Jorge Martín, international leader of the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign to speak in Olympia on Wednesday, May 7th at 7:30 P.M at the Olympia Free School at 610 Columbia. (Columbia and Legion, downtown Olympia)

Topic: The Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, and the Present and Future of a 21st Century Left in Bolivia, Ecuador and Latin America.

Discussion to follow!

Jorge Martín, born in Barcelona, Catalonia, has been involved in the international solidarity with the Venezuelan revolution from the very beginning. He was a founding member of the international Hands Off Venezuela campaign, of which he is now the international secretary. He has written extensively on the Bolivarian revolution and has traveled around the world speaking in its defense. He has visited Venezuela often, participating in meetings and forums and holding discussions with revolutionary activists. He has been actively involved in the movement of occupied factories in Venezuela."

No Charge!

For more information, contact Peter Bohmer, bohmerp@evergreen.edu

The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation’s current TV program – “VENEZUELA: AN UPDATE” – is airing twice a week throughout January on Thurston Community Television (TCTV), cable channel 22 in Thurston County. You can watch it every Thursday at 9:00 p.m. and every Monday at 1:30 p.m. throughout the entire month.

Supporters of an opposition group celebrated in Caracas. Voters rejected the 69 proposed constitutional amendments 51 to 49 percent. (Jose Miguel Gomez/Reuters)

Venezuela rejects bid by Chávez to amend charter

CARACAS: Voters in Venezuela narrowly defeated a proposed overhaul to the Constitution in a contentious referendum over granting President Hugo Chávez sweeping new powers, the Election Commission announced Monday.

It was the first major electoral defeat in the nine years of his presidency. Voters rejected the 69 proposed amendments 51 percent to 49 percent.

The political opposition erupted into celebration, shooting fireworks into the air and honking car horns, when electoral officials announced the results at 1:20 a.m. The nation had remained on edge since polls closed Sunday afternoon and the wait for results began.