Who Wears the Pants in Venezuela?

Did you know that four out of five branches of government in Venezuela are led by women?  That’s right, President Chavez happens to be the only man at the helm of the Venezuelan state.  The judicial, legislative, electoral, and citizens’ branches are all run by women.  

More interesting though is that this seems to be reflective of an overall trend showing a higher level of participation by women in activities that directly impact society.  So, from top governmental posts down to community organizations women are making their mark.  

Aloha Nunez (pictured here greeting boy in South Dakota), who we reported was visiting the US earlier this week, is a good case in point. As Viceminister of People’s Power for Indigenous Communal Territory in Urban Zones, she exemplifies the level of female empowerment and leadership taking place in that country today.

To find out more about the advances being made by women in Venezuela check out our fact sheet.

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Venezuelan Coffee Now Available in U.S.

You probably know Venezuela for its oil, baseball, and salsa rhythms. But coffee? You might be surprised to know that some say the Venezuelan beans rival Colombia’s.

Now there’s a new delicacy in town, care of Citgo gas stations and former Wawa convenience store executive John Sacharok. Café Venezuela made its debut in the US yesterday at a small Citgo gas station in Philadelphia. On hand at the launch were the CEO of Citgo, the Ambassador of Venezuela, and the program’s president.

The premium coffee will be offered at select Citgo gas stations throughout the US and will allow Americans to get to know the tastier side of Venezuela. Café Venezuela was founded to assist small coffee growers in rural Venezuela by packaging their products and delivering them to consumers abroad. Most of the growers represent family farms and communities that have suffered from economic marginalization.

Café Venezuela aims to help Venezuelan farmers to prosper, but its goals also include maintaining traditional ways of life in the countryside, fostering environmental sustainability, and achieving food security. Behind these goals is a simple commercial relationship that also has cultural significance; the slogan of Café Venezuela appropriately reads: “from the grower to your cup.”

Citgo’s Cafe Venezuela and cappuccino start at a reasonable $1.09. So, if you’re in Philadelphia, Boston, or Chicago, make sure to ask your local Citgo station and convenience store for Café Venezuela. Not only will you get a good cup of Joe, but you will directly support sustainable development in Venezuela.

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Native Americans Forge Hemispheric Ties

Aloha Nuñez, the Viceminister of People’s Power for Indigenous Communal Territory in Urban Zones arrived in the US yesterday. At the invitation of various Native American tribes she will tour American Indian reservations in South Dakota, including the Cheyenne River, Lower Brule, Rosebud and Pine Ridge reservations.

She is also scheduled to speak with the National Congress of American Indians, who represent 250 indigenous groups, in Washington DC. To learn more about the culture and advances of the Indigenous in Venezuela check out our fact sheet.

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Santa Teresa Rum: The Meaning of Good Spirits

There is an exciting private-public partnership taking place in Venezuela on the same soil where the 19th-century independence hero Simón Bolívar announced an end to slavery years ago.

It all started when 500 poor families decided to squat on a stretch of the privately owned Santa Teresa Sugar Plantation and Rum Distillery. The 18,300-acre hacienda’s owner didn’t respond as most land owners would have – provoking a bloodly confrontation – instead, he welcomed them onto his land and negotiated a way for the majority to work while also receiving housing. Education, job training, and even gang prevention programs – also supported by the government – are some of the initiatives that have impacted the local community there since the first program was started in 2000.

To read more from the Washington Post, click here.

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L.A. Museum of Art Gets Venezuelan Goods

Tomorrow, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) opens two new galleries devoted to pre-Columbian art and artifacts from Latin America. A large part of the material comes from the collection of Venezuela’s wealthy Cisneros family.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Cuban-born sculptor Jorge Pardo was hired by LACMA to design ”a contiguous display of Latin American art through the ages, despite aesthetic disparities. The road leads from engaging pre-Columbian ceramics to finely detailed Spanish Colonial artworks and furnishings, stringent Modern abstractions and edgy contemporary creations.”

To read more, click here. Also, check out the Cisneros Foundation online.

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Venezuelan Music Tip: Johnny Sigal

Meet Latin pop music’s new Juanes, the saucy young Johnny Sigal of Venezuela.

This baby-faced singer is very familiar with the stage, for he became famous while starring in a stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar — that’s right, he played Jesus.

In the past few months, Johnny has thrown off his robes, released a self-titled album, and spent time touring the U.S. If all goes well, he may be vying for Best New Artist at the Latin Grammys next year.

