MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY FROM VENEZUELA WITH THE SOUTH CENTRAL FARMERS

VENEZUELA SOLIDARITY WITH THE STRUGGLE OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL FARMERS.

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Bolivarian Venezuelans are shoulder to shoulder with the struggle of the South Central farmers of L.A. in their rescue for what under dignity belongs to them such as the 14-acres of land they have painstakingly worked during 14-years. Friday, July 7, 2006 in the airwaves of Venezuela through “Radio Nacional” (National Radio) and radio YVKE/MUNDIAL was described the real story of the battle of the South Central farmers which has been hourly transmitted through all Venezuela including beyond its borders through YVKE/MUNDIAL . Therefore, Venezuelan were able to learn how without any décor or human consideration this piece of green land in South Central L. A. as by today has been completely galvanized by bulldozers sent by the greedy developer of Ralph Horowitz . During the transmission it wasn’t possible to avoid to describe the picture of a poisoned beast who rather chose to satisfy his demoniac ego to go ahead and complete the destruction of the whole farm before his July 12th trial at the superior Court in Los Angeles. Two days after the fourth of July, this greedy developer spited its venomous racist hate of destruction all over the organic green patch of the South Central Farm in which it was destroyed not only the last vestige of a varied precious flora that was left after the eviction on June 13, which resisted to die of dryness, but also there were destroyed hundreds of small living creatures such as insects (aunts, worms, roaches, butterflies, mosquitoes, etc.) , including some hens and chickens, and most probably a pair of dogs- the female pregnant that also used lived at the farm and were being seen lately getting inside the Farm through an small gap under the fence.

The transmission to the airwaves of Venezuela about the battle of the South Central Farm took place on Friday, July 7 as part of the Solidarity International events with the Farmers planned around the world between July 7 and July 10. Many Venezuelans listeners inundated the two radios with messages of solidarity for their brothers and sisters campesinos from the South Central Farm. Canela Saenz, coordinator of the Bolivarian Circle of Los Angeles spoke to Radio Nacional and YVKE/ MUNDIAL in Venezuela and described what she witnessed during the farm’s destruction and the pain of the farmers and supporters which she deeply shares with them whom defenseless saw how the farm was merciless destroyed. Canela described to Venezuelans in the radio how many campesinos and brave supporters were with tears in their faces crying from pain, frustration and why not from anger or “rabia” to see how brutal and salvage this neoliberal capitalist system can be in which human needs means nothing when it comes in game the interest of corporate business, and foremost, when this destruction to the environment that was objected the South Central farm has been effected under the permissive green light of the City of Los Angeles.

NOTE: Below is a poem that Canela wrote the same day June 13th 2006 when the South Central Farmers were evicted and the land was raped. This poem can be converted into song , once a melody is found for it from someone who can offers to do it.


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“An Ode to the Farmers of South Central L.A.”


In 1992 the City gave us a trash-filled land, arid and dry
That we called the South Central L.A. farm
To sow and grow the seeds of our daily food
We grew “calla lilies”, epazote, mint, cilantro, and lemongrass,
We grew nopales, cabbages, beets and chards
We sweetened and caressed the land with all sort of fruits;
papayas, bananas, lemons and more…


Those were the days, my friends
We thought they'd never end
We'd sowed the seeds forever and again
Without thinking that a gloomy day one day would ever come


We never thought we were the owners of this piece of land
for land and nothing on mother earth belongs to us
For 14-years , 14 acres at Alameda and 41 St.
South Central Farm became a passage in our lives
Which ever since we worked with sweat incessantly this land

The gloomy day finally arrived and put in tension our daily life
For one Monday morning we were harassed
The Notice said :All to be out of this precious land
Then, began the struggle to find millions of dollars
To avoid the eviction viciously imposed by the greedy man

We met some friends with whom we fought
to defend the Farm that gave us life
We prayed and danced around the “Grandfather” tree
In which Julie, and John along with Daryl decided to sit

Tuesday 13th of June, 2006 the land woke up
with noises and fears it was still dawn
when the threat arrived, and our resistance begun against the drag
Yet, they raped the land and tore in pieces the crops we sowed
they chopped the trees and sugar canes
and the few that escaped were left to die
without the care we daily gave
with love and water to keep the crop fresh, green and alive

It is too sad as well forbidden to let us in
that’s what the law dictated to us
as the greedy owner of Horowith said the last word
over the Farm: “I want them all out of my land!”

Cops got the friends who fought with us
Some got in lock boxes to make a stand
Against the illegal and violent assault
While some others friends decided to choose
To chain themselves around the tree which they embraced
Nevertheless the Cops with saws hacked out the chains
And all were dragged out of the Farm and sent to jail

We look with hopes our return to South Central farm
We need you friends along with us
To keep up this fight until we win
And see the tore land to green and grow
with mint and lilies for ever and again

By: Canela Saenz, Coordinator
of the Bolivarian Circle of Los Angeles “Ezequiel Zamora”