In my blog I usually only use one photo per article, they say a picture is worth 1000 words, I think it is better fitting to use a few images for this article, which you will see below. This article will be longer than most, so will put them in sections. It is fitting I write this article on the day both Fidel Castro died, and when his friend and defender of the Chavistas, football legend Maradona also died, as a way to honor their legacies. It also happens to be Thanksgiving in the US, but I do not celebrate it, as its used to cover up crimes against Native peoples. Yesterday I was too exhausted from the trip to start the article. When I was given the accreditation in Venezuela the translation of the title of my status was “International Elections Companion” which I think is better than observer. As observers, like some from the bourgeois countries from official organizations, not coming independently, like the US or EU, it implies that we can meddle. Of course Venezuelan Chavistas would not tolerate meddling in their democratic process, only reporting on what it is, and we had full access, I never felt anything was hidden from me, nor did I see anything hidden from the other companions. When I arrived in Caracas, after a struggle (the challenge getting there made me appreciate it more), which I will describe here, me and another companion (which is why she denied being an observer, she had been to Venezuela before) from Argentina named Cristina (don’t remember her last name), like the VP of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez, who she knew, and showed me a photo she had with her.

 

We were both permitted to enter the diplomat line of the airport, where we did not have to wait as long, escorted by the state (as invites of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela) rather than invites from the CNE itself, which is the organ independent of the ruling party. Guests from CNE stayed at the Marriott, where Dan Kovalik was present (who I was able to meet for the first time in person while in Venezuela), we stayed at the Eurobuilding Hotel, which was changed from the Melia Hotel, since the latter had technical issues. The former is actually a hotel owned by the EU, in a upper class neighborhood in the suburbs of Caracas in Miranda Province.

 

How did I end up in Venezuela? Lets say after years cultivating relations with other working class Socialists within Venezuela (mostly Carabobo) and throughout the world, I was finally officially invited in June this year to Caracas, to attend the Peoples Congress, as part of the Bicentennial of the Battle of Carabobo, which was one of the most decisive battles in Venezuela for its independence from Spain, led by the Venezuelan general and liberator, none other than Simon Bolivar. However, over logistical issues I was not able to attend. I vowed for the regional elections I would do all possible, with my few resources, to make sure this time I would make it. So my dream was finally achieved in November of 2021, with 37 years on this planet. Most of my life I wanted to know the land of Bolivar, and this was my chance, and I took it. It was so worth it. Nowhere in my life have I felt so free like in Venezuela, nowhere in my life have I felt like a man as much as I did in Venezuela, even now as I think of it its like a dream. I will get into the reasons why, but let me now tell you what a logistical struggle it was to get there, because of the sanctions, Covid, and the absurd rules of the Dominican government (my transit was in Santo Domingo).

 

First off, the Dominican government has had a neutral position when it comes to conflicts in Venezuela, and like Mexico has hosted dialogue between the opposition and the Chavistas. However, unlike Mexico’s progressive government, Dominican’s currently is centrist, and has made an absurd rule about entry or exiting the country over Covid. It is interesting to note countries that have taken a friendly or neutral approach to the Venezuelan government tend to be areas where flying from is easier, such as Mexico, Panama and Dominican Republic. Turkey has also had good relations with Venezuela, and many who came from the Middle East or North Africa to witness the elections flew out of Istanbul.

 

Logistical Issues

 

I missed my first flight out of Orlando, because of the “E Ticket” rule of the Dominican government. It was a combination of factors but that was the principal one. It almost had it where I could not leave Santo Domingo either. Unlike other nations, the Dominicans do not accept nor the vaccination card, nor the PCR test. It only has a stupid online form you have to fill out on entry or exiting the country. They also have a new rule, that I guess does not apply to Americans, over a yellow fever vaccine, as a result last I heard the Argentines that were going to go through Santo Domingo are still stuck in Caracas, but being taken care of by the state, who treated us incredible well and I have absolutely no complaint over, their attaches were professional and accommodating considering their under sanctions.

 

Upon returning to Santo Domingo I accidentally filled it out again as an entry rather than an exit, doing both I did not know they would be so absurd to make you fill it out two more times, and almost missed my flight again as a result, in the end they let me go through without finishing it. No one is allowed to help you at the airport, and it is all in Spanish. I can read Spanish but I guarantee not everyone who goes there does. The staff at the airport in Santo Domingo are rude, even if you are American, which with their inferiority complexes they usually see as superior. With their racism inflamed with the crisis of Haiti next door, I could see the Dominicans tended to be on the edge. This of course does not include the three Dominican comrades I encountered who witnessed the elections along with me. Am talking about the average Dominican you encounter, at least upon my brief stay there.

