Shelter City Utrecht would like to invite you for the online screening of ‘Women of the Venezuelan Chaos‘, an award-winning documentary showing us a portrait of Venezuela, a country now in chaos. The story is seen through the eyes of five women of different ages and backgrounds. They all face a severe lack of food and medicines. Added to that are numerous political prisoners, an inadequate legal system and high crime rates.
Following the screening, we will discuss more in-depth the greater context of Venezuela’s economic and humanitarian crisis. David Gómez Gamboa, university professor and director of the NGO Aula Abierta, will accompany us during the discussion at Zoom by sharing his (professional) experiences on this issue with a specific focus on his field of work: academic freedom.
Extra message: The maximum of 100 attendees for the Q&A in Zoom is reached! Since we want offer the film to everybody who is interested, we have a second registration form so you can still watch the docu and see the Q&A via a livestream at Youtube and Facebook April 6th!
About the documentary (83 min):
Many of its inhabitants, and especially the women portrayed in this film, have ample reason to leave the country. According to director Margarita Cadenas, Venezuela was once a prosperous and luscious country that is now in a deplorable state. She follows five different women who, each in their own way, deal with appalling living conditions in the country. Mothers cannot buy diapers or baby foods for their children in the supermarket and have very limited access to clean water. Hospitals lack all sorts of medical equipment and medication to treat patients adequately. Meanwhile the government is reluctant to take measures other than putting political opponents behind bars. Drug trafficking, violence and homicide are commonplace due to serious shortcomings in the legal system.
About David Gómez Gamboa:
Since 2014, David has been the director of the NGO Aula Abierta and coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of the University of Zulia (Venezuela), working on initiatives that promote and defend human rights in the university contexts, especially academic freedom, university autonomy and the right to quality education. David has developed an international background on human rights research and represents Venezuelan and Latin American civil society before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights System and some Universal Human Rights System bodies. He is currently staying in Utrecht with the Shelter City program, which provides protection to human rights defenders who are at situations of risk because of the work they do.
About Zoom (for people who registered for the film and Q&A in Zoom):
Do you have questions about the online platform of Zoom that we are going to use for the film screening and discussion? Go to this page to learn more.