Check out the video for his catchy single, “Quedo en nada.”

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Venezuela Celebrates Simon Bolivar’s Birthday

Today is the birthday of Venezuela’s most honored indpendence Hero, Simon Bolivar.

As a gift, we bring you an historical comic book version of the life of this revolutionary man, who led wars of independence in Venezuela and several other countries. His political ideals, particularly, the notion of a unified South America, are still held dear today.

To read the comic, click on each page using the linked index below. Believe us, it is worth it! Read through to the end and find out where Bolivar died and where he is currently buried.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

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Venezuela’s Ordonez Thrills in the Minor Leagues

Our favorite Detroit Tiger, Magglio Ordonez, has been recovering from a recent injury while sitting in with the minor leagues’ West Michigan Whitecaps, and he is wildly popular at games. Fans in sold-out crowds have begun wearing Magglio caps and wigs to mimic the player. Watch a video of his minor league escapades here.

In case you forgot, Magglio is a powerful right fielder who hails from Coro, Venezuela. He was picked last year as the American League Batting Champion, and has played in the U.S. since 1997.

The plight of some of the newer recruits in the minor leagues has made news recently. The New York Times reported this week that young players from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic sometimes have their bonuses pocketed by club officials. We say, have some respect!

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New Hampshire Signs on for Venezuelan Aid

The Venezuelan-owned gas subsidiary Citgo has been providing cut-rate home heating oil to poor communities in the U.S. for three now. Last winter, 23 states relied on the donations, which exceeded $100 million in value. New Hampshire has just become the latest to sign on.

The small state, which borders Canada and registers brutal temperatures in the winter, has suffered from high energy costs just as much as any other. State leaders have been pressured to address the economic conundrum by accepting the help from Venezuela.

Last year, hundreds of New Hampshire residents in fact went around the system to apply on their own to get the aid despite the state’s hesitance. As the owner of a local heating oil company put it, “It’s actually a pretty good program.”

To read more, click here.

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Venezuelan History Reaches Film in “Miranda Returns”

Lately, it seems like Venezuela’s history is being chronicled in film like never before.

Take, for example, the biopic Miranda Regresa (“Miranda Returns”), which came out last fall. The movie is a dramatic reimagining of the life of independence hero Francisco de Miranda.

It was produced at Cinema City (in Spanish, Villa del Cine), the government- funded studios that have revived the film industry in recent years.

The trailer below is in Spanish without subtitles, but you’ll probably understand what’s going on without them. It looks like a beautiful film!

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Venezuela’s Citgo Delivers Energy Efficiency to U.S. Cities

For many low- and middle-income people in the U.S., helping the environment can take a back seat to the everyday demands of simply making ends meet. Citgo, the Venezuelan-owned gas company, is helping to address this problem through its new Energy Efficient Lighting Program.

The program donates energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs to families in cities across the U.S. It is based on a successful initiative in Venezuela that oversaw the nation-wide switch to eco-friendly bulbs. Also, it marks a second phase of the Community Assistance Program by Citgo, which has donated discounted home heating oil to more than 1.2 million U.S. residents since 2005.

At the launch in Washington DC on Tuesday, neighbors watched Shirley Braxton (pictured above) install the first free light bulbs in her home. Speeches were made by the CEO of Citgo, the Venezuelan Ambassador, and Joe Kennedy of the host charity Citizens Energy.

By distributing nearly half a million energy efficient bulbs, Citgo will help recipients in 23,000 households to save $14.9 million and cut their energy use by 165 million kilowatt hours.

The lighting program is taking place in DC and everywhere Citgo refineries operate, in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas; Lemont, Illinois; and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Other cities set receive the aid include New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis. To see figures for each city, click here. For information about how you can participate, call 1-800-315-7682.

UPDATE: Read news articles from the AP and the Houston Chronicle.

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Venezuelan Artist’s Work is for the Birds

A Venezuelan-born artist living in Florida was profiled in the Miami Herald over the weekend.

Francisco Sheuat, who owns an art gallery, is making his name in Fort Lauderdale by creating colorful papier-mache replicas of pink flamingos. Embellished with paint or mosaic, each is unique and beautiful. One looks like a motorcycle rider, another features an antique map of the Bahamas.

Sheuat embraces other mediums, too, like the traditional flat canvas. A common theme among all of his work is birds — not surprising for a man whose home country continues to inspire him. Venezuela boasts over 1,300 species of birds, and the country is known among travelers as a haven for birdwatching.

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