On Friday 25 October 160 people packed into Bolivar Hall, the cultural venue of the Venezuelan Embassy, for the London premiere of Viva Venezuela – Fighting for Socialism, a new film produced by the Revolutionary communist Group.
Filmed during the RCG’s delegation to Venezuela during the October 2012 presidential elections, Viva Venezuela tells the story of the struggle to build socialism in Venezuela through interviews with Venezuelans at the grassroots level.
Highlights of the film include:
- A tour of the newly-created ‘Socialist City Caribia’ a housing estate built through the Great Housing Mission, through which 350,000 new homes were built during 2011 and 2012 for Venezuelans left homeless following disastrous floods. The aim is to build 3 million homes by 2019 using state money but led and controlled through comunas – community councils that represent ordinary venezuelans at the local level.
- Interviews with doctors and nurses working on state-run health services that have been expanded to cover those who have not had access to healthcare before. As the film points out, this would not have been possible without help from Cuba.
- An interview with Ana Marin, an activist in Comuna ‘El Panel 2021’ part of the self policing Alexis Vive collective run by local residents in a district of Caracas. The collective works to implement real improvements to peoples lives in the area, pushing forward community organisation and political education.
- A tour of PDVAL gas communal- a socialist gas canister factory, with interviews showing the high level of consciousness among workers about the changes underway in Venezuela and their role within it.
The screening was preceded by introductions from the venezuelan Charge d’affaires for the UK, Alvaro Sanchez and Counsellor Jorge Luis Garcia representing the Cuban Embassy, both of whom emphasised the importance of showing solidarity with the process underway in Venezuela, which is the frontline in the battle for socialism in the world today.
The film is an important contribution to promoting an understanding of the revolutionary movement in Venezuela, especially in the English speaking world. RCG screenings have already taken place in Manchester, Dundee, Glasgow and Newcastle. Anyone wishing to organise a screening is welcome to contact us to request a copy.
The film will be freely available on www.vivavenezuela.co.uk in November, help us to spread the word by sharing the link.
Watch the film trailer Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I57e1s2mqro
Come to our next public meeting in London:
Democracy in Cuba and Revolutionary Latin America
Discussion of the important new book, Cuba and its Neighbours: Democracy in Motion by Arnold August, with speakers followed by open discussion. Free entry. All welcome.
Wednesday 13 November – 7:30pm
@ The Apple Tree Pub, 45 Mount Pleasant, Clerkenwell. WC1X 0AE
Tube: Chancery Lane or Farringdon
