Viva Venezuela

In your vitriolic attacks on Venezuela (Comment and Leader, 10 March), you seem incapable of accepting that another world is possible.

Last year, on the tenth anniversary of the revolution, I visited Venezuela with a group of trade unionists from across the UK. Our objective was to see for ourselves what the "peaceful and democratic social revolution" promised by Chavez had delivered.

We were welcomed wherever we travelled. We witnessed the sense of pride, commitment and achievement in the programme of social change. Addressing the various social needs and problems identified by your articles is at the heart of the Bolivarian Revolution. They don't ignore or hide them.

During our visit, Venezuela reported that it had met its UN Millennium Development Goals six years early, highlighting the achievements under Chavez. Extreme poverty was down from 29.8 per cent to 9.4 per cent, and 47.5 per cent more women were in education. Healthcare has reached the poorest sections of society for the first time.

Venezuela has a government which is implementing policies which tackle social exclusion and deprivation. It is consciously implementing socialist policies and calls these changes a revolution.

MIKE J KIRBY

Convener, Unison Scotland

West Campbell Street

Glasgow

I was interested to read of the MSPs who signed a Holyrood motion advocating solidarity with the ultra-left-wing government in Venezuela (your report, 10 March). I wonder whether these MSPs were among those who did not display the same sense of socialist brotherhood with the striking workers outside the Scottish Parliament and happily crossed their picket line to get to work.

KAREN BURCHILL

Warrender Park Road

Edinburgh