
Advertisement
To get a handle on how the people of Venezuela are feeling about all this, we called up Carla Paez, who made the documentary Who Wants Tuki?. Changa Tuki, by the way, is a rave-injected blend of hardstyle and reggaeton that's been the soundtrack of the ranchos (Venezuela's favelas) since 2004. The ranchos are notoriously difficult to film in and are often hotbeds of Chavez support, so considering she's spent a large amount of time hanging out there, we figured she'd have a decent idea of public opinion.
Advertisement
Carla Paez: Hi! I'm OK, I guess, but a bit disappointed with the result. How are you?Good, thanks. I’m guessing you didn’t vote for Chavez?
Nope. Capriles was the first opposition candidate we’ve had that actually seemed like a good option. For the first time in forever, people weren’t voting against Chavez, but actually for Capriles.What made you vote for him? We tend to see all politicians as out-of-touch liars in America.
Apart from the fact that he’s young and hot, he distanced himself from traditional Venezuelan politics, in a similar way to how Chavez did back in '99. He had good, new ideas and was the first politician to talk about how the country has become so divided. Even though I wouldn’t say that me or my associates are remotely political, with the surge in criminality and violence, it’s become harder and harder to avoid taking sides.

I guess we’ll never know. While I don’t have much faith in election promises, it’s obvious that tackling criminality is not a priority for the current government. Chavez’s discourse has radicalized class divisions and legitimized violence. Robbery happens all over the world, but here it’s considered normal to be shot over a mobile phone. Even after they’ve stolen it.Sort of like a government approved class war?
I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a war, but the feeling you get in Caracas is that the middle class are a target. Fear is something that’s with us every day.
Advertisement
Suprisingly, Petare was actually won by Capriles. I’m sure it was only by a small margin, but it still shows how the country is changing. Although we took precautions, I never once felt threatened while we were filming there. I guess everyone wants to live in a safer country. Elberth, the dancer in the film, told us about having lost friends to gun crime, or because they’d "taken the wrong path." Like us, the priority of the people we spoke to was to be able to continue to do what they enjoyed doing.Couldn’t this shift be a sign that the misiones are working?
Possibly, but it all depends on how they’re run. One of the problems with the system is that it’s difficult to get access to benefits unless you are registered as a Chavista. There are other problems too, such as understaffing of the medical centers, but you’d really have to see it for yourself to understand.So—six more years. Are you expecting any repercussions? I remember after the 2004 elections there were allegations about people who had voted for the opposition being denied jobs.
Going on Chavez’s speech yesterday, it’s likely that the country will carry on along the same lines. I really don’t feel that the quality of life for the working class is improving. Poverty is worse and opportunities are harder to come by. The main problem is inflation, making it harder to afford to eat. This can only mean more violence.Venezuelan Body CountVenezuela's Skyscraper Slum