 

I suggest people coming from the US to Caracas fly out of Cancun or Panama, may cost a bit more but way worth it. So by the time the shuttle took me to the airport after parking my car (of course leaving me on the wrong side, even though I insisted international) and by the time I got to Spirit airlines where they told me about a E Ticket never emailed to me about, I finished the E Ticket and was told the gate was closed by one minute. In the US we tend to have Nazi like strictness on time, luckily that was not an issue in Santo Domingo or Caracas, both sites had logistical issues making me late, but I was still able to get on the planes. I can give credit to Santo Domingo in that regard, although my exit from the country was only after I threatened to make a complaint with the US embassy in perfect Spanish. She let me through but my missing vaccination card I believe she took out of retaliation for my threat, I will have the pharmacy print out another one, in the US they did not make an issue of me not having that.

 

Spirit wanted to charge me 99 dollars for a new ticket, since we are a creditized nation, unlike other nations who take cash at airports, it would have been 104 since I would have to have a temporary credit card printed out for 5 dollars, I only brought cash, because of the sanctions card is not generally taken in Venezuela. I was lucky however, when a member of the Spirit staff recognized me as the guy who missed his flight by one minute (quite literally) and said to let me have the ticket for free. The ticket was for a flight 6am the next morning, I slept in the airport (I already spent plenty on gas and a motel the night before), and as a result I had to call the man in Venezuela in charge of my flights, to change the flight out of Santo Domingo for the next day in the afternoon. I paid him back when I saw him in Caracas, keeping my word. My ears get affected by flying a lot, and I had to take an extra plane the next day as well, out of Ft. Lauderdale, but it was not as bad as I thought. There was little turbulence over the Caribbean and I was calm for most of the trip. The last leg of the trip from Santo Domingo to Caracas is very calm. Its a straight shot south veering slightly to the east upon arrival to the northern South American shores.

 

Arriving in Caracas, Next Day

 

When I finally arrived in Caracas on the 18th of November, in the late afternoon, with the sun still up, just before dinner, and I could see the images of Chavez on the walls of the buildings, I began to cry, as I rarely cry, but did a few times on this trip. A deep longing to be in the country for years, along with the struggle to finally make it on this trip, I wept, not loudly, but strongly enough to release the tension of finally being in the nation of my hero Bolivar. For the first few days it was like a dream, till it finally sunk in I was there, and I was part of history. I imagined what it was like for the Cuban liberator, a little more than a century before, Jose Marti, who went to Venezuela and wept at the statue of his hero Bolivar, am sure it was a similar feeling. Only I was coming from the new Empire, the US, rather than the Spanish, to try to reveal to the world its truth, so that its independence can be respected.

 

Image 1 at bottom

Pic Cristina recently sent me of her and the Argentine comrades still stuck in Caracas because of stupid Dominican policies. Cristina is the one with red glasses. Argentina is where the other Peruvian liberator was from, San Martin, besides Bolivar, and also where my hero Che Guevara was born.
 

Upon getting picked up Cristina and I experienced a taxi ride ( facilitated by a plain clothed man I could see had authority, who once he knew I was a state invite made sure I was in the right spot, am sure the taxi driver worked for the state) accompanied by police on motorcycle. Prior to that, I mentioned to the airport I was an elections observer (still using the old term) For the first time since I was in Cuba 4 years prior, my last time in Latin America, I felt safe by police presence. Unlike the US where police protect the rich and property, the police in Venezuela protect the working class. The ride was something out of a James Bond scene, almost like we were being chased by the opposition, saying they like to drive fast down there is an understatement, but it added to the excitement, the adrenaline certain woke me up. Am sure if I asked the driver to slow down he would have, but Cristina and I enjoyed it. I put my bags (could only afford carry on) full of vitamins and things for the Venezuelan people, in the back seat along side Cristina, she said she did not mind me getting front seat.

