April 13, 2004
Day one in Venezuela
Spanish

The tension is so high in Venezuela you can cut it with a knife. Both pro and anti Chavez people feel very strongly about what´s happening in their country.

We began the day with going to the statue of Bolivar and watching as people placed flowers dedicated to heroes of Venezuela and in particular Simon Bolivar, in remembrance of the events of April 2002 here in Caracas

Then we went to the legislative palace where there was an event in the National Assembly also remembering the events that occurred here two years ago.

We then went to the San Carlos fort where, before Chavez´ Presidency, political prisoners were held. We had lunch with two men who were held upstairs in prison; one for 4 years and one for seven. One of the gentlemen had returned for the first time since escaping to Sweden. Music was played in a courtyard where people were once held prisoner for their political ideas .

We then left for a massive rally in which the President Chavez spoke about his political and economic views of what he sees taking place in the world and in Venezuela. He spoke against the war in Iraq, against all war and spoke to his experiences during the coup of April 2002. He was also critical of U.S. foreign policy in general and its involvement in other countries.

We then were led to a private reception and forum with the President in the Presidential palace. A street vendor began the evening talking about her experiences of learning that her president was gone and what is was like for her and the people in her community to go through not knowing where their president was or what was going to happen to her country. She talked about not being part of any Bolivarian Circle. But just being outraged and that she organized people to march to channel 8 television to take back the television station. The evening followed with Rafael Alegria of Honduras, the president of Via Campesina , the worldwide peasant movement, and Eric Toussaint, a Belgian economist. The vice president then spoke and then President Chavez finished the evening.

At the conclusion of the evening Cheri Honkala was granted a meeting with the President himself to take place within the next 2 days.

Cheri Honkala's Statement on her Trip to Venezuela