Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY
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WORLD NEWS A11
Wednesday 27 December 2017
Venezuela’s opposition reinvents itself with soup kitchens
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ In this Dec. 12, 2017 photo, children watch their free meal arrive ing. ficient on its own to foster
Associated Press Capriles denies that out- support among the Ven-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) to be served at a soup kitchen sponsored by the opposition in reach efforts resemble the ezuelan electorate.
— Miguel Castillo hurried same populism pushed Opposition parties suf-
up a narrow, dusty street Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuela’s opposition leaders are rein- by Maduro, and says that fered bruising defeats in
in a poor neighborhood he is simply continuing the this year’s gubernato-
in Venezuela’s capital city venting themselves, meeting their country’s growing number of policies he implemented rial and mayoral elections,
carrying a boy who clung as governor of the central leaving members divided
to him as if his life depend- state of Miranda from 2008 over how to move forward
ed on it. to 2017. ahead of next year’s presi-
Castillo, a member of the “I am not the ‘disconnect- dential race. They have yet
country’s tattered opposi- ed politician,’” he said. “I to rally behind a candidate
tion movement, brought never have been one, and to challenge Maduro, who
the 6-year-old named To- I have never been isolated is expected to seek a sec-
mas to a dining hall filled from the reality of the peo- ond six-year term. Even so,
with nearly a hundred skin- ple I serve.” some political analysts are
ny children sitting at tables But the opposition has skeptical the latest good-
and scooping spoonfuls found that making fiery will strategy is enough to
of beef and rice soup into speeches has been inef- change the status quo.q
their mouths. Tomas, who
was running a fever and poor in their own neighborhoods.
needed food, required
help reaching the opposi- (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
tion-run soup kitchen be-
cause of a disability that across Venezuela. The food icy of solutions.”
left him unable to walk.
“I never imagined that my is provided with the help of On a recent day, Flores
country would come to be
like this,” Castillo said on a local businesses and Ven- provided free medical
recent day. “This is my way
of doing something.” ezuelans living abroad. The checkups at a makeshift
For Venezuela’s opposition,
this is a new kind of politics doctors among the opposi- neighborhood camp, us-
— one that has it providing
free meals and medical tion parties’ ranks are giv- ing his cellphone as a flash-
checkups in an attempt to
connect with the poor. The ing free medical care to light to examine an elderly
outreach is aimed at help-
ing change the negative children and the elderly. woman’s throat.
perception many Venezu-
elans have of an opposi- Inflation in Venezuela is “There are some who walk
tion that has been unable
to influence change as projected to surpass 2,000 around like zombies look-
President Nicolas Maduro
further consolidates power. percent this year, and the ing for food and looking for
Members of the Justice
First party launched a soup economy is estimated to medicines,” he said, add-
kitchen which has so far
provided 4,000 meals to have shrunk by 12 percent. ing that the opposition’s
poor youth in Caracas,
while leaders of the Popular Shortages of food, medi- latest outreach is another
Will party say they’re push-
ing to provide 40,000 each cine and basic goods have way of doing politics.
week in neighborhoods
become dire amid moves The growing focus on the
by Maduro to crack down poor sounds familiar to
on dissent. many who have seen simi-
“Our politics are in crisis, lar policies implemented
and our politicians are in cri- by the socialist leaders that
sis,” said Henrique Capriles, the opposition has been
a former presidential con- struggling for years to un-
tender and governor who seat from power.
organized the soup kitchen During his 14 years in of-
visited by Castillo. fice, the late President
Many members of the op- Hugo Chavez launched
position now see their quest numerous programs aimed
for political relevance as at providing free medical
closely tied to their efforts care and social services
to help everyday Venezu- to Venezuela’s neediest,
elans in what opposition while Maduro regularly
politician and physician touts initiatives to provide
Winston Flores calls “a pol- subsidized food and hous-
