Japi's Blog

Body of War - A Powerful Documentary

Ellen Spiro (a friend of my brother Joaquin) and Phil Donahue have produced and directed a powerful documentary called Body of War. 

It is the story of a young man, Tomas Young, who joins the military to fight the evil doers and is wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week.

Here's a synopsis from the film's Web site:

"Body of War is Tomas' coming home story as he evolves into a new person, coming to terms with his disability and finding his own unique and passionate voice against the war. Body of War is a naked and honest portrayal of what it's like inside the body, heart and soul of this extraordinary and heroic young man."

Watch the preview below:

Last Speech by Dr. Markin Luther King Jr

40 years ago today Dr. Martin Luther King was shot in Memphis, TN.  He was a great American who has left a legacy of peaceful resistance against inequality and injustice which is still alive.

His final speech (see excerpt below) sounds prophetic as he mentions that he is not worried because he has been to the mountaintop.  He continues to state that he would prefer to live a long life, but that he's not concerned about that. 

It was a very sad day for the world to lose such an amazing and valiant human being.

Juan Vicente Gomez - Venezuelan President beginning in 1908

As expressed in my previous post, I aim to learn more about Venezuela's history and political climate to better understand and try to predict its future direction.

After Cipriano Castro left for Europe to be treated for syphilis, General Juan Vicente Gomez (the vice president) was left in charge.  Gomez had been instrumental in bringing (and maintaining) Cipriano Castro to power.  When Gomez began to see the mess that the previous administration had left... he decided to let Castro know that there was no need to return.

Castro presided over Venezuela for close to 30 years (on and off) during a critical period in the country's history - oil was discovered in Lake Maracaibo in 1918 which prompted unprecedented economic growth.  Gomez was definitely a great leader during this period, but was also enriching himself and his family by stealing from the country's coffers.

General Juan Vicente Gomez treated Venezuela as his personal "hacienda" (plantation) and this has created two opposite views of his regime.   Some historians consider him Venezuela's greatest president.... and others write him off as a tyrant and one more in a long line of corrupt presidents.  However, he was a great leader during Venezuela's historic growth in the early part of the 1900's.

In my previous post, I made some parallels between Venezuela's current president Chavez and Cipriano Castro.  In the wikipedia entry about Juan Vicente Gomez, the parallel is made between Gomez and Chavez.  Personally, I would prefer to make the parallel with Cipriano Castro since his time in power was much shorter and was replaced by someone considered a strong leader who lead the country to wealth and economic growth.

I expect that either Chavez or Venezuela's next president will have a very strict hand but will be able to help spur new economic growth.  The one factor that will affect this is the level of technological growth they are able to promote.  If Venezuela is able to catch up technologically to some of its neighbors, it may have opportunities for future growth... otherwise it will continue to fall apart.

Cipriano Castro - Venezuelan President 1899 - 1908

To better understand what is currently happening in Venezuela, it's important to go back in time and see cultural and political factors that have affected its people.  Through these writings, I am also learning more about my birth country's history... I hope you find it useful as well. 

Wikipedia and my father's Web site will be the primary sources of information for the following blogposts.

Cipriano Castro was Venezuela's 37th President from 1899 to 1908.

The following is a letter written by Cipriano Castro to Venezuelans in 1908 (I have translated it to English):

Dear Venezuelans:

Special circumstances force me to leave for Europe today, for just a few days. 

The country is on a path of prosperity and growth, due to its responsible debt re-payment, its balanced revenues and the solid peace enjoyed by our nation, all of which will fall on your hands to maintain and help this success endure.

As stated in our constitution, our Vice President General Juan Vicente Gomez will be in charge of the Presidency.  I ask that you support and lend him your cooperation in his important mission, as if it was me, in this you will fulfill your duty.

Caracas, November 23, 1908.

Cipriano Castro

Thanks to Joaquin Avellan Cachazo for making this letter available on his Web site.

The little I know about Venezuelan history includes the horrors of General Juan Vicente Gomez's 3 Presidencies (1908-1914, 1922-1929 and 1931-1935).  However, as I read further in both my father's article and Wikipedia, I learn that Cipriano Castro was actually much worse than Gomez.  Castro took power with military force and went on to lead one of the country's most corrupt periods in its history.

My father's article parallels Castro's reign with that of current Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.   Both men took power before the turn of their respective centuries, both had military backing and hid behind a slogan of helping the poor.  Neither President was a true leader as Castro was managed by the Germans and British... just as Chavez is being managed by Fidel Castro and other totalitarian regimes around the world.

Cipriano Castro's excesses lead him to contract syphilis in 1908 which is the reason he left to Paris for treatment.  When Chavez first took power, we hoped his regime would last just a few years, now it looks like it will last more than Cipriano Castro's 9 years.

Shortly after his departure, Gomez took power and began a progressive time in Venezuela that was contrasted by his heavy hand in dealing with anyone who opposed him. 

I will cover Gomez in my next post... but understanding a little bit about Venezuela at the turn of the 20th century and seeing its similarities with today's situation, have made me both sad of its past and its impending doom as the past is likely repeating itself.

Will Venezuela one day learn from its past and find a way to improve its future?

NOTE: First photo is in the public domain of the United States.  The political cartoon is Wikimedia Commons. It is a Caricature of Cipriano Castro, by W.A. Rogers, published in the New York Herald, January, 1903.

Commons is a freely licensed media file repository. You can help.