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Why is there popular protest in Venezuela?

El libertario, Venezuela | 23.03.2010 21:34 | Repression | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | World

* For the benefit of those who find themselves surprised or disconcerted by the generalised decline of conditions in Venezuela, as well as the increase in popular struggle (2,893 street demonstrations between October 2008-September 2009; compared with 1,763 in the same period in 2007-08) – either because they are unaware of the situation here, they are based abroad, or because they always accept the official version of events – we expound below on some factors which contribute to social conflicts here.




The majority of the statistics quoted can be verified in the Informe Provea 2008-09 [the annual report of a Venezuelan human rights NGO – trans.] at  http://www.derechos.org.ve [Spanish], where the original sources are detailed.  The rest of the data has been pulled from the national press and is easy to check online.

I.

The collapse of the food crop is demonstrated by the increase in imports within the sector, from US$1.6bn in 1999 to $7.4bn in 2008. Last year, the government was forced to purchase abroad some 57.9% of the foodstuffs required for its subsidy programmes.  The cost of imported food per head per annum has risen from $75 in the 1990s to $267 today.

However, there’s more to it than us solely having become more dependent on abroad for our food.  We also suffer from the constant inflation of food prices:  46.7% in 2008, and more than 36% in 2009.  This escalation is nowhere near compensated for; neither by the nominal raises in the minimum wage, nor by the distribution of subsidised food via Mercal, which currently finds itself in a state of veritable agony due to underfunding and corruption.

Given the above therefore, the recent devaluation will affect our everyday diet in an immediate and harsh fashion.  The government’s strategy has been to rely on the state’s ability as a purchaser, rather than to develop production - the norm as long as oil clientelism has reigned in Venezuela.  Let’s fight so that those of us at the bottom don’t pay the cost of the errors, the short-sightedness and the corruption of those in charge!

II.

In spite of the fact that since this government came into power, more money has entered the country than at any other point in its history, the continued poverty and exclusion of broad sectors of Venezuelan society has led to a sharp rise in urban violence.  In 1998, we saw an estimated 4,550 homicides; in 2008, there were 14,568.  Seen from another angle, the population has grown by 19.1% in this time period, while the homicide rate has grown by 320.1%.

It’s generally accepted that both the Bolibourgeoisie and the fat cats of the government and PSUV party can count on any number of bodyguards to protect them (paid for by the state), while the rest of us have to barricade ourselves in our homes in order to avoid becoming yet another victim of either the criminals or the police.

With regard to the police, here are a few sinister figures: in 2008, there were 205 homicides which can be attributed to the state’s repressive forces (2/3 of which via execution), while the flimsy excuse of “resisting authority” was given in the case of some 1,820 deaths.

III.

Those who have governed Venezuela for the last 11 years have – at times - been overcome, not just by their money but also by verbal diarrhoea, especially when speaking of their love for the people.  However, they have been thoroughly self-centred when it comes to attending to the basic social problem of housing.  From 1999-2008, a mere 300,939 houses were built in both the public and private sectors.  This is an utterly insufficient amount, especially when one considers that even according to the state’s figures, there’s a housing deficit of some 3 million units, which – in this same period - would have required the construction of those 300,000 residences a year.

Where the bosses of the “pretty revolution” have been attentive, though, is with their own demands for posh housing, and the proof is in the pudding: they’re there now, living in townhouses and penthouses, enjoying all the benefits of the luxury suburbs of Venezuela’s cities.  With such an example set by their superiors, it is little wonder that there is such a high index of official complaints of corruption against the middle- and lower-ranking bureaucracies that are charged with resolving the population’s need for their own, dignified roofs under which to live.

This state of affairs has brought about a rising volume of public outcry: between October 2007-September 2008, 457 demonstrations took place around the issue of housing, peaking at 588 protests between October 2008 and September 2009.  This supposedly “popular, revolutionary government” has responded by criminalising these activities, even resorting to jail sentences and conditional releases (58 individuals have been imprisoned in this period, with 23 of those still obliged to present themselves in police stations at regular intervals), or even worse, armed repression (67 people have been injured and one killed at the hands of the state’s forces). 

IV.

The carousel of new chiefs repeatedly revolves in front of our eyes - with each new head promising mountains of resources and grandiose projects - yet our public health service continues on its very real decline.  This is plain to see upon any half-decent analysis of the sector, despite the efforts of various public bodies to deny and obscure the information that they are obliged to provide, as well as their attempts to discredit those who deviate from merely regurgitating the line in official propaganda.

