Ever since Hugo Chavez was elected Venezuela’s president, the United States has tried to oust the Venezuelan government. After Chavez died in 2014, those efforts expanded. Most recently, Juan Guiado, a US-trained opposition member, declared himself president of Venezuela and was immediately backed by the United States and several dozen other governments. However, Guaido and his coup forces do not have the support of the Venezuelan military or the Venezuelan people. The situation is at an impasse.
Most residents of the United States know only what the US media has told them about the Venezuelan people and their government -- at best half-truths. Because of this campaign of misinformation, the US government has been able to get away with blatant violations of international law as it attempts to destroy the Venezuelan economy through sanctions and the theft of Venezuelan assets. To counter this campaign of lies and misinformation, citizen groups around the United States are trying to present a more complete picture of life in Venezuela and the nature of US intervention in that country.
To this end, a group of Vermonters invited William Camacaro to speak at the Fletcher Free Library on August 3, 2019. Mr. Camacaro is a well-known socialist voice, not only in Venezuela, but also in New York City. A long-time host at Pacifica Radio, he was one of the few who encouraged CITGO to provide free heating services to poor neighborhoods in New York. William is Venezuelan, but has lived in New York for years. He does many things to promote understanding of what is actually happening in Venezuela by organizing tours, events, demonstrations, etc. He is well known and respected in Venezuela and other countries, and the trust he has developed has given him access to many interesting sources.
