Britain's "new type of politics" = Venezuela's Communal Councils?

Since returning home to the UK I've been thinking a lot about just how privileged we are in this country, and how we often take this for granted. Having a political system and leaders that I have confidence in is just one part of that.

I just watched a speech that Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivered to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations last week about a "new type of politics".
[full text | YouTube]

In essence this is based on the premise that we need to cut across party political boundaries and engage communities and individuals in the decision-making process. Now the government has been trying this for years with "public consultations" but they have only had limited uptake. These new proposals will give people and voluntary organisations more of an opportunity to actually engage in discussions and dialogue on policy. Policy will then be influenced by both the people it affects and the people who have the knowledge on the issue, instead of being dictated from above.

"Action by individuals, that even the words voluntarism and voluntary action no longer fully capture, are happening daily in our communities. There are 50,000 social enterprises with a combined turnover of £27 billions. Half of the population, as we know, volunteers at least once a month.

We have to reach out and connect with this new energy and enterprise and it is urgent that we do so because of the profound new challenges that I believe this country faces now and for the future cannot be solved, cannot be met by top-down solutions simply by saying, as people often did in the past, that the man in Whitehall knows best.

Climate change for example demands that we combine international action and investment with the direct personal and social responsibility and commitment of ordinary people in every community of our country."

These figures impress me! 50.000 social enterprises. Half of the population volunteering. It is clear that people want to be taking action, and now there will be a chance for that action to influence policy.

And who are these people taking action?

"It is people who are engaged in changing the world as individuals, parents, neighbours and active citizens that will be the next momentum for change."

I can certainly think of a few ways to generate those types of people!

Anyway, the basic idea is that the government has to properly engage with these people.

Then I got thinking.

I am interested in the parallels between this "new type of politics" for Britain and something like the Communal Councils that are flourishing and growing in Venezuela.

I feel like both are essentially very similar ideas: To give more power (or if not power at least a voice that is heard and engaged with) to communities and individuals in the decisions that affect them in the country.

I think the difference is that in the "Consejos Comunales" in Venezuela are actually giving decision-making power directly to the people, over things like local projects, budgets, etc. while in the UK the proposals are more about consultative engagement to drive national-level policies. So in Venezuela we're talking about the big decisions being dictated from above and just really local stuff being controlled by the masses, whereas in the UK we're actually talking about big decisions being taken with stronger engagement of the general public.

This idea feels right for the UK and in general for a system of national decision-making, but in Venezuela I just have this feeling that I don't like the idea of Communal Councils. Is this because in Venezuela they don't take things to a high enough level so won't really make any difference to the really important things?

Or is the difference that in terms of social class I think am in the majority group in the UK so would tend to agree more with the results that would come out of these structures, whereas in Venezuela I - well, my peers - did not belong to that majority and therefore I would tend to disagree with the results coming out.

Or is it because I feel like having discussions at local level in Venezuela would still be futile because there is just such a hard line between the sides that seems to render level-headed discussion impossible?

Because after all - in the words of Gordon Brown - the following is what needs to happen in the UK (I think also in Venezuela - but is it possible there?):

"Faced with the common challenges that we face together it is the wrong time for continuing to treat citizens simply as members of contending groups as if there was no scope for common ground, the wrong time for perpetuating the sterile divisions and archaic battles for territory that dominated the ideologies of an ever more distant past. Instead this is the right time to discover what we have in common, to cooperate across party lines, to work together with patriotic purpose to do what is right in the British interest, to move from that common ground to the higher ground of each doing what we can do together to advance our countries and our country's best interests and ideals.

It is a politics of consensus because our progressive ambitions for Britain will only be met in the mainstream centre ground where all the talents and energies of the country can be prepared to come together."

As I said, we shouldn't take for granted the privilege that we have in this country where these kinds of things are possible and I really believe will work.

Thoughts on this anyone?

US perception of Venezuela

I got a good insight into the perception towards Chavez and Venezuela in the United States watching The Daily Show yesterday. Or perhaps an insight to the big problem with the US media.

There was an interview with a US American who has just released a book about Hugo Chavez.

