[R-G] African Americans and Venezuela

[Anthony Fenton]

African Americans and Venezuela
Tuesday, Jun 13, 2006 		
http://venezuelaanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1751



By: Jody Nesbitt – Venezuelanalysis.com

When tragedy struck New Orleans last year the Bush administration  
neglected the largely Black victims of hurricane Katrina, while the  
government in Caracas set to work providing much needed disaster  
relief through Citgo, the State oil company’s local subsidiary. This  
past winter the government of Venezuela sent millions of gallons of  
discounted heating fuel to poor communities in the States, while  
Congress repeatedly failed to come through with the full amount of  
money it has promised for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance  
Program (LIHEAP). The Bush administration’s disregard of the Black  
community has not only sent Americans in search of foreign aid, it  
has also provided a valuable opportunity for President Chavez to  
secure allies where he needs them most.

Miraflores and the White House are at odds over US involvement in  
Colombia, Cuba, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Not to mention Chavez’s  
objections to the FTAA, or increased royalty taxes levied on U.S. oil  
companies in Venezuela.  Washington has turned the dispute into a  
public relations battle by comparing Chavez to Hitler, and portraying  
his government as democratically challenged terrorist sympathizers.  
Often major media outlets in the US have reflected this view.  
However, the disparity between reality and rhetoric on the issue of  
Venezuela, is as clear as black and white.

Venezuela remains a country firmly committed to democracy. Nine  
internationally observed elections (including referendums) have been  
held in eight years, and the opposition continues to dominate the  
media. Moreover, since the election of President Chavez in 1998  
poverty has been reduced, access to education and healthcare has  
increased, and illiteracy has been eradicated. UNESCO recently  
awarded President Chavez the International Jose Marti Award for  
promoting Latin American heritage, liberty and values.

Which is why prominent African American leaders and politicians have  
visited Caracas to pledge their support for the ‘Bolivarian  
Revolution’. One such trip recently organized by TransAfrica included  
Cornel West, Harry Belafonte, and Danny Glover. "Not hundreds, not  
thousands, but millions of the American people . . . support your  
revolution," Belafonte told Chavez  "We respect you, admire you, and  
we are expressing our full solidarity with the Venezuelan people and  
your revolution," he added.

As previously mentioned, Chavez returned the favor by sending reduced  
price home heating oil to low income communities in eight US states.  
The clear target of the price breaks were African American and Latino  
communities. Representative Kennedy of Massachusetts declared he had  
written to every major US oil company -- an industry now enjoying  
record profits -- and asked for discounted oil for the poor, but only  
Citgo responded. Juan Gonzales of the New York Daily News quipped.  
"Cutting oil prices must seem like the worst sort of radicalism to  
the Big Oil companies and their buddies at the Bush-Cheney White  
House." This winter the program will be expanded and over a million  
American stand to benefit.

Around the diaspora, 13 Caribbean governments signed the PetroCaribe  
accord, which supplies them with 185,700 barrels of Venezuelan oil  
daily at reduced rates, on credit, or in exchange for agricultural  
products. The first act of newly elected Haitian President Rene  
Preval was to join the accord, and President Chavez has also offered  
the islands a $50 million grant for social programs. In addition to  
energy aid, ‘Operation Miracle’ now provides free eye care to  
hundreds of thousands in 25 Latin American and Caribbean nations, and  
Africa has benefited from the generosity of Venezuela in the form of  
a recent malaria eradication drive.

This December polls show Chavez will triumph in another landslide  
election victory on the strength of heavy social spending and the  
fastest growing economy on the continent over the past three years.  
Black Venezuelans and those of mixed decent who combine to makeup 77%  
of the population will undoubtedly continue to be the President’s  
base. But overwhelming support at home is often not enough in this  
hemisphere. Recall President Aristide in Haiti, or Chavez himself in  
2002 when US backed coup briefly removed him from office.

For leftist leaders, support of the African American community in the  
States is just as important as the support of the masses at home --  
specifically the backing of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). It  
was pressure from the CBC on President Clinton that forced the US  
military to return democracy to Haiti. It was also the leadership of  
the African American community that inspired the anti apartheid  
movement and brought democracy to South Africa a decade earlier.  
Similar pressure from Black America is now necessary to reverse  
jingoistic perceptions in favor of support for Venezuelan sovereignty.
Handouts to Black communities aside, Venezuela is deserving of the  
support of all US citizens for their commitment to democracy, and  
success in reversing decades of economic decent. Yet, in the current  
absence of that broad based support, African Americans must voice  
their distinct alliance with the Venezuelan people. Fortunately, just  
such an opportunity for Black Americans to express their concerns  
will present itself in upcoming elections. With Bush’s approval  
rating in free fall, conservatives will likely lose power to  
progressives, thus increasing the African America influence in  
Washington. Through education and organization relations with  
Venezuela can be normalized for the benefit of all citizens committed  
to democracy.