VENEZUELA: Bolivarian circles organise the poor

By Christiano Kerrilla

The circles' ideology is based explicitly on the revolutionary heritage of Venezuela, beginning with Bolivar's triumph in the war of independence against Spain, and include "as ideological patrimony the practical and theoretical experience of the freedom struggles of all the fraternal peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean".

Their tasks include "raising the consciousness of citizens developing all forms of participatory organisation in the community ... stimulating creativity and innovation in the life of the individual and the community ... [and] realising projects of community concern in the areas of health, education, culture, sport, public services, housing, and preservation of the environment, natural resources and our historical heritage."