Participatory democracy, community councils with independent access to government funding, National Health Care, available to all, the eradication of illiteracy and the possibility of the poorest to have access to education, even State funded pensions for peasants and house wives who meet some basic qualifications, and the nations oil wealth being allocated for the benefit of the people rather than the wealthy few are a few of the realities that the Consul General of Venezuela speaks about in his presentation. Venezuela maintains a mixed economy: 1/3 private, 1/3 state, 1/3 community based. Is it Venezuela's tiny military that is a threat to the US ruling/corporate class? Or is it the alternative model of sharing national wealth and empowering all it's people that is feared?
Third Unitarian Church, Social Action Committee, Chicago Illinois Laurel Schmidt
The Consul General of Venezuela's presentation was accompanied by a power point that supported his statements with various graphs representing research produced by the international agencies mentioned.