 

The view of the city at night was quite something. I even joked with the driver at one point saying this is something out of James Bond, and we laughed. It reminded me of a scene of the Carlos The Jackal series about the Venezuelan revolutionary in the 70s, played by Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez, where he pays a taxi man to outrun police that were following them in Prague. Am familiar with the Venezuelan humor. Its a humor that is similar throughout Latin America. Upon arriving to the airport where I did the PCR test, I put my bags away and the women staff there said: “Those are my caramels?”. I was happy to run into in the lobby that night Aminta Zea, fellow protector of the Venezuelan embassy in DC from 2019, and Tulio Virguez, who was our government guide and leader of our group in Venezuela who I had been in touch with for some time, especially since I tried to prepare for my trip back in June.

 

When I was talking with the Argentines without Cristina present, the next day in Caracas, they at first thought I was talking about their VP and former president Cristina Fernandez. The next morning I went downstairs for breakfast and seated next to a Dominican and Mexican comrade. I would say they are both in their 50s. The Dominican comrade was impressed with my knowledge of history and admiration for the Cuban liberators, including the Dominican born one Maximo Gomez. He gave me a copy of the Libertad (Liberty) newspaper, one of the ones started by Marti that still runs all these years later. The Mexican comrade also took a liking to me, and said I could stay in his home in Mexico if I ever go, but we were not able to exchange numbers. I may see him at a conference we are planning in Tijuana, where many Americans who could not make it can cross the border without having to get a visa.

 

The next morning I also ran into David Paul, who was among the last of the 4 protectors arrested at the embassy, I did not know him like Kevin but he remembered me. I shortly after made acquaintance with Flavia, a Brazilian embassy protector and filmmaker, who did similar actions at the Venezuelan embassy in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia. I got to introduce her to David, and also told David the reason why I had to cancel the Embassy Protectors film project, shortly after that was the second time I got emotional on the trip, remembering my late comrade, the embassy protector Kevin Zeese, which I will get into later.

 

The Tours Before Election Day, Experience as a Translator

 

The regional elections of November 21st, municipalities, including gubernatorial and mayoral candidates (Caracas City was only mayoral, much like in Washington DC), included 24 regions, of which 21 went to the Chavistas. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) is a coalition of leftist groups first formed by the late Comandante Hugo Chavez in the late 90s. It does not include the Communist Party of Venezuela currently, CP and PSUV have have some issues. The regions that went this time to the opposition, are regions now run by the right-wing. The tours, called recorridos, had principally two groups, one run by the Venezuelan-American William (I can never seem to write his last name right) and of course Tulio, mentioned earlier.

 

Tulio spent some time in New York and his English is quite good. Tulio, looks much like a light skinned black man, and probably, like many Venezuelans has indigenous, black and Spanish roots. Venezuela has a population with 54% Afro descendants, this was not acknowledged till Comandante Chavez came to power, who was part African himself. Through the Socialist government the people embraced their roots more throughout the years. Tulio has known many celebrities from the US who supported Chavez, attending to the African Americans who came, we talked about his experience with Danny Glover, and he showed photos with him. We enjoyed Venezuelan rum, I tried three types on my trip, one whose name I will not massacre, another Santa Teresa, and my favorite, Diplomatico (meaning diplomatic), at least the dark rum version of it I tried was my favorite. They had a patio outside the lobby which was ideal for relaxing after all the action of the day to sit back for shots, music and conversation. I managed to sing some Venezuelan revolutionary songs I knew, and songs from other parts of Latin America. Tulio was the one who first help bring down my hero, the late activist Kevin Zeese as well. He has a great sense of humor, and has an authority about him. He is probably in his 50s, but has a young spirit.

 

We went on several tours by bus before election day, accompanied by police of the working class, and also after election day had some tours as well. The two most impressive tours we went on before the 21st, were on the same day, an emotional day, we went to both the military barracks where Comandante Chavez is buried, and later, to the pantheon, where the liberator Simon Bolivar is buried. The latter is buried with the love of his life Manuela Saenz, also his tutor, Simon Rodriguez, and his doctor and other comrades. Chavez having died so recently (8 years ago) no one he knew is buried there yet. Its the site where he wanted to be buried, he was a man of the military, but also a man of the people. Conversing with the Venezuelan guides on the bus was fascinating. I wanted to know the ones I never spoken too, including the Venezuelan women. One of the Venezuelan women whose name I do remember, was Zulay Maestre. I actually happened to be following her on twitter before I came to the country.

