Venezuela Holds Photo Expo to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King

While Venezuela celebrates the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, members of the TransAfrica Forum and Venezuela’s Ambassador to the US, Bernardo Alvarez, inaugurated a photo expo to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

While Venezuela celebrates the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, members of the US-based TransAfrica Forum and Venezuela’s Ambassador to the US, Bernardo Alvarez, inaugurated a photo expo to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Members of the TransAfrica Forum, along with Venezuelan Ambassador to the US, Bernardo Alvarez, inaugurate a photo exposition in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Photo: Venpres

CARACAS, Venezuela (Jan. 14, 2004)- “When attempting to explain the Bolivarian Revolution to the American people we just have to point out that it resembles the civil rights and political struggles of the United States,” said Bernardo Alvarez, the Venezuelan Ambassador to the North American country, emphasizing that the goal of the Venezuelan Constitution is to precisely guarantee such rights for the people.

Alvarez spoke during an event held on January 12 at the Venezuelan National Library in Caracas, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Venezuela, which featured a photographic exposition to honor the U.S. Civil Rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Venezuelans attend a photo exposition held in Caracas to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Photo: Venpres

The exposition was inaugurated by members of the US-based TransAfrica Forum, who are currently visiting Venezuela to explore the political and economic situation of the country, the living conditions of Venezuelans of African descent, and racial inequality in the Caribbean country.

According to the Ambassador, Dr. King “was not a dreamer, but a visionary,” adding that “the struggle for civil rights in the United States society has not ended. It’s not a matter of the past, but a vision of the future.”

The diplomat highlighted the presence of members of the TransAfrica Forum currently visiting Venezuela. “The visit by members of the TransAfrica Forum represents a struggle that goes beyond the figure of Martin Luther King; his struggle, his ideas and the African-American social movements inspired by him. This is a struggle aimed at defending people’s rights, not only in the United States, but in the hemisphere and the World,” Alvarez said.

The Ambassador argued that the visit by the North American delegation helps confront the local media campaign against the Venezuelan political process led by President Chavez, by showing that the process does have significant support, and generates sympathies among those who struggle for the rights of the oppressed peoples around the world. “The media has attempted to minimize the struggles of the poor, for civil rights, race equality and African-American rights.”

“Civil rights, the right for the people’s self-determination, and the rejection of foreign interventions against peace, and non-violence are among the main principles that Dr. King defended,” he said.

Alvarez thanked President Chavez and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Aristobulo Isturiz, and CITGO corporation for sponsoring the photo expo, and mentioned that other social groups from the United States wish to come to Venezuela to learn more about the realities of the country, which have been distorted by commercial media politically-motivated coverage.

U.S. Actor Danny Glover attended the inauguration of a photo exposition in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., held in Caracas.
Photo: Venpres

Aristides Medina Rubio, director of the National Library, said that Dr. King’s assassination tried to stop the struggles of the poor, blacks, and the excluded, for their rights and for equality. “His death was the beginning of eternal struggles for humanity’s fundamental rights.”

The exposition was set up by Benedit Fernandez and featured the last year of Dr. King’s life.