Francisco’s little Taller Arte is guarded by the ever-vigilant Señor Coco, who never sleeps and sees all! Taller means “workshop,” and, as in English, this word can have a range of meanings, such as a place where artisans create, a place where things are fixed, or an event where people get together to work on ideas.

Not only did poor Manuel Rosales lose the election for president, but winner Hugo Chavez’ supporters are trying to knock him out of his post as governor of Zulia. In a faux futuristic recounting of a would be history, this wildly hopeful presidential campaign ad (disguised as a movie trailer) not only dared Venezuelans to vote for change, but dared to sell a bearskin before actually catching the bear.

Manuel Rosales attempted to become the next president of Venezuela. He had the support of much of the middle class, the upper class, and even some of the lower class, but in the end the populist appeal of Victor Hugo Chavez was just too big of a hurdle. Don’t feel too bad for Manuel, he is still governor of the state of Zulia.

Chober and his buddies are building a little club on the beach that is aiming to provide services to beach goers and visitors, while at the same time providing events and opportunites for community members, particularly young people. Like his friend Francisco, Chober is concerned with the environment, and finding uses for discarded materials.

You know what a calavera is, no? If you see one, especially on a sign in a former war zone, be very, very careful. Soldiers from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and the U.S. came together to reduce the need for these signs in Central America… reclaiming fields filled with anti-personnel mines so that farmers can return to using them for crops.

Francisco sees potential for creation and innovation in a wide range of materials: drift wood, shells, seeds, goat skin, even plastic debris. He is speaking with the governor about creating a tallerr, or workshop, that can be used to teach artistic skills to the young people of the area, as well as to showcase the work of other local artisans.

A fishing village like Adícora can be a place of work and industry for locals, but also one of rest and relaxation for travelers. Chober comes from a fishing family and knows the trade, but he recognizes the growing importance of tourism. His generation realizes that the survival of both ways of life necessitates better care of the environment and increased ecological awareness.

Maria Lionza is said to have been born in 1502 to an Indian Chief in the Yaracuy region of Venezuela. Today she is revered throughout the Caribbean by followers of the syncretic cult which is named after her, but artists too find her an irresistably mystical symbol alluding to history, race, and sex. Her painting hangs on the wall of Francisco’s taller in Adícora.

Barrio Adentro (Inside the Neighborhood) is a program of free medical clinics that have been established throughout Venezuela. Critics include the Venezuelan Medical Association, who claim that the Cubans who make up most of the doctors are not qualified, though the WHO and UNICEF are generally as enthusiastic as Omar about the program.

Vela, a word often used for “candle,” or “sail,” can also mean “wakefulness,” as in “vigilance.” It’s related to the verb velar, “to stand watch.” The name of the port city of La Vela de Coro refers not to the “sails” of merchant ships (as many assume) but rather to this town’s role as a “lookout” point for marauding pirates. One-eyed peg-legs are now less common, but the carnivalesque annual festival of Los Locos continues on.