 

Image 2

Me asking a question at the Somos Venezuela Chavista youth meeting. Hat given to me by the Platform of the Anti Imperialist Working Class, which is also part of the Free Alex Saab Campaign, headed by Venezuelan Cuban Ambassador Adan Chavez, brother of Comandante Chavez. Photo taken by Argentine comrade Cristina.

Image 3

Zulay Maestre is brunette, along with Chilean and American comrades.

Image 4

Zoom meeting of Platform of Anti Imperialist Working Class (PCOA) a week before going, Adan Chavez is next to me in box, he had wrote a book about his experiences with his brother, I believe he was in Cuba by the time I got to Caracas.

Image 5

Dakotah Lily & me in Caracas

We visited a plastic factory, that gave us plastic gifts, some I gave away, some I brought home. I talked with Dakotah Lily, an American Chavista who had appeared on Fox News, at the factory, we were acquainted after I was banned from facebook shortly before he was banned from twitter, as part of the imperial censorship we face, and was good to get his number and back in touch with him. Later I ran into Canadian-American activist Alison Bodine who lost touch with me since I was censored, as well as the American who is part of Free Alex Saab NY Danny Shaw, but will go into that later.

 

One of the stories the Chavista guide Zulay told me nearly brought me to tears, like I would succumb to later that night seeing Camilla Fabri (wife of the diplomat Alex Saab, photo with her can be found on my twitter) describe his kidnapping by US authorities. She said one of the times she saw Chavez she was overcome and cried, he went up to her and hugged her, and she said she did not shower for 10 days in order to keep the smell of him on her. The way she described him was like a father she adored, and I responded by saying he was the father of the nation and she nodded in agreement.

 

Another Chavista woman I spoke to, a guide, was with me at the barracks and from there we could see the presidential palace of Miraflores. I told her how I knew there was a coup against Chavez in 2002, and how 1 million Chavistas showed up to that palace forcing him to be returned on helicopter, I asked her where she was then, and she said at the palace with the 1 million. I was impressed and could see she was overwhelmed, she admitted this was the first time she could bring herself to visit the site of her Comandante’s burial. She described him as our comandante, and I started calling him mine too and I shed some tears at the site of his grave, as the guards stood on the sides of the casket in formation with their beautiful uniforms of freedom. A person from the communications team with the government overheard me tell Zulay in my emotional voice, something I have said before. You do not have to be Venezuelan to be Chavista, this young man was struck by my words and asked me to repeat them and say a few words as he filmed me. The video should be out soon, and I can translate it. I do not remember exactly what I said.

 

A third Chavista woman who came with us told me a powerful story about her daughter, who is now about my niece’s age, I think she said 12. This daughter is also about the same age as Chavez’s grandson. Back when she was pregnant and campaigning for Chavez, one day Chavez told her: “Am so impressed with how active you are, I see you all over the campaign, that baby that is coming, your daughter, am sure she will be active like you, and will be the future president of Venezuela.” Then years later when the daughter was about 11, Maduro gave a press conference, and her daughter took notes and Maduro noticed her, having no idea what Chavez said about the daughter, he asked her what she would like from her president. Did she ask for a home? For anything for herself? No. She said her only wish was to pray for the good of Maduro and his efforts. Maduro hearing this in front of the mother and everyone exclaimed: “We have a future president of Venezuela here!” and the mother said she cried from joy that day.

 

I asked her if she heard of the young activist Greta Thunberg, and she said yes, I told her about my niece and how I sent her a video of Greta. You can ask Venezuelans about any topic internationally, Palestine, Assange, etc, and they will have a vast knowledge. As the American philosopher Dewey said once, democracy can only work with an educated, informed public. The Venezuelans certainly are.

 

I was given that night one of the first copies of “Letters From His Kidnapping, Alex Saab”, it will be translated to English soon. Reading his words, seeing his intelligence, reminded me of when I read the words years ago of the young Anne Frank, who like Saab today, was a victim of fascism. I met that night Camilla Fabri, and also the Venezuelan journalist who supports Saab, known as Pedro Konducta. Later I met a top guy from the Alex Saab campaign, Roi Lopez. I was planning to interview Camilla but there was no time. I will continue in my efforts even with right wing “journalists” like Roberto Deniz now attacking me for my efforts in the US and Venezuela for truth.

