Summer University 2009: Exposure and Learning programme

Venezuela (1999-2009): A Decade of Political, Economic and Social Transformation

Report

Introduction

Journalists and media professionals explored with great hope and enthusiasm the last ten years of social, economic and political transformation in Venezuela.

With a certain success, Venezuela has been leading Latin American countries to socialism and to the Left. The charm was begun in 1999; it was consolidated in 2002 because of the failed coup against President Hugo Chavez with the help of external interventions. Now the charm is fading because of many promises made at the beginning were not yet fulfilled!

The other major question today is what Venezuelans want now and who are Venezuela’s friends and what are its future perspectives. One thing is sure: nor capitalism or socialism did any good to the country in the past decades.

In spite of all these, President Chavez can still hang on as he brings from time to time some little gifts to his power base, the majority poor; and he is above all the symbol against colonialism and imperialism from outside.

The seminar was organised in co-operation with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Venezuela and Venezuelan universities and media.

This report brings you the major findings of the seminar through keynotes, analyses, debates, discussions, interviews, working-groups, encounters, exposures and visits.

Keynotes

The keynote speakers and resource persons analysed the last decade of activities and developments in Venezuela in diverse domains: politics, economy, media, religion, public opinion, freedom of expression, formation of journalists and bringing an end to polarisation for establishing unity.

The keynote speakers included journalists, university professors, political analysts, human rights activists, investigators, public opinion leaders, heads of journalists’ associations such as Luis Ugalde, Manuel Felipe Sierra, Andres Canizalez, John Magdaleno, Arturo Peraza, Miguel Angel Latouche, Olga Dragnic, Mariana Bacalao, Marcelino Bisbal, Luis Christiansen, Alfredo Infante, Carolina Jimenez, Minerva Vitti, Valentino Pacheco, Carlos Correa, Roger Santodomingo, Ewald Scharfenberg, Nestor Garrido and Ana Julia Nino.

Their interventions were not only applauded as they exposed realities but also their arguments were transmitted worldwide especially through this report.

Politics

Since President Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999, Bolivarianism has been propelled as the comprehensive solution to the multifaceted problems of Venezuela. Though the initial years gave some hope especially to the poor; today, it is ambiguity, frustration and desperation that cloud all horizons.

Venezuela has officially embraced what one calls “light socialism”, but it has not brought concrete results to the majority poor or improvements for the people living in the cities or the countryside. It looks like that activities and developments in this country has come to a stand-still and there is no vision or serious project for the nation for the coming years.

Today Venezuela is an example for “static socialism” instead of dynamic socialisms like in Chile, China, Spain or Brazil. Even if those dynamic socialisms may not stay forever because of their shortcomings, they are better than Venezuela’s stagnant socialism.

Venezuelans would accept some reconciliation of socialism with capitalism; like the USA of Bill Clinton, United Kingdom of Tony Blair, Finland, Norway or Sweden. But they are not happy with the present socialism where people have no participation or ownership.

Venezuelans are also not happy that the friends of Venezuela today are Zimbabwe of Mugabe, Cuba of Castro, Iran of Ahmedinejad, Libya of Khadaffi, Bylorussia of Lukashenko.

New referendums especially in early 2009 have given the possibility of perpetuation of power to those who are in high offices. The seminar underlined that sharing of power is important on all levels.

The concentration of power together with Chavism not only broke with the continuation of democratic process in the country, but also eliminated the basic principles of socialism where the State is people and both the State and people together own the nation and its wealth; but unfortunately, today the owners are a few in power.

This concentration of power gravely differentiated the political and the public agenda:  The political agenda serves those who are in power; and the public agenda, the agenda of the people is completely neglected.

Economy

As there is no sound socialism or sound capitalism, recession has hit Venezuela harder than everyone imagined. Inflation and black markets have made the economy one of the weakest in the world.

The other major illness is the non-productive enterprises. Companies that spend more than what they produce, cannot survive. Productivity is key to socialism so that all can benefit.

Unemployment has been on the rise especially with the financial crisis of these last three years. There is a great absence of labour laws for the 60 percent of 13 million labourers. In addition, inefficiency, corruption and clientalism by the government do not help the economy to recover.

The real economic challenges in a globalised world include creating enterprises that can compete with those of China, Colombia, India and other nations.

Journalism

There is practically no big free media in Venezuela; but the efforts of small print publications and Internet to give some free opinion are remarkable.

The government has the monopoly on information and formation. Internet is used to give distorted image of the country and the world. Media has become integral part of the State control. Journalists are uprooted and placed where they are dictated for better salary and secure job.

