From May 17 to 24, the film “How Venezuela Moved Mountains” was successfully screened across six regions of the “ROK (Republic of Korea)” as part of a nationwide tour. The events includeding meetings with film director (GV) were co-hosted by the World Anti-Imperialist Platform and the Youth Platform.
This tour was particularly meaningful due to the participation of Isabel Di Carlo Quero, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Venezuela in the “ROK”, and Thierry Deronne, a Belgian-born Venezuelan film director, Vice President of the public television channel Vive TV, and political activist. Their presence shed light on the reality in Venezuela and emphasized the importance of solidarity and resistance under the banner of anti-imperialism.
The documentary “How Venezuela Moved Mountains” explores Venezuela’s current situation and the concept of “communes.” It follows the efforts of Venezuelan activists and their communities—including fishermen and farmers of coffee, sugarcane, and cocoa—as they work alongside Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) to realize Hugo Chávez’s vision of communal socialism. The film also highlights the crucial role played by women as a driving force in the struggle.
A central theme of the film is the commune (comuna), a democratic grassroots unit that supports Venezuela’s people’s government. As a grassroots governing unit that manages the political, economic, and cultural life of the local community, it is not part of the central administrative structure, but functions as a consultative body that helps determine the direction of national policy. It is operated through committees responsible for various sectors, including elections, organization, finance, healthcare, food, housing, sports, public services, and defense, covering political, economic, cultural, and national defense affairs. The Venezuelan government reviews proposals from communal councils and provides political and economic support for their implementation.
Following the Film screening and meeting with director in Gwangju, the tour visited Yanggu in Gangwon Province, Incheon, Jeonju, Gongju in South Chungcheong Province, and Seoul.
On May 19 in Yanggu, Director Deronne remarked, “Venezuela shares similarities with the “ROK”—both have long histories of oppression and resistance. The key lesson of Chávez’s revolution is that the pride and dignity of the people can never be extinguished.”
In each city, the history and present reality of Venezuela were vividly conveyed.
Ambassador Di Carlo recalled Chávez’s famous slogan from the 1999 constitutional reform, “Power to the People!” She emphasized that the best way to achieve this was through the commune system: “Commune starts at the smallest level and scales up into a national system.”
Director Deronne noted, “Venezuela is building Bolivarian socialism. It has a long legacy of people’s struggle—like the “ROK”. There is also a long history of indigenous resistance and humanity’s fight against exploitation. The idea of the commune has existed in Venezuela for a long time.”
On the state of democracy in Venezuela, they shared: “A year ago, President Maduro appointed a tenant farmer as a communal representative and later as a minister. Around 6,000 communes are currently active across Venezuela. National committees are convened through the commune system.”
They added, “Earlier this year, President Maduro proposed constitutional reform to build a state based on the commune system—a direct democracy as opposed to a vertically structured bourgeois state. By the end of last year, discussions even began about reallocating 70% of government funds to communes.”
They explained that this model effectively combats corruption, as “the people are involved in every step of the financial process—corruption simply cannot survive.”
The GVs included diverse Q&A sessions related to the film.
Director Deronne explained that the “mountain” in the film’s title represents “imperialism.” He explained the ongoing ideological interference of imperialism, stating, “Imperialism fears the Venezuelan people becoming more politically conscious and morally empowered. What it truly fears is the possibility of this spreading beyond Venezuela to all of Latin America.”
He emphasized the significance of Maduro retaining popular support despite immense external pressure, adding, “Over the past four years, Venezuela’s economy has been growing. The year 2025 has been declared ‘The Year of People’s Power.’”
Regarding the phrase “moving mountains,” he said, “It cannot be done by one or two people. It takes many people over a long period. Like the river at the end of the film, the demands of the people becomes a great force.”
At the final GV in Seoul on May 24, the host closed with a powerful message: “Hugo Chávez’s last words were, ‘Commune or nothing.’ Without organized people, nothing is possible. But with them, we can move mountains and achieve anything.”
At each event, participants expressed international solidarity, chanting: “End Sanctions on Venezuela!”
The tour concluded successfully, thanks to active participation and support from progressive democratic activists and ordinary citizens. In addition to the film screenings, Chargé d’Affaires Isabel Di Carlo and Director Thierry Deronne actively participated in events such as rallies organized by the World Anti-Imperialist Platform and the People’s Democracy Party, held in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the Gwangju People’s Uprising, embodying the spirit of international solidarity in action.
