VHeadline editor & publisher Roy S. Carson writes: In an interview with the ABN News Agency, Venezuela's ambassador to London, Dr. Samuel Moncada claims "the situation of poverty and environmental concerns are the great problems which currently beset society in the United Kingdom of Great Britain."He explains that "new and strengthened relations" between Britain and the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela are based on comprehending the common necessities of both nations, aimed at understanding the concerns of Venezuelan society."
Moncada continues: "In this way, we are helping the British community understand that the Venezuelan government is not dictatorial and a tyrrany, like the transnational massmedia would have us believe." He adds that his mission is to promote the Bolivarian system based on the construction of an economic model that is not destructive of the environment and which generate social welfare; a political model of non-exclusion which brings political participation to the people."
- "We have invited Britons to visit our country and to directly observe the democratic and progressive model of Hugo Chavez Frias government as the motor of social and productive revolution for the whole of Latin America and the Caribbean."
the second floor of the shabbily-painted Venezuelan Embassy in London's South Kensington, diagonally opposite the Victoria & Albert Museum. While he continues in the ABN interview to claim that the Embassy is promoting "common aspects of concern (with the UK) in social inequality, minimum wage, education, the necessity to strengthen the political environment, respect for women, the proliferation of trade unions, universities, public health and the degree of indigenous poverty" he points out that "we are developing a 'soft diplomacy' which consists in the use of a political and expressive discourse which allows us to identify common aspects and necessities for the United Kingdom and Venezuela."Reality, however, does set in once Moncada hits the sidewalk along London's Cromwell Road since the vast majority of British citizens are completely 'gob-smacked' if perchance they learn that Venezuela lies only miles off the coast of Trinidad ... something akin to Canadians' perception of Venezuela as foreign territory off the coast of Aruba ... and the average Brit's perception of where Venezuela is geographically placed in the world: somewhere on the other side of the world readily confused with Paddington Bear's birthplace in the far flung jungles of 'darkest Peru.'
Elsewhere (in another ABN news agency despatch from the UK capital), Ambassador Moncada rails against the British massmedia and seeks to discredit the independent UK Press Complaints organization as somehow being under the control of Rupert Murdoch's every whim.As for Moncada's embassy promoting "the Bolivarian system based on the construction of an economic model that is not destructive of the environment and which generate social welfare; a political model of non-exclusion which brings political participation to the people" ... phooey!
The communist Morning Star does NOT have such an extensive readership anywhere in the UK and Venezuela's profile in London diplomatic circles has most definitely taken a nose-dive since career diplomat Alfredo Toro Hardy left town to take up a more punishing schedule in Madrid.
A London executive commentator this Tuesday morning emailed VHeadline Venezuela to question Moncada's understanding of UK-based poverty: "I know the costs of living are different but taking 60% of the median income to define poverty is a very generous defintion ... the term 'poverty' is relative because a monthly disposable income, after deducting taxes and rent, of UK£1,040 ( = US$1,976 = BsF 4,248) for a family would never be considered poverty in Venezuela."
- Meanwhile, Moncada has his work more than cut out to salvage the "excellent relationship" that Venezuela claimed to have with London City Hall since Ken Livingston was electorally 'overthrown' by diehard Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson.
As we have already reported, the new London Mayor is slamming the door shut to further funding of quasi-NGOs claiming to represent Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution and moves are already afoot to cull a Livingstone deal to barter cheap Venezuelan diesel to fuel London buses for Livingstone-inspired consultation services on Caracas traffic, metropolitan policing etc of which we have seen little substance.
While Mayor Johnson manages an annual budget in excess of US$20 billion, Venezuela cooperation does not rank highly on the spreadsheet and while Moncada may wish to fantasize that column inches in the Morning Star constitutes promoting Venezuela to a larger British readership, his currently reclusive attitude to broader British media dialogue is, quite frankly, seen as symptomatic of a model of exclusion which frustrates any good-willed effort to promote the real issues of Venezuela to the otherwise bored-out-of-their-minds British people even if they are prepared to surface for fresh air from a countless round of Eastenders, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and the latest episodes of Britain's Got Talent!
Roy S. Carson
vheadline@gmail.com
Venezuela is facing the most difficult period of its history with honest reporters crippled by sectarianism on top of rampant corruption within the administration and beyond, aided and abetted by criminal forces in the US and Spanish governments which cannot accept the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people to decide over their own future.
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