Venezuela - the revolution has a woman's face

On 13 April 2002 the unexpected took place in Venezuela: a popular uprising  reversed a coup carried out by the country's powerful elite and the United States, and  returned Pesident Hugo Chávez Frías to power. 

In July 2002, the Strike was invited to Caracas by the Women's Institute, and again in April 2003 for the International Solidarity Forums to celebrate the first anniversary of the uprising which saved the revolution. We came from Argentina, England, Guyana, Peru and the US, to learn from the achievements of our Venezuelan sisters, spread the news, and establish a relationship of mutual support. 

We already knew that:

  •  In 1998, President Chávez was elected by a landslide to tackle poverty and corruption. The two parties in power for over 40 years had left 80% of Venezuelans, mostly people of colour, in poverty despite a lucrative oil industry. 
  • In 1999, the population won by 74% of the vote a revolutionary constitution which  they had framed. As laws to implement it came into force, they were faced with a  coup - a "golpe".
  • In April 2002, the "golpistas" murdered more than 50 people, kidnapped President Chávez, threw out the constitution and raided the homes and offices of activists from trade unions and the community.
  • In response, millions of the poorest people came down from the Caracas hills and the countryside, demanding that soldiers fight for their president and their constitution. That's how on 13 April, two days after the coup, streets everywhere resonated with the chant of: "He's back! He's back! He's back! He's back! Chávez is back!" 

We are telling the story that is never told, the history of women in revolution. 

We tell the story of women so we can defend more effectively a revolution that is a  lever for all of us fighting to survive and build a world that values the life and contribution of everyone.

We learned that women were the first to come down from the hills, risking their lives to press the soldiers, each of them some mother's son, to unite with the people and save the revolution.


A woman on Puente Llaguno, who witnessed 
the "golpista" slaughter on 11 April 2002

We learned that they had formed co-operatives, Bolivarian Circles (grassroots organisations that work to improve water, electricity, housing, health, literacy . . . and to defend the revolution) and housewives' trade unions everywhere. Since women are the carers, who take responsibility for everybody's survival, and since 70% of Venezuelan households are headed by women, it is not surprising that 6 out of 10 Circle members are women. Though some are in political parties, each community makes its own decisions, concentrating its efforts on improving services and getting resources (sometimes with soldiers lending manpower and technology). People are carrying out projects that would usually be in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats. In this way power is shifting from central control to control at the grassroots.

We learned that you can see the revolution on the faces of those who make it. The sisters and brothers in the 'Mano Amiga' Co-operative, at the Anauco Hilton hotel, the housewives, the single mothers . . . radiate commitment and solidarity, the enemies of greed and personal ambition. Since defeating the coup - by acting together as civilians and soldiers - the population, especially women, have become aware of their own power and the revolutionary process has been unstoppable.

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