 

I was translator from English to Spanish and Spanish to English for a couple of PCOA meetings. There was also a French and Arabic translator. To give you an idea of the international presence in the meeting where I did live translation: People from Africa present: Western Sahara (occupied by Moroccans), Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Benin, Togo, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal. People from Middle East present: Iran, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq. I would say most of the 400 international companions of the election were from PCOA. There was some from the EU (100) and Carter Center (US), do not know exact amount of latter. Majority of us were there out of our inspiration for truth and wanting to know the land led by Chavez and his successor elected by the people, Nicolas Maduro. Maduro is of Sephardic Jewish origin, and Chavez was of each black, Spanish and indigenous origin.

 

Many people said they were impressed, with me taking little notes, how I could be quick in summarizing words in translation, and having a good memory. At first I thought it was flattery but people kept telling me it, and I felt honored to use my humble efforts to serve truth for the world. Shortly before election day I was able to meet Alex Flores, 37 like me, and like me, with Peruvian blood, he is actually a Congressman from the new leftist Peruvian president’s party, and was giving me advice on how to get Peruvian citizenship. I joked as they asked us questions, that here we have Alex Suarez (my name is actually Alexander not Al), Alex Flores, and we just need Alex Saab here for the three Alexs. With Venezuelan humor you can even make a tragic situation funny.

 

Election Day, Somos Venezuela

 

The Venezuelan elections, both regional and presidential (there are many other election times am studying, its extremely democratic) used to have an automatic audit, higher than any other country, based on their deal with the opposition, of 30%. Currently it is 50% and actually averages out about 54%. For example, if there were 7 tables to be audited, 4 are counted. I went to 4 different voting centers, as I was in inner city areas, some of them opposition higher class whiter areas, I really got a sense of Venezuela and it sunk in I was really there. Some of the companions rested at the hotel and missed the other bus to go to the other two centers, but I wanted to miss nothing so I joined that as well.

 

We were told there was no drinking alcohol 72 hours before elections (they may have meant no sale of alcohol) just as there was no campaigning in that time period (may be just short of 72 hours). Also, we could not wear anything signaling we were leftist or any political inclination at the voting booths, they were stricter than the US when it came to this. The Che hat I bought back at the pantheon, just before we danced (most of us) to Afro Venezuelan music at the cafe by where the Liberator is buried, I had to take off at the hotel, and instead I wore my known brown hat (making it easier for leftist and enemies to recognize me alike).

 

One of the things that impressed me was seeing with my own eyes, was how they printed how they voted out to see for themselves in case it needed to be changed. It is rare such a thing would happen in most US states. I relayed that to the person in charge of the booth. I also asked how the voters felt that day, not talking politics, we talked how it seemed the sunniest day in a week was set by God for that election day. I witnessed how people brought their elders with a crutches to go out to vote. This was voluntary voting, and real workers democracy in action, history before my eyes.

 

The next day we met with the Somos Venezuela group, to go over the results. The name of the group means We Are Venezuela. Its a Chavista youth group whose members are from ages 18-25. They may have a sub-membership for minors I plan to do an article on them later on. They are led by a 25 year old woman, Vanesa Montero. From a distance with her glasses and similar looks, I thought she was the VP of the government Delcy Rodriguez, Delcy of course being older. I heard the group was out of the Vice Presidency so thought she would be there, the VP position unlike in the US holds weight and Chavista women, as part of feminist Socialist movements, unlike the bourgeois ones you tend to see in the US, hold many positions of power, which I will get into.

 

I asked them if any of the opposition parties recognized the elections results. Vanesa explained that the opposition does not tend to do so. My introduction of who I was, where from, etc, was shorter than others, and I went right to the question. I felt humbled by the presence of these great people, and did not want to take up time. I particularly had a lot of conversations with my neighbors, the Mexican comrades. I was answered many questions about the internal politics of the Zapatistas there, who have a lot of mystique about them. I also in my broken French (I studied some before), with some words replaced in Spanish and English, spoke with a French comrade who could only speak French, or at least seemed so, and she said everyone in France loves Che Guevara when I talked about him. I played her a video of Che speaking French in Algeria. I told her what I told others there, that Che is always present in all of this. The Argentines tended to be of the Peronist progressives but many of them admired Che and Socialism as well.

