Here's an article from another American on the ground in Caracas. He's a Phd, and as I may have mentioned, I'm merely a law student. So - he gets published on counterpunch, and I only get to write my blog in response.
George makes some general observations which are fundamentally correct about Caracas: the center of town is viewed as dangerous, the Sabana Grande boulevard connects the rich east with the poor center, and as you make your way up the Sabana Grande things get richer and the climate changes. Beyond that, the article is misguided at best, and disingenuous at worst.
First - the Venezuelan opposition are not admirers of Pinochet. In the former Constitutional regime of puntofijismo, Venezuela's presidency was so weakened that it became equal to Congress. For instance, Presidents under the old constitution could not serve concurrent terms. That meant that the power shifted hands, by law, in every election. This was a rule that Chavez abolished, who recently repeated his claim of staying in power until 2020's (he will legally have served from 98 till 2012 when he wins tomorrow). Ironically, under Chavez, Venezuelans seems to have warmed up to their first autocrat (or closest thing to that) in 50 years.
I'm glad to see a commentator tackle race in Venezuela. Venezuelans, from all walks of life, will tell you there is no racism in Venezuela. They are being fooled. Racism is rampant. Because the opposition is white, and Chavistas are likely to be not white, its hard to find a progressive article talking about this - it is considered counter-revolutionary. However, it is real, and racism is a big problem, even inside the revolutionary movement.
Corruption is a charge which outsiders should handle with care. First, there is a culture associated with corruption here that foreigners have a hard time coming to terms with. Second, Chavez won in 1998 on an anti-corruption platform. Many disaffected voters don't see any change in the system, despite the change in the faces and the flag.
Next - I'm frustrated by privileged intellectual individuals from the United States passing comment on the safety of the tough neighborhoods in Venezuela as if its not so bad. Although it is hyped up, it is also historically bad. I was extremely cautious, and nearly got robbed on Sabana Grande (got the zipper open, but didn't get inside the bag). All Venezuelans carry their bags in front of them, or travel with hip pouches. Even friends of mine from the lower class call Plaza Venezuela "Saigon." It doesn't take a phd in class structure or Latin American studies to recognize a lawless area where crime is breeding - and that is what is going on in buhonero city. A few days before I left town, there was a midday shootout where the police and some thiefs on motorcycles opened fire using automatic weapons, killing 4 people as they came out of the train station. That is the kind of thing that is going on towards the center of town - and people have a right to be concerned about that. I limited myself in terms of travel, leisure, and work daily due to safety concerns. On the other hand, I did travel alone for months in Caracas, oftentimes dressed up, and nothing bad happened to me.
Finally - the buhoneros. George doesn't fully understand what is going on. First of all, the Buhoneros are run in a mafia-like system, with bosses and kickbacks and stationing. So, they are very well organized. Second, as you might assume, low-level chavista leaders are at the top of this pyramid. Third, there are so many buhoneros in Sabana Grande that it is difficult, or at time impossible, to get to the stores. Fourth, a large percentage of buhoneros (50% at least based on my experience) are selling illegal goods like pirate books, CDs, and DVDs. Worse yet - they're selling pirated national goods like the new 3 Duenos disc, or Cuatro Poder, not just American schwag.
Fifth, the buhonero system allows those already in to keep others out, unless they come up with ever increasing patronage fees. If you are asking yourself whether this is really an informal economy, or whether this is an attack on the middle class Venezuelans who own the card shop now eclipsed by "shanghai," you're asking a good question here.
Finally - housing. George is right, there is absolutely no housing in Caracas. A few reasons -
- the real estate market is insanely inflated
- the city is slammed with people
- the city is limited by geography, such as a the big mountain on the north side
- people are scared to live outside of the east, and its terribly inconvenient
A-HA! George has done something similar to what I was doing in my time in Caracas - writing a scathing review of the ravages of capitalism from a comfortable capitalist perch on the east side of town! It's not that you can't live in the barrio or the center, its that as a foreigner, you might like minor amenities like a place to store a laptop, and a bed with less than 20 bugs in it at all times. You might also be concerned about all that crime you claimed doesn't exist.
I've come to terms with that irony, and adopted a critical stance on chavismo, especially given all the international chavistas blogging next to me while sipping $4 lattes in the wireless cafe in San Ignacio. George, and his revolutionary cat, might do well to do the same. I'm not suggesting believing the opposition's claims, but simply considering them objectively will help put the situation in which you have been thrust into perspective.