It seems there is a huge amount of ignorance due to the tendency to really just jump for the quick, easy, simplified and dramatised story. That story is of a slightly rebellious but not-to-be-taken-seriously South American leader with a "big personality" who is doing a great deal of good for the poor in Venezuela, but with the sole bad point that he likes to irritate the US with random unfounded insults.

There doesn't seem to be any willingness to go beyond those cliches, and it really seemed Jon Stewart just wanted those to be reinforced rather than letting the author really explain anything deeper. The author looked quite unsatisfied as I'm sure he had a bigger story to tell.

Yes, it's only The Daily Show and it is there for comedy, but would it do any harm to at least reveal something insightful and that people haven't already had implanted into their minds?

Is this typical of the media coverage of Venezuela even in the "serious" media here?

I'm sure the book paints a more rounded and complete picture, but what proportion of Americans are going to read it? I would certainly be interested in reading it - especially if it goes beyond the simplified cliches of crazy South American socialist leader trying to save the poor and bring down the US.

Because it's certainly not that simple in Venezuela. I think it is questionable to many Venezuelans whether what Chavez is doing is really going to help the people and advance the country in the long-term.
Because that is really what is important.

-

I've been very much enjoying the American attitude to service and the efficiency of everything around here - two things that are quite contrasting with the way things often are in Venezuela.

So something that really irritated me the other day was while queuing in Oakland airport - with only maybe ten people in the line - this woman behind me started complaining about how busy the airport was now, and how some airports in the US were now "like a third-world country" with their lines. I just thought, no, this isn't like a third-world country. Maybe you should try visiting one.

And, I don't know, I only have the experience of Venezuela, but really Caracas airport was pretty modern, clean and efficient. The thing about Venezuela is only a part of it is "like a third world country", the rest is really much like the US (except with slightly more inconvenient airport taxes). I guess many developing countries are like that now (that's why they're called developing and not simply undeveloped). Of course some are not. But certainly queueing in Oakland airport is nothing like the hellish 6-hour wait I once had at the bus terminal in Caracas, with stifling heat, constant shouting and just too too many people crammed together. If that's what she meant by "like a third-world country", then I think some perspective is needed.

If only everyone spent a year living in a completely different country from their own.

Consequences

I think this from Caracas Chronicles is a very well informed post that I wanted to highlight:

Katy says: As we read the news on the student protests and watch the government's heavy-handed approach to dispersing the crowds, we are reminded of the wave of protests in 2001 and 2002 that culminated in the Carmonazo.

So now is as good a time as any to ask: where is all this leading? Do we have any hope that Chavez will allow RCTV back on the air? The government's repression will surely be bad news for Chavez and his tarnished image overseas, but after almost universal condemnation for the closure, is there anything else to gain in that regard?

...

Almost everyone who is protesting is doing peacefully, but there is always an element that takes things too far and I think it can sometimes be easy to let things spiral out of control. Of course there are people on both sides who want this.

I hope that everyone takes their responsibility to really think about why they are doing things, what the objective is and what the likely consequences are.

Hehe, I'm watching TVes right now and it seems they've replaced the crappy telenovelas (soaps) of RCTV with equally crappy ones of their own. With equal amounts of laughable sexual innuendo :-)

TVes is here

Well, RCTV just switched off. The signal went black. Now we have a spinning TVes logo and the description says "will provide 24-hour programming". Evidentally not this hour.

Outside: fireworks vs. pots and pans

On the streets of Caracas

I'm quite glad I'm back home now. I just had a little walk around my locality to see what was going on. I wish I'd had my camera, but words will have to do:

First, I came across a group of red-clothed Chavez-supporters about to embark upon a march to celebrate the new TV channel "TVes". Against a backdrop of graffiti painted on walls in the barrio "With the revolution: TVes 2 - making the socialism of the 21st century", I met a group of three interesting-looking characters. They turned out to be from Germany, United States and Colombia, here to support the Bolivarian socialist revolution. They were from an international society called "Intellectuals and artists in defence of humanity". James Cockcroft, an Californian in his 50s with eyes hidden behind black round-rimmed sunglasses, had this message:

"Defendemos la vida
la naturaleza
y el planeta.
Solidarizandonos con los procesos revoluciones de Venezuela y otros paises del mundo"

which means:

"We defend life, nature and the planet. We are showing solidarity with the revolutionary processes of Venezuela and other countries around the world"

Blimey.

