Actually, the students demanded to see copies of the Venezuelan Y emails, which they were at first denied, but eventually got, and found there were no safety concerns in them, only political. They then raised the money the U Y withdrew ($450 each) and went ahead with the trip anyway.>Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Chris Nisan writes that University of Minnesota students who helped to organize a spring break trip to Venezuela are protesting a decision by the leadership of the YMCA to withdraw their support for the venture.[...]
The program provides assistance to participants in planning, logistics and organization for such immersion trip. Both DuBois and Espejel signed on as trip organizers. In exchange for their work in recruiting and organizing other young people on the trip, they would receive monies from the YMCA towards deferring their own travel cost.
According to the students, the trip was intended to “study first hand recent national changes, such as: agrarian land reform, race relations, health care reform, development of Afro-Andean relations, and alternative media. We have also been invited to participate in the first-ever International Afro-Venezuelan Youth Conference.”
The controversy began a few weeks ago when leaders of the U YMCA began to receive emails and phone calls from people raising questions about the students’ travel. These questions ranged from concerns over “living conditions and safety” to outright opposition to the government.[...]
Barbara Jones, executive director of the University YMCA, claims that it was safety concerns and issues raised by the Venezuelan YMCA that prompted local officials to withdraw support for the venture — not political pressure from opponents of the current Venezuelan government. “We could not guarantee their safety while in Venezuela,” said Jones. “We also took into consideration the feeling of the Venezuelan YMCA.”
A University YMCA statement released to the MSR elaborates on Jones’s point. “Due to issues and concerns raised by many — locally, nationally and in Venezuela itself — we re-examined the viability of the trip. The personal safety of our YMCA participants is our primary concern.
“In that light, and in the light of local political issues raised by the YMCA of Venezuela, the University YMCA Immersion Trip has been cancelled.”
I'm thinking that as long as Venezuela is selling us oil, U.S. citizens' trips there will only meet with hassle, but should the day come when the oil isn't flowing our way, Venezuelan travel will be forbidden, along with travel to Cuba.
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