We don't get a lot of news about them here through our own media, for some reason, do we?
(snip)Venezuela's slum army takes control
THE OBSERVER
Monday, Aug 11, 2003,Page 7
The economy is in a shambles, the country is torn by social strife. The government is paralyzed by factional conflicts, and the virulent media denounce a new public scandal nearly every day.
But in the sprawling hillside slums of Caracas, there is optimism. A startling buzz of activity from the very bottom of society's ladder is beginning to affect an embattled Venezuela. Since weathering a coup in April last year and a debilitating strike early this year, President Hugo Chavez has pushed through measures aimed at promoting civic participation among the poor.
And the result may well prove to be the turning point of Venezuela's fortunes.
In the teeming barrios of the capital, a quiet revolution is under way. Meeting in dilapidated school houses and potholed alleyways, Venezuelans have formed neighborhood groups to fix deficient water supply systems, to organize volunteer efforts at local schools and to launch recycling campaigns. (snip/...)
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