Trans Africa Forum: there's racism and discrimination in Venezuela after all
At a press conference before returning home to the USA, a Trans Africa Forum commission visiting Venezuela confirms that racism exists in Venezuela ... after a week of visiting Vargas State and Caracas barrio slums, Bill Fletcher says what he has seen there is that a person's standard of living rises according to the color of his/her skin.
Insisting that the delegation did not come to Venezuela to create any conflict, Fletcher referred to opposition media racist characterizations of President Hugo Chavez Frias as a clear example of racial discrimination and says he is surprised at the high level of racial factor negation that the group's visit has aroused in Venezuela.
"If we don't confront the heritage of Western Hemisphere invasion, colonialism, slavery and segregation, racism will undermine every attempt at social progress."
Trans Africa colleague, James Early insists that the group did not come to Venezuela to start accusing people and but to meet and talk with their African-Venezuelan brothers. "They have been told that some barrio inhabitants are denied access to discotheques because of the color of their skin."
Fletcher calls recent US government statements towards Venezuela as "imperialist" and supports President Chavez Frias' position vis-a-vis the Free Trade for the Americas Agreement (FTAA).
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