He asked if I wanted to join him in the march. I politely refused and moved on.

After passing a play park covered in Chavez slogans and with big murals of the man himself, I heard noise in the distance.

Someone passed me wearing a bullet-proof vest.

2 worried-looking policemen shifted their weight from foot to foot.

Round the next corner was a flood of red. Celebratory music blaring out from trucks painted red with slogans like "a socialist fatherland or death". Here they were, marching through an opposition neighbourhood, every second car a police car.

From the windows, a hundred pots and pans clattering in protest to the march. Security tight as the bravest people stand behind guarded building gates with their pots. One street-seller quietly tapping a spoon against his table as the sea of red floods by.

I overtake it and jump on a bus to the HQ of RCTV, the TV channel at the center of this messy situation.

A group of about 20 heavily armed policemen (shotguns, machine guns, rifles, bullet-proof vests and helmets) signals that I am in the right place.

There are probably only a thousand people here, at the atmosphere is quite sombre, with the occasional celebratory cheer as supporters listen to live broadcast. A huge Venezuelan flag dominates the top of the building. People are selling flags, buttons, T-shirts, food, drinks, ice cream (some things are always the same in Venezuela!) The side of the building is painted with graffiti in support of RCTV - "100% committed to Venezuela", "Don't close it", "In my heart lives RCTV" and painted hands (symbolic of even Chavez-supporters being in support of the channel).

I speak to one woman - Lourdes Bustamente - standing with a sign saying "Yo crecí con RCTV" (I grew up with RCTV). She was born the year after RCTV began broadcasting. She tells me of when she was at university, coming home every evening to watch the channel. She tells me what she likes about RCTV and what it means for Venezuelans:

"All the programs are beautiful, with no violence, very happy. The channel is a tradition, bringing knowledge and culture to the people."

I ask if the channel has changed over the years.

It took a position against all governments, but none of them tried to close it. This is an injustice. It's like a member of my family dying.

Next I talk to Abinadab Gomez Diaz, a Colombian living in Venezuela. He tells me he isn't on either side, but:

"I have confidence in God. He will decide if the channel closes. Chavez wants a war. It starts at midnight tonight."

Then the crowd is suddenly fleeing.

I run too.

Apparently Chavistas - who had been marching past launching fireworks - had tried to get in through the police blockades. A gun goes off behind me. I turn to see a police man with a smoking shotgun. Fuck.

But it was either a warning shot or a mistake. I talk to the police commander on the scene. She tells me:

"It's very calm. We are protecting all the streets. There have been no incidents and that's because of our presence. I'm not worried and tonight there will be more police here."

I think that's what she has to say.

Time for me to get out of here.

Now I'm watching Globovision and the police at the Television Commission are spraying crowds (and the TV camera) with a huge watergun. A policemen just got taken away on a stretcher.

I'm staying inside for a while.

Students close university over protest over civil liberties

Students close UCAB

It was strangely quiet when I arrived at University Catolica Andres Bello this morning, where the AIESEC office is based in Caracas.

And this is why. Earlier this morning, masses of students had blocked all the entrances to the university in a protest against the closure of private TV station RCTV which is planned for this Sunday 27th May.

RCTV - Venezuela's oldest TV channel at 53 years on the air - plays an important role for many Venezuelans in providing a variety of programming including news and commentry. One thing they also provide is very vocal opposition to Chavez and his government, and they publicly promoted the coup attempt in 2002.

And now, in another move in the continuing destruction of civil rights in Venezuela, the government is refusing to renew the channel's license to broadcast on terrestrial television.

Apparently this is because of continued legal infractions. But the real reason is no secret. Chavez is in charge and he gets to decide what goes on TV. So the channel will be replaced by a new state-run TV channel, and one valuable platform for open debate against Chavez is gone forever.

Press and student bodies have united to protest against the closure, with protests this week in Caracas both for and against the closure.

Several international bodies have voiced their opposition to the closure as a breach of civil liberties and freedom of expression.

