[IPSM] Venezuela offers low-cost gasoline to tribes

[Macdonald Stainsby]

Indian Country Today - Sep 20, 2005 
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096411602

Venezuela offers low-cost gasoline to tribes

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez lifts indigenous rights struggle in Americas to 
new level

by Brenda Norrell

SEATTLE - While setting new global standards for the recognition of 
indigenous rights in Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez has made an offer 
to bring low-cost gasoline to the poor in the United States, including 
American Indian tribal communities.

"There is an offer on the table for low-cost heating oil and gasoline 
for poor communities in the United States," said Robert Free Galvan, who 
is contacting tribes in the United States with Venezuela's offer.

"Hopefully, Indian tribes and Native entities will take advantage of 
this opportunity to become stronger in the global community."

Galvan's comments came after he attended the 16th World Festival of 
Students and Youth in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 7 - 15, which was 
attended by 40,000 people.

"I was amazed at 12-cent-a-gallon gas," said Galvan, adding that he fell 
in love with the beauty of the green mountains and blue ocean waters in 
Venezuela.  Chavez has already sent hundreds of thousands of barrels of 
oil to the region hit by Hurricane Katrina. Venezuela owns CITGO 
Petroleum Corp., which has eight refineries in the United States, and 
has set aside up to 10 percent of its refined oil products to be sold 
directly to organized poor communities, and institutions in the United 
States without intermediaries.

Galvan said Chavez and his revolution for indigenous rights gained the 
respect of indigenous people at the world gathering in Venezuela. During 
the opening procession of nations, Chavez gave a "thumbs up" to the 
banner displaying the words "Leonard Peltier." "Chavez acknowledged 
indigenous people by having them open and bless the gathering," Galvin 
said.

The first speaker was a Native woman, one of three indigenous 
representatives in the Venezuela Assembly (or Congress), who gave 
testimony to advances for indigenous people.

"Chavez hugged all the indigenous leaders in front of the world and gave 
deeds of territory to the tribes," Galvan said of the communal land 
titles given to six communities of the Karina, which is one of 
Venezuela's 28 indigenous peoples.

Chavez' Mission Guaicaipuro lists 15 more indigenous groups to receive 
their ancestral land before the end of 2006. Galvan pointed out that 
earlier Chavez called for a halt to the celebration of Columbus Day and 
replaced it with "Indigenous Resistance Day." The U.S. government, 
Galvan said, has reacted to Chavez' leadership and far-sweeping reforms 
for indigenous rights with racism.

"The United States government is very racist. Chavez is indigenous and 
part black, and is in control of one of the world's largest oil 
reserves," Galvan said.  Galvan said he decided to attend the world 
gathering after hearing of the movement for "fair trade," as opposed to 
"free trade," which is igniting the indigenous rights movement in 
Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, where the majority of the population is 
indigenous.

The economic alliance promotes fair trade as an alternative to the World 
Trade Organization, North American Free Trade Agreement or Central 
American Free Trade Agreement, he said.

"These trade agreements seem to favor the rich and powerful 
corporations. Chavez has spent billions of oil dollars on education, 
feeding and housing the people of his country in order to rebuild the 
situation in his government which was inherited from the previous 
government that had channeled much of the country's resources into a few 
hands," Galvan said. During the world gathering, the contingent from the 
United States did not give Galvan the opportunity to present his 
PowerPoint presentation of indigenous issues at the world gathering or 
allow him to have a table of information.

The struggles of the Western Shoshone to protect their aboriginal lands 
in what is now called Nevada and the Gwich'in to protect the Arctic from 
oil exploration were two of the issues he wanted to present to the world 
community.

Galvan said the Lakota grass roots group Fourth World Emerging from Pine 
Ridge, S.D., was also prevented by the U.S. organizers from presenting 
their information concerning the United Nations Draft Declaration of 
Indigenous Rights.

However, Galvan was able to show his presentation to a few Venezuelan 
government representatives, who were upset at the missed opportunity to 
present the information to the world gathering. They offered Galvan the 
opportunity to present it on Venezuelan national television, but his 
flight departure prevented it.

Finally, the Venezuelan government contacted Galvan at home in Seattle 
and set in motion a new effort to bring low-cost gasoline to Indian 
tribal members and cultural exchanges between indigenous of the north 
and south.

"The government of Venezuela contacted me by e-mails and phone calls for 
my opinion and feedback of the gathering in August. They heard my effort 
to bring indigenous struggles to be shared with the world was prevented 
by the organizers from the U.S. delegation to the conference.

"They were upset that it was not presented." Galvan said he suggested 
Venezuela provide low-cost gasoline to poor U.S. communities while he 
was in Venezuela in August. "I suggested this to them while I was in 
Caracas. Maybe they were already thinking of this, or maybe I ignited 
the idea. I like to think the latter."

Galvan pointed out that Venezuela has already distinguished itself in 
the international arena of indigenous human rights. Venezuela has 
accelerated the process for indigenous tribes to be recognized by the 
government, while in the United States the strategy is delay.

Galvan also pointed out that Venezuela recognizes indigenous 
representatives regardless of how the community chooses to select their 
representatives, including those selected with traditional methods. 
Venezuela's Bolivarian Constitution establishes indigenous rights of 
territory, intercultural and bilingual education and local political 
representation. The Constitution adopted in 1999 states the county's 
indigenous peoples have right to their ancestral territories.

Chavez' efforts have not gone unnoticed. In August, the United States, 
Christian evangelist Pat Robertson called on the United States to 
assassinate Chavez.

Galvan said, "Pat Robertson represents fundamentalists which are at the 
same level as al-Qaida in terms of fanatical self righteousness. 
Indigenous people have known terrorism from self righteous fanatics."

Chavez told Ted Koppel on ABC's "Nightline" in September that he has 
proof that the United States is planning to invade Venezuela. Code-named 
"Balboa," Chavez said the U.S. recently carried out training maneuvers 
in Curacao, Venezuela. Chavez warned if the U.S. carries out this plan 
it would result in a 100-year war. Also, Chavez pointed out Venezuela 
sends 1.5 million barrels of oil to the U.S. each day.  Self-described 
as a revolutionary, Chavez said, "I've been in revolt for years against 
ignominy, against injustice, against inequality, against immorality, 
against the exploitation of human beings."

[Native communities and entities wanting to learn more about Venezuela's 
offer of low-cost gasoline and heating oil can e-mail Robert Free Galvan 
at robtfree at earthlink.net. ]

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