00:00Venezuela on the move traveled to Western Venezuela to learn about the
00:04collective work of the Pedro Camejo commune which promotes popular self
00:08management. Our correspondent Michelle Ramirez shares the details in the
00:12following report.
00:17On our journey through Western Venezuela we entered the state of Mérida.
00:24It is known as the land of gentlemen's due to the warmth of its people, a region
00:28that stands out for the beauty of its landscapes, its temperature climate and
00:32its great tourist attraction, with an annual occupancy rate exceeding 74% and
00:36an estimated economic impact of over 7.8 million dollars for adventure
00:41attractions such as the Great Mukumbaddy Cable Car, the world's highest, which
00:45attracts 45,000 visitors during peak season. For this and much more, its
00:49residents overflow with pride for their homeland as they walk the streets.
00:58You can't imagine, today that beautiful, wonderful snowfall, that cool, awesome weather.
01:04Well, you head downtown to enjoy it, spend time with friends and have a good
01:08traditional merideño breakfast. My beautiful homeland. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
01:16Here, there is much more than just tourism. Among its people, we find communities like
01:21the Pedro Camejo Agrotourism Commun, which by working together are building social
01:25well-being that translates into collective happiness.
01:30Our commune was founded in 2019. It arose from the need of residents in the main
01:36neighborhoods of Polo Nuevo and Simón BolÃvar to come together, plan their future and identify
01:41the problems affecting them and the possible solutions to them. This is a populous community,
01:46a very humble neighborhood that face severe structural problems. Through the call issued
01:52by President Hugo Chávez at the time and by our President Nicolás Maduro, we worked to strengthen
01:57what was then a grassroots organization. And at a certain point, 12 communities joined to form the
02:04commune, to work together to resolve all those problems that affected all of us, the residents of
02:09this populous neighborhood on a daily basis.
02:16The commune members are the ones who shape the future with their own hands. To the rhythm of the
02:20dog beating, they bake and sell bread, because food sovereignty is also forged.
02:27We said that to help the people, what we needed to do was produce.
02:33And that is the goal. For me and for the members of the commune, the goal is to be self
02:38-governed and
02:38self-sufficient to generate our own income. That's why we set up the bakery where my partner and
02:48Kamri Chayu work. All of us here, united as one, work together practically every day.
02:57Their desire to make the community self-sufficient knows no bounds. Women learn to soothe, design and
03:03make clothing to provide for their families and continue strengthening the local economy,
03:07which has seen 7.69 percent economic growth in the commercial and productive sectors over the past year.
03:18I feel blessed to be here, to have the knowledge and the ability to contribute to the community.
03:23It is a huge effort we are making because, well, aside from working in private companies,
03:35we also dedicate part of our time here to building, as much as possible, a truly inclusive society,
03:41where everyone has access to everything related to textiles.
03:45This Indian community also has a youthful spirit. Among its streets, youth leadership was born.
03:50Driven by love for their country, they created spaces not only for entertainment and recreation,
03:54but also to engage children and teenagers who would otherwise be idle,
03:58a project that highlights the high level of awareness among the people.
04:03The importance of involving youth in all these kinds of projects is that we can truly shape the future.
04:09As our martyr, Robert Serra said, the future is a struggle, but the present belongs to us.
04:15We have to live in the present. Youth are the present, and through the present we build our future.
04:20Through all these initiatives, we can welcome young people and guide them so that they may move forward
04:25toward the future and, in this way, build the homeland that Commander Chavez spoke of.
04:30Thus, they have woven together sovereignty, self-governance and organization, the true driving force that
04:36had set their territory in motion, overcoming difficulties and committing to a society where
04:41unity is the main bastion.
04:42above all these citizens.
04:43Exactly, and these resolutions.
04:45Thank you, Mr금.