However, the truth is stubborn, and the same government that threatened – in the words of Minister Tarek El Aissami on 16th December, 2008 – to “put a boot in the face of those liars” who published a report documenting the grave crisis which has engulfed the famous Misión Barrio Adentro [a social programme which placed public health clinics based in deprived urban areas – trans.], later had to recognise – via the President himself on 20th September, 2009 - that out of a total of 3,478 clinics, some 2,000 lacked medical staff.   And this is without even mentioning any other serious problems, such as the claim that only 4% of the money invested in order to buy new equipment for the clinics can be accounted for with receipts.

Nevertheless, the government’s solutions to this sorry situation are perhaps even more alarming.  For example, the monopoly over public sector workers’ health insurance is to be granted to a company which is run by none other than the unfortunate celebrity, Orlando Castro [onetime Cuban “castrista” turned fraudulent banker and jail-dodger in crisis-ridden 1980s Venezuela – trans.].   Faced with developments such as this, the choice is clear: either we struggle or they’ll destroy us! 

V.

If any one single thing exposes the farce behind 11 years of a self-proclaimed revolution, it is the myriad problems which affect the working class.  The figures are massaged and deceptive temporary employment tricks are practised (such in the Misiones, the cooperatives and the “socialist businesses”), but the most reliable economists indicate that the actual unemployment rate at the end of 2009 was at 12% of the economically active population (the official statistic puts it at 8%).  And out of those who are working, 44.9% are in the informal economy, with all the disadvantages that that entails.

Add on to that the fact that, since 2009, incomes have been less than a living wage, not even covering essentials such as the “Canasta Básica” [“Basic Basket” - the state’s calculation of the cost of essential foodstuffs per household – trans.].  This development, proven in our everyday lives, is now even acknowledged in official statistics.  The pinch has been made even more painful by the macro-devaluation in January 2010, which resulted in the abandonment of the myth of us having the highest minimum wage in Latin America.

These issues – and many more – have caused an outpouring of discontent in the workers’ movement, previously unprecedented under this government.  Between October 2008-September 2009, 983 acts of workers’ protested were reported, some 80% of which by state workers.  The government have responded by slandering and criminalising the movement, using violence against 43 protests and causing more than 100 injuries and the death of one worker - in Anzoátegui state on 20th January, 2009 – in the process.  And let’s not forget, of course, that 33 workers have been subject to judicial processes for their participation in these actions. 

VI.

According to the data provided by the Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones [prison watchdog – trans.], there were 366 deaths and 635 injuries inside the nation’s prisons in 2009. In 11 years of “chavismo”, there have been 4,030 prison deaths and 12,036 injuries, the vast majority being caused by firearms.  These figures underline the position of the jails of the Bolivarian Revolution amongst the bloodiest in the world.

These brutal homicides are facilitated to a large degree by the trafficking of arms – amongst other “merchandise” – inside jails by mafias run by soldiers from the National Guard, as well as officers from the renamed National Direction of Penitentiary Services in the Ministry of Popular Power for Interior Relations and Justice.   This dirty industry has flourished thanks to the indifference, inability and/or complicity of the 17 different directors who have occupied the post since 1999.

An example of the ilk of these particular bureaucrats can be found in the current Director, who, following the La Planta prison massacre in Caracas in January 2010 - which left 10 inmates dead and 19 injured – cynically and shamelessly attributed the violence to the similarity between a jail and a family.  In a prison, she claimed, just like in a family, there are problems between its members, which can cause clashes.  To top it all off, she then went on to blame the arms being smuggled into the facility on the inmates’ relatives and visitors.  In case you’re interested, this bureaucrat, with a postgraduate degree in Criminology, dyed hair, an escort and a Blackberry phone, is called Consuelo Cerrada…

El Libertario  -   ellibertario@nodo50.org -  www.nodo50.org/ellibertario (in Spanish, English & other languages)

[Trans.: Alan J.]

El libertario, Venezuela
- e-mail: ellibertario@nodo50.org
- Homepage: http://www.nodo50.org/ellibertario

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

lies

24.03.2010 20:25

It's bad enough having to deal with the mainstream media's lies about Venezuela. I wish El Libertario would stop trying to con the very same people who would usually support the bolivarian revolution. These distortions only play into the hands of Venezuela's fascist US-backed opposition.

i haven't got time for this crap


re: lies

24.03.2010 23:18

You aren't the person who always posts stuff about how great North Korea is, are you? ;-)

I don't doubt the US is trying to destabilise the country and spread propaganda, but even so, authoritarian governments always end in tears, whether they are left or right.

anon


same as Venezuelan private media

24.03.2010 23:31

What is the purpose of this post on indymedia? You can read all this un-contextualised stuff with random stats in the Venezuelan newspapers and private tv stations, which then gets watered down and published in mainstream media over here.

You gave yourself away by claiming that poverty rates have not improved since Chavez came to power.

