VENEZUELA in Pictures by Lisa Estrella

This was our first taste of Caracas and Venezuela. This bustling city was one of the highlights of the trip. I found Caracas to be a very interesting city that was full of life. One of the main things that stuck out to me was how the city life was very centered around Simon Bolivar. There are dedications to him everywhere, and pictures plastered all over the place. With all the signs and propaganda, I could definitely sense a feeling of interest in what is going on with their government and politics. Everyone seemed so actively involved in Venezuelan affairs and really felt like there are improvements in their everyday life in the near future.

This is one of the government places of President Chavez. The main reason for this picture is to show some of the great architecture throughout the city of Caracas. However, I also wanted to use this picture to comment on Chavez. I feel that we could even tell how hard he was working to improve Venezuela in the few days that we were in Caracas. He appointed a new Vice President, he was busy signing new programs into action, and I feel like he is working extremely hard to improve the lives for every Venezuelan. Though this may not be a typical type of government, like democracy, I feel that other nations should still give credit to President Chavez. There is a lot to be done in Venezuela, and the fact that so much has improved already gives great hope for the future.

This picture really gives a view of what I saw all over Venezuela in the weeks I spent there. Even a month after elections, support for President Chavez still remains in all the signs and propaganda around the city and even other towns we visited. This particular sign urges for support of Chavez. It is gaining support of all the people to join together and support Chavez. Because so many people can work together, Chavez can become successful in his plans for a socialistic Bolivarian Republic.

With this picture I really wanted to focus on the effects that “This Revolution Will Not Be Televised” had on me. It was amazing to be standing in the same place where people died to either save or get rid of President Chavez. Standing in these places, you could sense the amazing support for improvements in Venezuela. People are so proud of where they are today; they know that without this revolution, they have no idea what state Venezuela would even be in today. This is a great picture that really gives you the sense of how the city and people of Venezuela have worked to get to where they are today.

This is a great picture of the barrios. It is really easy to see how packed together these communities are. Just from appearance, we could definitely tell that life in the barrios is extremely different to anything that we would experience in the United States. I think that with the help of Chavez, the condition of life in the barrios is improving everyday. The sense of community in these areas is amazing, and everyone is always willing to work together to improve the quality of life.

I took this picture of the mountains from a cooperative, above the little village of Monte Carmelo. This picture shows the vast farming and mountainous regions that Venezuela is very rich in. You can see the mountain divided up into many areas that are working hard to change life in Venezuela. With cooperatives and land reforms, people are given a chance to eat and work. Places like this also join together a community so that they can work together and support one another.

This picture can only begin to describe the importance of culture and music that Venezuelans keep in their hearts. A community built this specific center to provide children with a library and a place to learn about their “roots.” This is an amazing opportunity for all of the young children who come to the center on a daily basis. Music is something that Venezuelans find extremely important; culture is something that should never be lost. With places like this, people can learn about their past and have the ability to spread who they are to future generations.

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