Halo folks,Screening of `Venezuela Bolivariana' 12 people attended the screening of the film described as `agitating' by an attendant. Even though it is a film made from a certain partisan perspective the pro-people stand of the doco derive its authenticity from the numerous interviewees from the street level. The results from the Venezuela revolution led by Hugo Chavez eg land reform, ban on intrusion of trawler ships into shallow seas, improvement of literacy etc become concrete reasons for the people's undying support for the President when he was hijacked through a coup d'tate in 2002. The street mobilisation despite numerous people being killed by anti-Chavez snippers finally caused the President to be brought back !
It is a miraculous success -especially compared to the fate of another democratically elected president in Chile (Allende) who was deposed through the coup staged by the upper class. The Chavez's success had since spawn a `domino effect' on the S. America as more changes of government take place in the last 5 years.
After the screening we had a discussion on how far the people should defend the democratic process and the constitution in the event of military coups. The situation is also contrasted with the coup against the more conservative Thaksin regime in Thailand. But the real debate actually relates to how far the very corrupted democratic process in Malaysia can be trusted to bring about real changes to the people !
The Venezuela situation showed that even if the City Council in the capital city was in the hand of the Opposition the Chavez government did not abolish the City Councils' election as happened in Malaysia as far back as 1965 ! But how far have and would Malaysian citizens fought against this denial of their citizens' rights ?
Next screening
Videos from the last 2 by-elections by MALVU (Election Watch group) + other proposals. Chuin Nian called to suggest that he MAY be able to bring along a copy of the Inconvenient Truth by Al-Gore the American Presidential candidate-about climate change. Hope he can confirm soonest for us to publicise it earlier. Since both the videos & the film have interests beyond the Film Club members we will publicise it beyond the mail-list. Cheers,Ong BK
It is a miraculous success -especially compared to the fate of another democratically elected president in Chile (Allende) who was deposed through the coup staged by the upper class. The Chavez's success had since spawn a `domino effect' on the S. America as more changes of government take place in the last 5 years.
After the screening we had a discussion on how far the people should defend the democratic process and the constitution in the event of military coups. The situation is also contrasted with the coup against the more conservative Thaksin regime in Thailand. But the real debate actually relates to how far the very corrupted democratic process in Malaysia can be trusted to bring about real changes to the people !
The Venezuela situation showed that even if the City Council in the capital city was in the hand of the Opposition the Chavez government did not abolish the City Councils' election as happened in Malaysia as far back as 1965 ! But how far have and would Malaysian citizens fought against this denial of their citizens' rights ?
Next screening
Videos from the last 2 by-elections by MALVU (Election Watch group) + other proposals. Chuin Nian called to suggest that he MAY be able to bring along a copy of the Inconvenient Truth by Al-Gore the American Presidential candidate-about climate change. Hope he can confirm soonest for us to publicise it earlier. Since both the videos & the film have interests beyond the Film Club members we will publicise it beyond the mail-list. Cheers,Ong BK
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