The European Parliament have approved a resolution that calls on Chavez:

"to ensure equal treatment under the law for all media, whether privately or publicly owned and irrespective of all political or ideological considerations" and "Calls for a dialogue between the Venezuelan Government and the country's private media, while deploring the government's total unwillingness to engage in dialogue in general, notably in the case of RCTV;"

The Inter-American Court on Human Rights has filed a law suit against the Venezuelan government for "violating the human rights, freedom of expression, and personal safety" of the RCTV workers and journalists.

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a motion expressing "profound concern" at the situation.

Today, the national guard were deployed [Spanish] to ensure the protests remained peaceful.

There will be more protests tomorrow and Sunday.

I am kind of tempted to see what is going on but I think this could turn quite nasty.

Well, as freedom of expression is washed away, there were dramatic thunderstorms and torrential rain in Caracas this afternoon. But it has temporarily abided so I'm off to get in supplies.

More updates on this interesting and desperate situation tomorrow...

What is important

Friendship. Family. Knowing in your heart what you want to do and having the courage to do it.

These are the important things in life.

I know that some people will be sceptical, but I have just watched probably the best, most powerful and moving hour of television I’ve ever seen. The OC has come to an end, and it could not have been a more perfect ending.

Please don’t stop reading. This post is not about the OC. It is about what it means.

Yes, the show wasn’t entirely serious much of the time, but the main themes running through the entire story I think really demonstrate what is truly important in life.

Firstly, that when pairs of people come together through friendship, even more so if these people are very different, they help each other. They support each other in times of crisis. They transform each other. They allow and enable each other to develop into the people they can be.

Secondly, family is so important – helping each other, supporting each other, communicating and just being there for each other. And family is defined as this type of relationship - not in any way determined by genetics - but by the feeling of being a unit, knowing each other and knowing that you will do what it takes to help each other.

And finally, the importance of really discovering what your passion is in life, and doing what it takes, using the support of family and friends, to get there.

This is what the OC was about. The support we have around us. Going through the amazing journey of life with the people around us. Filling in the gaps that the people around us need to have filled and how this allows us to reach that balance, that point in life where things work out the way they should.

Chavez has won

Just announced.

Chavez 61%
Rosales 38%

Fireworks deafening at the moment, people cheering from the hills.

Update: This is based on a 78% count of the vote.

We just watched the report in Spanish on Globovision (CNN), then in English on BBC World, then in German on DW-TV. I find it interesting that the BBC correspondant said "Chavez would be wise to sit down with the opposition" to work with them. I don´t think that´s how it works here. Chavez has at least 6 more years now. His Socialist Revolution continues...

Quiet streets on election day

Election day: quiet streets

Wait, what's that thing where all the cars usually are??? Oh, a road?!?!

This street just near Plaza Venezuela is normally totally grid-locked. I read yesterday that the average speed of traffic in Caracas is just 11km/h - a comfortable jogging pace.

But with voter turnout expected to be very, very high in what could be a tight election, the streets of Caracas were uncharacteristically void of cars today.

Now safely back in my flat having enjoyed a fantastic lunch of arepas and preparing to settle down in front of the TV and wait for the result. In a few hours, we will know if Chavez gets the chance to complete his socialist revolution or Rosales has managed to successfully unite the opposition.

Guardia Nacional

The Guardia Nacional are overseeing all the voting centres

Guards looked down on the Chavez-supporting crowds at the voting station just below Mamera's barrios.

Mamera is one of the prettier barrios, with all the houses painted very colourfully and a community centre just outside the metro with modern basketball courts.

There was a big mural up on the hillside saying "Good Job Chavez". And I really think he has done a good job here.

A very different Caracas Metro

Two things that are very different today

After checking out our local voting station this morning, which seemed pretty safe, Andreas and I had decided we couldn't resist taking advantage of the one-day only free metro.

We embarked upon a journey to see what was going on around Caracas on election day, promising Mario that we'd be back by 2pm.

Long long queues

Average waiting time: about 4 hours

This was my local voting station. Apparently some people had been waiting since 2am for the polls to open. Most had been waiting since 5 or 6am to cast their vote. People were prepared, with seats, newspapers and umbrellas to shade them from the intermittant sunny / rainy weather. Ice cream sellers and other street vendors were taking advantage of the crowd.

