agree with all of the policies of their elected president. For sure Venezuela is not perfect, she is neither heaven nor hell, but this does not justify our meddling into the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. Let's give Venezuela the right to determine her own destiny. Let's give Venezuela a break!
[Edward Mercado is the communications coordinator at the Venezuela Information Office in Washington. Visit <http://www.veninfo.org>.]
From Green Left Weekly, April 5, 2006.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.