British academic delegation visits Venezuela

 

A delegation of seven academics from the United Kingdom visited Venezuela in July to see the latest developments of the Bolivarian revolutionary process at first-hand.  The members of the delegation were Diana Raby (University of Liverpool, Francisco Domínguez (Middlesex University), Lee Salter (University of the West of England), Thomas Muhr (University of Bristol), Lauren Collins (University of Nottingham) and Catriona Goss (University of Southampton).

 

The group had a full schedule and had the opportunity to meet with people from the barrios (neighbourhoods in deprived areas), cooperative workers, trade unionists, intellectuals, journalists, students, farmers, medical professionals and many more.  The delegation also held a symposium with members of the Bolivarian University on the complexities of the Bolivarian process.

 

Dr Francisco Dominguez, who led the delegation, said that the "Bolivarian revolution is a power house for the development of new ideas".  The Middlesex University academic also said that  it had been a privilege to visit Venezuela and thanked the Venezuelan Embassy in London for facilitating the trip and providing important contacts.  Lauren Collins spoke of her surprise at seeing how visible and widespread the Bolivarian revolution was given that reports in the established media depict the process as the "mere folly of an arrogant, if not evil, individual".

  

Dr Thomas Muhr, who first went to Venezuela in 2005, was particularly impressed with female textile workers "whose enthusiasm for self-organisation and control over the production process has remained, undiminished".  Dr Lee Salter highlighted that the trip had also answered some of the scepticisms he had had in relation to the Mission Mercal: "being able to talk to real people who were benefiting from this Mission was a great counter to things I had heard before".

 

 

Press Unit of the Venezuelan Embassy in London

Thursday, August 05, 2010