The government has made media one of its arms for control like police, army or security department. Those who are in power have an autocratic and totalitarian view of the media.

This has stopped development of journalism and took away the freedom of the press. It is one person controlling everything. Media need to reinvent and give clear ideas in a time leaders speak unintelligibly making people confused.

In order to re-establish journalism and freedom of the press, information has to be democratised on all levels.

Formation of journalists

In a country where journalism has been converted into public relations and self-promotion, there is a need to reinvent journalism formation.

Identity of journalists has to be clearly made known. They are not just communicators. Journalists are those who analyse policies and events at the interest of all peoples and they are vital for democracy and development of people. They must have the freedom to inform.

Newspapers that analyse and guide have been forced to disappear as business people and politicians replace them with publications on supermarkets, fashion, sports, stock markets, toys, and other products. They promote these publications as specialised magazines and newspapers so that they can avoid the over all welfare of people.

Journalistic formation is therefore vital as journalists are the motor of public life and the communicators can carry what the journalists write and report.

Society

In socialist societies, normally there is less violence and better security. But in Venezuela the situation is the contrary and gets from bad to worse. Insecurity is the biggest worry of Venezuelans in these years.

By adopting socialism, Venezuelans had expected that there would be a better health care system, but the government had broken all the great expectations. Now they are talking in the future tense: We are going to build a hospital. We are going to build a new maternity. We are going to ….

By switching to socialist system, people thought that Venezuela would be like former East Germany where there were better hospitals; even Cuba has better health care system and poor people have something to eat!

Educational system has collapsed as all education is used to brainwash. The justification: capitalists have been brainwashing legally for centuries and the capitalist mentality worldwide is to brainwash saying that anything other than capitalism is bad and undesirable.

Besides all political and social initiatives including the welfare measures for the poorest such as free medicine, free food, free education and free shelter are for the total and absolute control of individuals and society.

Religion

President Chavez government does not recognise the legitimacy and autonomy of religions such as the Catholic Church. The government says that the Church leaders are not democratically elected, though 90 per cent of Venezuelans are Catholics and the Venezuelan culture is very much associated to Catholicism.

In spite of such opposition, the Church tries to speak for justice and democracy. As it was the case in many former socialist or communist countries, the Church keeps a privileged place to listen to all peoples in spite of the class and economic caste barriers.

This envious position has given the Church to challenge the present status quo and bring change that is necessary. Prominent Church personalities present at the seminar and joined seminar participants at various occasions during the seminar week have requested to organise these types of seminars more frequently in these next years, and a major seminar in late 2011 or early 2012.

This major seminar will help intellectuals, journalists, leaders, lawyers, doctors, other professionals and activists to come together and find a solution to help the nation to be on the right track. This major seminar would also analyse the mistakes of both the capitalism and socialism and propose a new solution considering the events of these last decades.

Power and the State

Venezuelans want separation of the power and the State. They believe that the State has a contract with the society: People have given to the State or a few elected people the power for a few years through democratic mandate.

Then the society should have the possibility to decide how and to whom the power should be given again after a mandate. The society never abandons the power or does not give the power to some one forever or to some ideology.

The power has to remain within the society. If there is no power within the society, nothing can work. And the power of conscience cannot be nationalised.

Freedom of expression

Freedom of individual is the most important gift in the world and the most precious right and value that has to be safeguarded in all conditions.

Individuals must be able to exercise all their rights in full freedom and without pressure. Valorisation of individual is key to any healthy society and individuals should have the freedom to participate in all activities of the nation.

Unity to end polarisation

The seminar observed that there is a great need to avoid polarisation in Venezuela and bring unity among all Venezuelans. The nation lost more than 10 years in polarisation between the ruling front and the opposition.

Venezuela needs a gentle revolution to install peace and welfare throughout the country. Participants and resource persons said that this seminar is a highly positive and necessary effort to unite Venezuela, to find solutions to social problems, and to bring welfare. They appreciated and expressed their gratitude saying few dare organise seminars like this.

Venezuela needs an alternative and it is important to find this alternative with the help of all Venezuelans: right, left, centre and without any affiliation.

By bringing unity, Venezuela can invent a new democracy that can liberate, dialogue and transmit ideals and examples. Unity can lead to greater freedom, network and friendship.

Exposures

The seminar participants visited major media houses in the capital city of Caracas such as Venevision and El Nacional. They were also exposed to the realities of villages and could share time and energy with various projects in Venezuela.