Chávez Gives Obama Book on Latin American History

[Judi Lynn]

Chávez Gives Obama Book on Latin American History

By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 18, 2009 11:43 AM

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 18 -- With the media watching their every gesture, President Obama and President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela continued their getting-to-know-you phase with a gift and another handshake, this one for more than one camera.

Before Obama began a closed-door meeting with the leaders of UNASUR, an association of the 12 South American nations, Chavez walked around the u-shaped table and handed him a book, "Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina," or "The Open Veins of Latin America." Cameras clicked, tape rolled.

The work, originally published in 1970, is probably the best known by Eduardo Galeano, an Uruguayan writer of socialist leanings. It explores the history of European colonization of Latin America and what Galeano believes is the malign political and economic influence the United States has exerted over the region in recent decades.

Galeano was persecuted in the 1970s by military juntas in Uruguay and Argentina, both recognized by the U.S. government. He now serves on the advisory board of TeleSUR, a South America-wide satellite channel based in Caracas, Venezuela. Chavez's communications ministry oversees the channel.

In an interview with the radio program Democracy Now! soon after Obama's election, Galeano said, "The White House will be Barack Obama's house in the time coming, but this White House was built by black slaves. And I'd like, I hope, that he never, never forgets this."

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/18/AR2009041801009.html

[magbana]

1. VIDEO of the book giving

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePdzL6N9EZo

[Judi Lynn]

2. Interesting! If he reads it, he can't help but know a whole lot more than he seems to, now!

Pretty cool idea. If President Obama checks up on the book he will see it's highly regarded all over the world, and he can't go wrong finding out about it.

Thanks for the video.

[EFerrari]

3. I'd be very surprised if Obama didn't trip over theories of colonialism

in school. You can't really study a lot of people, including MLK, without understanding that matrix of ideas.