Venezuelans in the capital of Caracas gathered Wednesday for the latest edition of the Congreso de la Patria, officially titled "The crossroads of Latin America: Moments of Challenges for the Region, Especially for Progressive Governments."
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The community meetings were established by President Nicolas Maduro in April in an attempt to seek grassroots feedback about how to address the South American country`s economic crisis.
The events included meetings in several convention halls and theaters, each addressing a certain political area, such as international relations, communication strategies, economic strategies and social issues.
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Along with official speakers, those who attended were invited to share their thoughts with the crowd.
Jesus Garcia, who attended the international edition of the meetings, called the gatherings an attempt to find real solutions to help all Venezuelans, reject U.S. imperialism, and maintain social gains achieved under the Bolivarian Revolution.
"It's also a responsibility as a Venezuelan, as a Latin American—as many regions in the world that have been oppressed for many years—our responsibility is that the legacy of Chavez, that has been seen as a reference in other parts of the world, continues, and that they see the changes that can happen," he said. "As a Venezuelan, we are resisting."
President Maduro has said that the conclusions of these community meetings will help shape official policy.
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The international edition of the meetings was attended by several international figures, including Piedad Cordoba, a renowned Colombian human rights activist and attorney. Cordoba used the platform to call on international actors to respect Venezuelan sovereignty.
"I think what the world has to do in general is respect the autonomy and sovereignty of the Venezuela people," she said. "In a democratic election, the people elected Nicolas Maduro as president."
Venezuelan Vice President Aristobulo Isturiz addressed the economic policy meeting, where he also dispelled rumors that Maduro would resign.
"Maduro was elected and he has the support of the people," he said.
Isturiz also reiterated the government's opinion that the opposition's attempt at launching a recall referendum against Maduro can't be carried out this year as is laid out in the constitution.