First Impressions
of Revolutionary Venezuela
San Antonio, Merida, and Caracas

This is not a country that looks like it's been living under almost ten years of socialist government. Yes, there are government-sponsored advertisements in the subway with quotes from Simon Bolivar about how the United States was destined to bring misery to the rest of the hemisphere, but they're right next to Coca-Cola ads.

Venezuelans are certainly not all behind the revolution, and everyone is more than ready to share their opinions about the course their government is taking.

The concensus among taxi drivers is that "Chavez is crazy." And that "Bush is crazy too."

Most here complain that Chavez has given too much money to other countries. He has paid off millions in on other country's foreign debts and keeps giving money to indigenous groups and opposition parties in other Latin American countries. People here want him to fix the roads, which are about as bad as the roads in Detroit, except that Detroit isn't prone to mudslides. A bridge and a residential district collapsed this week. They haven't decided when they're going to blow the rest up.

Most people agree that "Chavez loves his people." Ask anyone about public works projects and redistributing the wealth and they'll say, "Bo one else has done what Chavez is doing. Did any of the other governments give money where they said they would? No."

Donkey, Donkey, Donkey

Whether the people of Venezuela like it or not, their president, keeps their country in the spotlight. I don't think it's a very good idea for Chavez to keep calling Bush a donkey, but I agree with him, even though Bush is obviously not a Democrat. These kind of antic make me laugh, but are they pushing Bush closer to a hot war? Lucky for the South, America's hands are tied in the Middle East.

Censorship and Corruption

When I ask about censorship, most people say there isn't any, except in regards to news about the government. Everyone knows that corruption here still exists, but the news about corruption is tightened, not cut off. The major daily, El Universal, ran an editorial on the subject today. If censorship exists, it is because people are censoring themselves, or because they insulting government officials, the only major change in media laws since Chavez took power. Chavez encourages more independent media, but the law leaves a lot of room for interpretation about who can and can't talk about whom.

I went to the site of a protest today. My contact was upset over a radio show that was cancelled. It was called "Plomo Parejo," which translated roughly into "lots of bullets" or "plenty of ammunition." The host was an anti-Chavez guy. The opposition is saying censorship, but maybe he just wasn't very good. The protestors never materialized.

A Socialist Revolution in Light Up Shoes

My biggest concern before coming to Venezuela was being sure I had enough Q-Tips. I didn't know what kind of society I would find. So I was surprised to find every consumer good imaginable. Chavez knows he cannot cut out people's Snickers bars without losing power.

In Merida, a touristy city near the Colombian border, I felt like the revolution was invisible. Occasionally, I'd see the twin pine symbol of a cooperative, or pass by a government office, or see a sticker with miniature citizens of the "liberated" Latin American countries bringing down giant Bush cariactures.

Just as I was giving up hope of having any contact with revolutionaries, I got in a "cooperative tourist Land Cruiser" with Susan because they offered good prices and friendlier faces than the taxistas. I learned that, though they, as members of the cooperative, paid for their vehicles themselves, the program had been initiated by the government. They were very excited about the changes in the tourism industry, exchanges in Nicaragua, and the sexual revolution in Venezuela, which they said promises to be "without limits."

In the city, the Chavistas seem crazy. Of course, I haven't really been looking for them. I've mostly just been looking for an apartment. The Chavez keychain and other paraphernalia was an aside.