Arrival into Caracas, Maiquetia International Airport.

Transfer to lodging and dinner near hotel.

Day 2:

Breakfast and Orientation Meeting: Participant introductions; presentations by trip leaders and a review of GX codes of conduct and expectations.

Overview of recent Venezuelan history with Micheal Fox, journalist for Venezuela Analysis. V.A. is an editorially independent website produced and disseminated by individuals dedicated to reporting news and analysis about the current political situation in Venezuela. Their goal is to become the primary English resource for information and analysis on Venezuela.

Visit with Eva Golinger, lawyer, author of "The Chavez Code" and researcher of United States intervention in Venezuela.

Day 3:

City Tour: Leave for Downtown, visit Simon Bolivar's birth place, the national tomb of famous leaders, Miraflores Presidential Palace, and Altamira Square. Also visit Llaguno Bridge, site of massacre during the coup on April 11, 2002.

Visit to Barrio 23 de Enero, popular poor neighborhood organized into autonomous collectives. Speak with Juan Gonzalez or Guadalupe Rodriguez, of 23 de Enero. Visit to health and educational missions in the neighborhood. Meet with members of Colectivo Alexis Vive to speak about neighborhood organizing and political participation.

Day 4:

Banco de la Mujer: The Women's Bank is an organization supported by the government that supports women and their livelihoods. Set up principally as a women's financing institution, the Women's Bank gives micro credits to the poorest women of the country, often times without collateral and with very low (if any) interests rates. The Women's Bank not only focuses on the financial aspect of women's lives, however, but also the personal, physical and psychological.

Vist CONIVE (Consejo Nacional de Indios de Venezuela, National Assembly of Indigenous Venezuelans) to speak about Misión Guaicaipuro and indigenous peoples' rights.

Day 5

Visit El Instituto Nacional de la Mujer (INAMUJER), the National Institute for Women, a government organization which emerged from the 1999 "Law of Equal Opportunities for Women" to offer political and legal support to women.

Meet with representative of FUNDALATIN, The Latin-American Foundation for Human Rights & Social Development, an ecumenical group founded in 1978 whose original purpose was to help refugees fleeing from dictatorships in other parts of Latin America.

Meet with representative of Union Nacional de Trabajadores (UNT), the National Union of Workers of Venezuela, the new progressive labor union formed after the older Venezuelan labor federation, the CTV, supported to coup attempt against Chavez.

Day 6

Departure for Barlovento (two hour bus ride), a coastal Afro-Venezuelan region, the entrance port of all slave ships into South America during colonial times.

Day 7:

Visit Cooperativa MUDEBAR: Cooperativa MUDEBAR is a women's sewing coop consisting of 193 women and one man, in Barlovento. They make garments of many kinds, including uniforms, pants, intimate appearal, baby clothing and sheets. They have been together for a little over a year. We usually visit them when in Barlovento as it is always a pleasure to hear about their successes, including how many of them were previously housewives and now have their own careers and how relationships have changed between husband and wife as the women assume a more important role in the workforce.

Visit the Bolivarian School in San Jose, a primary school created with funding from the government.

Official welcome at Casa de Cultura in San Jose and discussion of Afro-Venezuelan traditions and culture.

Day 8:

Visit Mango de Ocoyta: Mango is a small village in the heart of Barlovento, famous for being a cumbe, an area where slaves would go to be safe. It is a place that survives primarily on cacao farming and many of the families there have organized themselves into a cooperative. The government is now building a cacao processing plant there, so that they can sell not only the raw cacao but also such processed products as chocolate. We will get a tour of the town, hear about the history, meet with cooperative members and visit a woman who makes delicious products from cacao, including sweets and liquor. Visit a Barrio Adentro free medical clinic, a social program in collaboration with Cuba in which Cuban doctors staff most of the clinics. In exchange, Cuba receives cheaply priced oil.

Lunch at river

Return to San Jose

Day 9: Beach Day in Barlovento

Beach Day

Visit with students for a Barlovento cultural event

Day 10:

Morning- Free time

Meeting with Greg Wilpert of Venezuelan Analysis.

Wrap-up meeting and planning for steps to take back home

Day 11: Farewell!

Return to Maiquetía Intl. Airport in Caracas for Departures