VENEZUELA RISING Featuring Executive Producer Skipper Bailey Organized by: Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba Endorsed by: Vancouver Bolivarian Society and the Vancouver Internationalist Bolivarian Circle "Bob Everton" CLICK ON THE PHOTOS FOR LARGER VERSIONS!	“Somos un Rio Creciendo”- “We Are an Overflowing River” is a common expression in Venezuela, referring to the people of Venezuela pushing forward the revolutionary change occurring in that country. On Tuesday April 10th, about 110 people overflowed a theatre with 80 seats at the SFU Harbour Centre here in Vancouver. The event was organized by Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) for a special screening of the film Venezuela Rising, with a chance to talk to executive producer Skipper Bailey, currently on tour from Washington DC to share excitement and life experience about the revolutionary process that is occurring in Venezuela and Latin America. Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba’s Janine Solanki opened the evening as MC recalling amusing moments the recent interview by Barbara Walters with Hugo Chavez. The first speaker was, Jesus Morenas, a student at SFU from Venezuela spoke about the important role young Venezuelans are taking on in this process. Janine then introduced, Charles Boylan who spoke as an organizer with the Internationalist Bolivarian Circles “Bob Everton”, one of the evening’s endorsing groups. Then, Thomas Davies spoke on behalf of VCSC, connecting the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela to Cuba’s revolution along with their revolutionary histories and the revolutionary connections of these two Latin American countries. The Vancouver Bolivarian Society also was another endorser and helped to build the event. As the film played, the feeling in the room was electric, as people were carried to Venezuela during the recall referendum of Hugo Chavez in 2004. The film documents the massive victory of the pro-Chavez forces, mobilized all over the country to defend the gains of the Bolivarian Revolution. The events leading up to the vote are viewed through the eyes of several women organizers in Enero 23, the largest Barrio in Caracas, and Chavez’s greatest stronghold. Following the rousing applause at the end of the film, Skipper Bailey then answered questions about the film, about Venezuela and about the significant collaboration of Cuba and Venezuela in spreading change throughout Latin America for the benefit of regular Latin Americans. From his wealth of experience not only as a filmmaker, but as a long time social justice and Latin American solidarity activist, it was obvious by Skipper’s tone and feeling that he has been personally moved by the power of these two countries in motion. Indeed it was a very inspiring evening, bringing people in Vancouver together for the chance to share our hopes that the people of Venezuela bring us with their fight.