Thank you for your really thoughtful reply! I will read into these materials you have presented. My bias is pretty obviously pro revolucion bolivariana, however... whatever that looks like in the present tense, I cannot very well speak to. That is, I don't know what this process has come to look like under Maduro et al.
Whatever fundamental disagreements anyone may have with various policies under Chavez, when he was first elected, convened a national assembly, and re-wrote the Venezuelan Constitution to be one of the most enlightened documents I have ever read, and then survived the US backed coup against him, precisely because he had planted the seeds of power in the people to hold up that Constitution.
That was a watershed moment in world history. The whole world was watching, and when the Chavez administration began creating these parallel institutions (missions) to circumvent the corrupt state institutions, well, many of us had never seen this sort of thing play out before. Here was a person with an undeniably genuine love for his country, attempting to bend the instruments of the State to ultimately render the state obsolete. I'm just giving you my truncated perspective from the outside, and much has been written about the relative successes of the Missions... Mission Robinson (literacy), Mission Barrio Adentro (free medical coverage), and Mission Mercal (affordable food), and so forth.
To my mind this was a fascinating exploration and very satisfying response to Audre Lorde’s well-known declaration:
“the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”
I had never witnessed a 'left' revolutionary administration of any country attempt such things without disastrous consequences.
I admit my positions may be naive on some fronts, and ultimately I myself may not agree in principle with some of Chavez' economic policies.but I'm genuinely open to being challenged, and so I appreciate you offering a contrary perspective to my own.
I would write more now, but just wanted to offer up some context for my perspective. You seem to be more steeped in current affairs, and I would like to know more. I will follow up with reading about this Gustavo Cisneros character, and more that you have shared.
Thanks!
No, thank you. You seem to have a genuine concern about Venezuela's situation and definitely you are aware of it's "role" in the leftist global propaganda (sorry, I couldn't think of a better term for it). I admit it's very easy to get caught up in the apparent utopia.
Maybe you'll find Servando Gonzalez's work a little fringe, but it has been the best way that I've found to understand the place I live in without loosing my mind. You see, it seems Venezuela's role in the future of global politics is sort of fundamental (as a social/legal precedent), and all this mess we've gone through has been something very carefully directed (you can picture me with the tinfoil hat here if you want, I won't take it as an offense).
That coup back in april of 2002 is one of the more strange things that have ever happened in the history of coups, it sparked a rise in the oil prices at the time and gave Chávez ALL he needed to enforce the idea of his revolution, but there's a third party working behind the courtain and reading Servando Gonzalez's work I've found my most acceptable theory of it. I'm not selling it, since I can't be really sure of anything, but I can bet you will enjoy reading it.
I can't thank you enough for bringing the subject to discussion and sharing info about it. I'l be writing a personal story of the things you see as a musician in a private military ascencion party, it's not very political, but it's a true story ;-) I'll let you know when I post it, thanks so much for inspiring. Good reading. Keep in touch