In solidarity with the people of Venezuela

On July 28th general elections were held in Venezuela, with the sitting president Nicolas Maduro’s government declaring victory and a third six-year term. In the following weeks, human rights organisations have recorded abuses against thousands of people who have protested the results, and the lack of transparency with regards to the electoral process. According to the Venezuelan NGO Foro Penal, more than 1,350 people have been detained throughout the country, without procedural guarantees. Activists have been disappeared by security forces and the passports of journalists and human rights defenders have been cancelled.

We’re very grateful to Katie Brown, Senior Lecturer in Latin American Studies at Exeter University, and translator of From Savagery, by Alejandra Banca, for passing on the resources below, in solidarity with those on the ground in Venezuela as well as members of the diaspora in our community.

PROVEA is doing essential work documenting forced disappearances and other human rights abuses. The site is in Spanish but if you follow the Spanish version on the main menu bar, and click on those articles, each also has an English/Spanish option.

Caracas Chronicles publishes a range of news and opinion pieces in English, with lots of on-the-ground reporting at the moment.

If you’re looking for ways to support Venezuelans, Healing Venezuela is a well-established and reputable charity, providing food and support for medical care (including doctor training)

There’s very little Venezuelan literature translated into English and available in the UK, but here’s one reading recommendation from Katie:

The Sickness by Alberto Barrera Tyszka doesn't try to explain Venezuela (though it is set in Caracas) and is an incredibly well-told story about a surgeon who must come to terms with his own father's cancer.

More recently, his The Last Days of El Comandante came out in English too- both of these novels won big Spanish prizes. The latter is much more explicitly about the legacy of chavismo, revolving around Chávez's death, and again a very engaging novel.

Blue Label by Eduardo Sanchéz Rugeles (not currently available in the UK) is worth a read too. It's a teenager's point of view and gives a good insight into the rejection of official nationalism of the generation who chose to leave in the early 2010s.

Katie Brown joins us alongside author Alejandra Banca on 21st August, as part of the Book Fringe, to discuss Alejandra’s spectacular debut novel From Savagery about Venezuelan migrants living in Spain. Find out more HERE.

Background photo by Aleka under creative commons licence