 

Tours After, Final Days

 

Factories were the principal places we went to, some of them despite sanctions had already been exporting, and were at a production rate of 50%, with plans to be at 100% next year. Tulio lost much of his voice so I did the translating for him. Russia and China no doubt helped Venezuela get back on its feet, and now with the state factories they can control their own destiny. One of the most impressive factories was the plastic one, women were 60% of the workforce, they showed us a section where they were 80%. In Maracay, Araguas region, we went to two factories, Maracay named after the cacique from the region, about an hour and a half drive from Caracas, the formerly owned by transnational Kellogg’s corporation, is now under workers control as the Americans left 3 years ago. When it was under corporate control women were only permitted to be 5% of the workforce, some workers left, the new ones hired were mostly women and now 40% of the workforce there are women. Many of the security of the building were also women. We were told the finance department was all women. The cereal factory had about 300 workers, the next one closer to 1000. I was told the formerly owned Kimberly Clark factory, that also kept the name for legal reasons and is under workers control, now making toilet paper that was desperately needed because of sanctions, has about 40% women working there as well. The solidarity of working class I witnessed without distinction of borders, was inspiring.

 

Image 6
Alison Bodine, and a Venezuelan comrade who showed up in Maracay, I said, Che always present at the sight of them.
 

Alison and I getting back in touch was a victory in and of itself since I lost touch with 1000s of comrades since I was censored on facebook after 10 years and not welcome back. My army of truth on twitter grows slowly but surely. I also met a woman from Tunisia who actually defended the dictator Ben Ali, I said, if he was so great, why did a young man set himself on fire starting the Arab Spring? She said she would have an answer for me. I saw her several times and even the last morning but she could never give one.

 

I want to make clear not everyone who came was of the same mentality of Chavez, Chavez of course supported the Arab rebellions in Egypt and Tunisia. He was still around then. Chavez was certainly an admirer of the Egyptian Socialist Nasser, who gave Che logistical support in the 60s to fight in the Congo, and who before that gave Che a tour of Egypt, including Gaza which was under Egyptian control then. I in fact met a leader of the Nasserist Party in Egypt while I was there. Also many comrades from Puerto Rico who were supporters of the independence movement, like Chavez was, Maduro is.

 

There was a debate that almost ensued with me and other activists on a bus trip that shows the division of the left in the US Empire that persists. I decided not to pursue a debate since the African American woman who was upset had her older brother who came with her quarantined for testing positive for Covid so did not want to push it. I would not say she was of the Blue No Matter Who crowd. For those that do not know American politics that means those who are partisans of the Democratic Party and even vote the right wing ones. Blue being the Democrat color. I was talking to an African American couple from Georgia who were agreeing with me, when the Black Lives Matter people from Oklahoma, a white man and African American woman started attacking me verbally for quoting Stacey Abrams, from an event I was at, saying Maduro and Nicaragua Sadinistas are totalitarian governments. Not only is this false its regime-change talking points. Most on the bus agreed with me, some observed elections in Nicaragua, but there was silence. This shows how even those who know the truth about Venezuela will defend Stacey because of her race and gender, despite her policies now being right wing. I do not consider the encounter a bad one, it reminded me we need leadership so the left can unite, a leader of integrity like Chavez. Leftists like Piedad Cordoba, from Colombia, and others I met, all want to unite as we should unite in the US Empire itself to stop these sanctions and other crimes because people vote leaders who wont sell out to us. That is what I learned down there among other things. I end with a quote from my notes in Venezuela, and a reflection on my late comrade Kevin Zeese.

 

“If he stole (Alex Saab) from the Venezuelan people, he would have been given the Presidential Medal of Honor (by Biden) since that’s all the US government has done to us, instead he is extradited and persecuted, for doing the opposite, bringing us food and medical supplies. He has now only one charge of conspiracy to launder money, with no evidence, and one false witness.”-Pedro Konducta

 

As I reflected with teary eyes to the Brazilian comrade Flavia, let me repeat it here. The late Kevin Zeese, who lost weight, and was fatigued under siege at the Venezuelan embassy, still had the strength in front of me to come to the window and hold the image of Hugo Chavez, who gave him and the comrades the moral strength to carry on. Now I saw as Kevin saw the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela with my own eyes, and I will not forget. I hated having to leave, one of the hardest things I had to do, I know the Venezuelan people need me, but I make a promise to them, and myself, to continue to expose US imperialism and help them live in peace, to do so or die trying. It is up to the youth, the future generations. The youngest member of the National Assembly in Venezuela is 22, a woman. They are the future. My niece is the future. The left continues the fight to win in Chile, Brazil, etc, I may travel to these places. Venezuela will always have a special place in my heart. I encourage other honest people to go, so they can reveal the truth.