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The
Bolivarian Revolution: Venezuela
is the world’s 5th largest oil exporter, yet 80% of its
population lives in poverty. In 1998 President Hugo Chávez was elected
to use the oil revenue to tackle poverty. In April 2002 a coup against
him was defeated by the millions who took to the streets. A few months
later the élite and the CIA paralyzed Venezuela’s oil company PDVSA
to bring Chávez down. Oil workers took over and worked round the clock
to recover production. In
this documentary José Bodas, Luís Felix Marín, Jesús
Montilla and Tania Suárez tell how they saved PDVSA and how
they are organizing to “put the oil industry at the service of
humanity”.
“At
the beginning we couldn’t stop the sabotage, we were just oil workers.
Now we have come together with the armed forces and the communities.” “The
wives of our workmates were hand-in-hand with their husbands. They
brought them food, gave all their backing, so that those workers could
save the industry.” “The
Guide Committee was born a year ago – a tool for the workers to
participate in building the management that is yet to be built.”
“We
say no more blood for oil. We must use this energy not to destroy the
planet, but so that all of us can live.”
“It’s as if the industrial working class had been asleep … The women came out first and the military. Then the workers came, those who were not unionized – the grassroots – and placed themselves on the front line ... From that moment industrial workers in Venezuela became something entirely different.” Nora Castañeda, President, Women’s Development Bank
To
get a VHS copy of “The Bolivarian Revolution: Enter the oil
workers” send £5/$10 to Crossroads Books,
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