Tim


misleading

24.03.2010 23:52

Chavez publicly encourages people to demonstrate, get involved and try to change things that are wrong. Lots of people who support the Bolivarian project still have reason to protest, encouraged by Chavez and the revolutionary process, yet you imply protest towards Chavez is growing and is constantly repressed.

You also don't mention the complicated police structure in Venezuela which means opposition leaders in power in certain states control the actions of the police, not the government.

It is deliberately misleading to fail to mention these two points.

Sappy73


never been to North Korea....

25.03.2010 00:21

but I've lived in Venezuela and the government is certainly NOT authoritarian. If the US has no interest in intervening in Venezuela or Latin America as a whole, then why did they back a coup in 2002, why have they just opened 6 military bases in neighbouring Colombia, why did they recently invade Haiti with 15 thousand troops, why do they fund Venezuelan opposition groups, why did they launch a successful coup in Honduras last year, and why the hell have they activated the 4th fleet of the US Navy in the Carribean?

I realise that some people are against ALL governments, but what if there was a government that the vast majority of the population supported, that was universally popular among the poorest people, whose supporters organised on a grassroots level to implement it's vast social programs? The mainstream media fails to understand that this is a movement of milliones of people whose lives have genuinely improved over the last decade. I support these millions, not the small, weathy elite.

digalo


disgraceful

25.03.2010 07:10

why is indymedia AGAIN publishing fascist propaganda? it's like watching the bill o'reilly show! the bolivarian revolution is a deeply democratic, grass roots movement that enjoys near unanimous support among the poor of Venezuela, and would naturally be supported by indymedia readers, if it weren't for semi-literate nonsense like this. poverty hasn't decreased?? this is crazy. this crap could be straight from the pages of the miami times. "El Libertario" are spoiled, middle class brats who hate the working classes, and pose as anarchists to get their nasty fascist views across.

rafael


couldn't organise a fill-up in an oil refinery

25.03.2010 12:35

Despite its membership of OPEC, the Chavmeister is closing down Venezuela for a week over Easter "to save energy".

Chavez extends Venezuelan holiday

President Hugo Chavez has added three days to Venezuela's Easter holiday to deal with a growing energy crisis.

The move - which will close government and public offices - means most Venezuelans will have a seven-day break starting on 1 April.

Mr Chavez said the aim of the measure was not to encourage "laziness, but to save energy."

Caracas says a drought has dropped water reserves at Venezuela's main hydroelectric dam to critical levels.

The opposition says lack of investment and inefficiency in the energy sector have contributed to the crisis.

Many business leaders have warned that industrial production could be disrupted.

Mr Chavez rejects these claims, accusing his critics of exaggerating the crisis - or even planning to sabotage the power grid ahead of parliamentary elections planned in September.

The president last month signed a decree declaring an "electricity emergency" to tackle power shortages.

Under the decree, energy users who consume more than 500 kilowatt-hours per month must reduce their consumption by at least 10% or face a 75% price rise.

Industrial users were also ordered to cut their usage by 20% or face sanctions.

Although Venezuela has big oil reserves, it is dependent on hydro-electricity for some 70% of its power.

The Chavmeister


re: couldn't organise a fill-up in an oil refinery

25.03.2010 13:19

billions of oil revenue have gone into healthcare programmes, education, literacy, subsidised food etc. for the poorest venezuelans, leading to massive reductions in poverty. presumably you'd like to see a return to the good old days when all the money went to a handful of bank accounts in miami. which begs the question - what are you doing on indymedia?

rafael


maybe the sun shines out of Chavez's arse, but I'll reserve judgement

25.03.2010 14:03

Never been to Venezuela and don't know much about it, so maybe Chavez is a working class hero and things are all rosy. But.. power corrupts and all that, and based on general principles I somehow doubt things won't lead to authoritarianism and oppression.

Not to say that the US aren't scum and they aren't maybe worse, but hey.

I remember when so-called progressive people were raving about Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Barack Obama, etc. and how things would be much better. How do we know Chavez isn't going down the same route?

@non


re: maybe the sun shines out of Chavez's arse, but I'll reserve judgement

25.03.2010 16:55

People saw through Clinton, Blair and Obama within years or even months. It's been 12 years since Chavez was first elected, and a recent referendum by the people declared they want the option of voting for Chavez again in the future. That's the option of voting for him, and if the majority don't, he won't be President. It is the Venezuelan people who can make the best judgement on how their lives have changed, and a minority clearly feels their life is not as comfortable under Chavez as it once was and want him out at all costs, but this is not the case for most.

It does seem divisive if El Libertario publish these rants but refuse to engage in the process of transferring power to the people and improving their beloved country. Those options don't exist in most countries.

bakers son


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