Caracas, Conferences, Chavistas…..
October 22, 2008
NSI Senior Researcher Pablo Heidrich recently travelled to Venezuela for the Annual Conference of the Latin American Association of Political Economy which took place in Caracus from October 7th – 11th. The conference theme for this year was very timely: “Southern Solutions for a Global Crisis”. These writings contain impressions on some of the presentations heard during the conference, discussions with some of the participants and what was seen, heard or smelled while in Venezuela.
Day 0
Leaving Ottawa for Chicago, Latin America already shows its borders. Spanish is spoken in O’Hare International Airport at least as much as French is in Ottawa. From Chicago, I fly on to Miami, where Latin America truly begins. Spanish is the language spoken here. English is spoken here, as well, as airport shop signs occasionally point out for those in doubt.
Caracas receives travelers in its 70s-style airport, and along a highway to the city which is slowly being eaten away by tropical forest. The taxi driver takes advantage of his resting spot against a pole to chat with me, and provide a first impression of life under Chavez. He goes from his thanks for a nearby new bridge, to puzzlement and dismay over the price of food and the problems of finding goods even at official prices. He is careful not to ever mention Chavez by name or in a way, make his government directly responsible for any policy mishaps.
My two neighbours on the Miami to Caracas flight were Venezuelan. One was a small town bakery-owner, returning from a 35-day vacation in Portugal, and a 5 day shopping spree in Miami. He laughed at how he could spend 5 whole days shopping, and replied that he was bringing back 8 suitcases, having left with just one. (for his whole family of four.) The other neighbour was Venezuelan with Canadian residency, returning for a relative’s funeral. He migrated to Canada as “he could no longer recognize his own country”. While the touring baker is witty and indirect in his depiction of domestic issues and troubles, the immigrant is bitter, direct and loud in his denunciations. Eventually, their conversation moves on to where one might buy the cheapest mp3 player, and how to beat currency controls (Venezuelans can only take US $ 4,000 per year our of the country) and, of course, baseball.
