Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Socialism of the 21st Century

The Bolivarian revolution, on its path toward Socialism of the 21st Century, has laid a great deal of importance on culture in order to counteract the transculturization to which we have been subject for decades. A detonator has been activated; the cultural explosion has happened throughout the length and breath of the country. Venezuelan culture had lost part of its essence to the extreme of substituting the quarto, maracas and harp with the electric guitar. The kite, top, yoyo, teetotum, whizzer, marbles and rag dolls were replaced by Batman and Robin, Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Barbie, Clark Kent and all the rest.
 
Just as we were once made to think that we had enough water to waste the whole River Orinoco, there has been a transformation in our attitude towards water conservation. This has been reflected in a simple example such as the repair of water leaks and filters in our homes. We could not leave aside the terrible attack upon our indigenous peoples who had everything stolen from them and changed from the traditional loincloth for the latest fashionable clothes; from natural make-up, essences and medicines made from native plants, to the use of imported products from Oscar de la Renta. Max Factor, Clinic, Estée Lauder, etc, as well as modern medicines manufactured by huge pharmaceutical corporations.
 
All this was very well coordinated by the media which had been assigned the task. All this led to the creation of national policies which are in tune with cultural movements which have burst forth. These movements demonstrate the awakening of a new Venezuela which is heading towards a collective culture that includes the same moral, family and social codes of relations and conduct. Many of these organizations that involve folklore dancing, music, music schools, cinema, traditional beliefs of the people such as religious myths and witchcraft, for examples, have been strengthened. Patriotic values such as the National Anthem, the Venezuelan flag as well as our monetary unit have reemerged. In the past our coinage had also been destroyed by melting it down to recover the silver, nickel, cuprous-nickel and other metals in the pursuit of personal gain. No longer.
 
The great accomplishment, however, has been the definitive consolidation of a collective, democratic, participatory culture. That is to say, the enthusiastic participation of the sovereign people who are heading toward Socialism of the 21st Century, led by President Chávez, whose work toward cultural rebirth continues to frustrate the Empire's attempts to corrupt true Venezuelan culture.

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