One outburst occurred at the front of the queue when some Chavistas arrived on motorbikes, waving red flags and generally trying to cause a disturbance. The crowd, the vast majority of which were opposition voters, reacted strongly shouting "A Fuera! A Fuera!" (Get Out!) and throwing bottles.

The military just looked on, pretty indifferent to what was going on. I think they understood that the people would sort out this disturbance themselves.

Nobody was hurt and it only lasted a few minutes. I think most voting stations are like this, dominated by voters from one side or the other.

A sleepless night

Saturday nights are normally not much good for sleep. The people in the Barrios surrounding the area where I live have taken to blasting out ridiculously loud music over the neighbourhood until about 6am.

But this weekend was of course worse, with the loud music added to by honking horns and processions of Chavez supporters parading the streets chanting "Chavez is not going". And what sounded like gun fire, but I'm sure was just fireworks, going on all night. Well, I'm not sure.

So after not much sleep, it was time to witness what must surely be one of the most important elections in Latin America.

Venezuela Elections - The Day Before

There was an eerie silence in Caracas yesterday. As I waited for a bus to work, I noticed that the streets were uncannily empty. The few students at University found many of their lecturers hadn't even turned up. This slightly tense atmosphere was interrupted only by the ocassional firework in support of one candidate or the other.

Many people have left Caracas or were spending the day with their families, concerned about possible reactions to the election result.

The campaigning is over now. People are waiting. Tomorrow, between 5.30am and 4.00pm around 16 million people will have their say. Do they want Chavez to stay or to go?

Current polls vary widely, some indicating an almost 60/40 split in favour of either of the candidates, and some indicating only a few percentage points between them. The general feeling I get is that Chavez will stay in power, fuelled by the masses of people in the lower social classes who have benefitted from hand-outs and social programs.

But Rosales's supporters - over a million of whom were marching in Caracas last weekend - are optimistic. They believe now is the time for change, and they believe they will win or at least come very close.

Venezuela is using an electronic voting system. The system prints out a receipt of your vote, which you check and then deposit in a box for auditing. Around 53% of these boxes - selected at random - will be audited to ensure the electronic result and the paper ballots match up. If there is more than a slight discrepancy, all the paper votes will be counted.

Opposition supporters have a deep distrust for this system. Many people I have spoken to are planning to gather outside the polling booths to demand that the box with their vote is audited. They are going to "defend their vote".

Officially, both candidates have declared that they believe the system is fair, accurate and transparent. Chavez a few days ago appeared on television to say that he will accept whatever the result is. If he loses, he has promised to transition promptly to the winner, even in advance of the February date marking the start of the new 6-year term.

But will the people also accept and respect the result of the election?

Tomorrow we will see.

Chavez's Bolivarian Revolution. Good or bad?

I think this quote (from this BBC survey) sums up one of the strongest objections to Chavez's government:

"I am a single mother of 3 with a food shop in Caracas. The government has just opened a Mercal store close to me with subsidised prices at 50% of what I can sell. My business will soon be finished. I am one of millions of poorer Venezuelans that are facing lower income and unemployment. Does the government planto employ 25m people? Why don't they understand they can best help us by allowing our businesses to do well? Most of us do want work and do well and provide for our families."

Andreina, Caracas, Venezuela

Contrary to what I wrote a few days ago, extreme poverty has decreased over the last 3 years. I don't think you can argue against social programs that provide access to free healthcare and education.

People really love Chavez because he is helping them at this moment, he has established a rapor with the people, and his talk of a real revolution in South America is inspiring.

But while food hand-outs and subsidies gain him popularity, in reality these are hurting businesses and not sustainable. As soon as oil prices come down, surely these will stop and then where will that leave the people who rely on them?

Two main groups are being hurt by Chavez's politics:

1. Venezuelan Businesses
   
   I read a report in a Caracas business magazine that said Venezuela is the 15th most difficult country in the world to start a business. The other 14 mostly being countries currently experiencing war. Ridiculous amounts of beaurocracy, lack of financing and economic uncertainly all make this difficult.
   
   And once you are up and running, there are further obstacles such as obscure property and unemployment laws, as well as the lack of educated professionals due to emmigration.
   
