Reality Tours in Venezuela :: Global Exchange

The U.S. government routinely labels other countries as sources of evil and their leaders as enemies. How do we know if the claims are true? Global Exchange believes there is nothing like seeing for yourself. Each year, they take hundreds of “delegates” to more than 30 countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Instead of the usual tourist stops, these “reality tours” visit worker-owned cooperatives, health clinics, political rallies, and community television stations. Venezuela is a popular destination. During a tour that coincided with President Hugo Chavez’s December 2006 re-election bid, tour leader Leonardo Lameda (left) admired a figure of El Presidente. Pull the string, and you get a very long speech.