I think George hit on one of the key issues to sum up his piece, that Rosales is a center-left candidate and Chavez is a more-radical-left candidate, meaning that Venezuelans will be voting left in this election no matter what. That is the great work of Chavez, taking a system that was previously center right and right, and thrusting it to the left. The social programs are no longer in contention, the issue is how best to carry them out. These advances are the true success of Chavismo, and should be revered at every turn. Keep up the good work out there, George - I look forward to your next article.
Chavez to cheat the poor
Still there are a lot of people in Venezuela, and outside, who believe President Chavez is the unfortunate and poor’s hero. Official propaganda / state owned TV channels persist, and press their point: these days’ poor people are better off, more comfortable and contended than the well-to-do in Venezuela. Besides, the poor in Venezuela benefit from free medical assistance, the young can study a career, applying themselves to study, and planning for a better future.
I think this is an unmoved simplicity about what is affecting this nation. But such ingenuity is getting worse in Venezuelan people, as a head of state, running Venezuela like his own feudal, is paying for the propaganda no matter how contradictory his story might sound, as facts are distorted and twisted by government officials.
Opposition in Venezuela is now lost, vanished and gone astray, as fear and dread is obvious; opponents, as well as resistance, are but wasted after a 9 year confrontation, in particular defeated, seeing a media vanish, after government proscribed popular TV stations were closed and official spokespersons refuse, using conflicting criticism, while a deceitful, tricky and misleading speech takes place like the language used by the President Hugo Chavez.
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Poor around the world can’t rely on a leader who keeps on raising oil prices within the OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), or a leader who manages Venezuela as if it were his large farm or estate, ruins any possibility to boost production from the current 2,4 million barrel this year to a promised 3,3 million barrels as promised by the Venezuelan leader, a reality too far to accomplish.
A popular leader wouldn’t shut up the most TV popular channel just because official corruption cases plus general discomfort were discussed openly here, nor it is a popular leader who has been incompetent for bringing a fashion of 17.000 slaughtered Venezuelans to an end during 2066 in the middle of high crime rate.
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It is likely Venezuelans would earn better wages today, but this apparent betterment can’t be sustained for long. Venezuela betakes herself to be governed and ruled by one sole landlord, and this go together with a strong scarcity, scanty products and supplies at supermarkets, while national production is less significant each day.
Gratuitous medicine is offered, but just the basics and necessary. Still there is a controversy and we’d question if Cuban doctors have enough skills, working like slaves at recently created mini hospitals and clinics. Public hospitals are ruined, lousy, while Venezuelan doctors migrate or perform other kind of jobs, like driving a taxi or as peddlers. In order to supply lack of doctors, Hugo Chavez authorizes new generation graduates after a three year college, not enough schoolwork to obtain a doctorate but enough provided the alumnae have Marxist ideology knowledge.
Garbage collection has been always a problem both in Caracas and in major cities, as garbage collection trucks fail to haul it, so Venezuelan inhabitants are becoming sickly each time. Water channels, pipes and sewer, or drainage at streets and roads are ignored. Getting milk to nourish children seems a hard –sometimes impossible- task nowadays in Venezuela. Typical diseases -break bone fever, malaria- have returned, stronger in Venezuela. Bus transportation will mean to run the risk or a hold up or being assaulted during the bus ride.
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A major setback is noticed mainly on education. Private schools used to work fine for the poor, with good standards, but programs and curriculum are overloaded and plagued with ideology contents that will never bring peace and comfort to us. Educational excellence is not something that may absorb government attention, nor is it a debate of ideas that would create improvement and research. Academic class plans or schedule isn’t important either, but it is the amount of graduates.
A high school diploma can be obtained in one year –compared to 5 years before- provided a student will be able to recite a dialogue or speech standing in front of TV video cameras to praise the revolution leader Hugo Chavez.
I accept a lot of Venezuela’s problems didn’t originate during the so called Bolivarian “Revolution” but you can witness the same show of homeless children begging for charity in Caracas Avenues, and it’s getting worse each day under the Socialismo del Siglo XXI.
Posted by: Marcos Urbina | February 21, 2010 at 11:48 AM