   
2. The Middle Classes
   
   The poor are getting hand-outs. The very rich are benefiting from oil income. But those in the middle are suffering. High inflation, restrictions on property ownership and lack of jobs are just some of the escalating problems. 19,000 employees of state oil firm PDVSA were sacked in 2003 for opposing the government and cannot now get jobs due to government blacklists.
   

Yes, giving more people access to basic education could be a way to lead to a stronger economy in the long-term, but what's the point if you are segregating those who are in a position to generate economic growth? (and I mean real economic growth not just increased oil prices)

Rosales, describing himself as a Social Democrat, promises to govern for people of all social classes. But as far as I can see doesn't have a clear set of policies or the charisma or vision of Chavez.

So which side has amassed more supporters: Chavez's Bolivarian revolution, with all the idealism and populism it encompasses? Or the more moderate politics of Rosales that to me seem to make more sense for a strong sustainable economy that takes into account all people in Venezuela and treats the nation as a whole instead of dividing it?

Venezuela Elections 2006

Chavez Supporters

4 days to go.

Things are getting quite tense.

This Sunday, 3rd December 2006 (or 3D as locals are calling it), the national presidential elections of Venezuela will take place.

Manuel Rosales, backed by a coalition of opposition parties, is standing against current President Hugo Chavez.

Chavez's 5-year term has been one of contraversy - especially from an external viewpoint. His vocal opposition to the United States and rash comments about certain world leaders have made him political enemies. But he has strong ties across much of South America, and with countries such as Cuba and Iran.

He is a populist leader, with socialist and even communist parties standing behind him in Venezuela. Across South America, he has been leading a "socialist revolution", offering financial assistance to his allies and working to get them into positions of political power.

In Venezuela, he is leading a so-called "Bolivarian revolution", supposedly reminiscent of revolutions of the 1800s such as Simon Bolivar who gained the Bolivarian countries - Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador - their freedom. The main manifestation of this seems to be Metro trains full of ridiculous posters of silly-looking people in colonial clothes.

Under his leadership, the benefit from inflated oil prices is supposedly going back to the people ("Ahora es de todos" - now is for all). And it does seem to be true to some extent. Over the last few years, infrastructure has been improved in Venezuela, and Social Initiatives (Misiones) are being run to help those in poverty and to stimulate education (apparently literacy is now 100%). The true success and value of these depends very much on who you talk to.

But the economy is a mess. Unemployment is high, forcing people to take on casual labour. Children are having to leave school to work. Extreme poverty is still increasing. Mixed enterprises and obscure laws are hindering the stability and growth of companies.

The majority of people I have spoken to (OK, mostly middle class students and business people) are opposed to Chavez because of what he is doing to the economy. They do not see a sustainable future for Venezuela under his leadership.

Manuel Rosales' slogan "Atrevete a Cambiar" roughly means "Dare to Change". He promises to build a Venezuela where everyone will benefit - not just those in poverty. He promises change.

But whether this will happen I don't know.

Chavez is giving a lot of people what they want. He is giving them hope. He is investing money now in those who need it most, which to those people seems great. But the question is, can it last? Well, the other question is, is it really helping?

One thing is without question: whichever way this election goes, there are going to be a large number of severely angry people. Political opinion is extremely polarised in Venezuela, and people are willing to fight for what they believe in.

From Rosales's side, there is talk of "defending your vote" and from Chavez's side of "not leaving without blood being shed".

This is rather scary.

A number of emergency laws are going to be in effect this weekend:

1. No alcohol may be purchased after 12 noon Saturday. Bars and clubs will be closed.
   
2. Any gathering in groups outside is forbidden.
   
3. The army have been given the order to kill should any trouble occur.
   

This is also rather scary.

The German embassy phoned my flat a few weeks ago to tell us to have 2-3 weeks of supplies (including water) stocked away as we might not be able to go to the shops. This week, they have set up an Emergency Centre at one of the Universities.

So, as I said, things are getting quite tense.

It's certainly an exciting time to be in Venezuela.

In my flat, we're planning to have a nice day watching all the excitement unfold on TV maybe with a few beers, surrounded by our boxes of emergency supplies. One things is for sure, I will be staying off the streets until everything is clear.

Let's just hope democracy is served and people trust in it and accept whatever the outcome without resorting to violence.

Look out for some more updates over the weekend...