In rural Venezuela, far from urban centers, the struggle is about more than food production or labor organization. Rather, the future of the country is at stake. In Bolívar state in southern Venezuela, rural organizations argue that farming is a means of ensuring sovereignty and fostering community in the face of a system that seeks to commodify life.
In an interview with NODAL, Jarvaz Ruiz*, an activist with the Communard Union, explained that the organization’s initiative is part of this debate. As part of the Nicolás Maduro government project called “Patria Grande del Sur,” the goal is to strengthen agricultural and livestock production using an agroecological approach. The goal is to produce food without relying on external technology and to sustain practices that protect the soil, water, biosphere, and biodiversity.
In this framework, the rural population plays a central role as both producers and political actors. “As farmers—men and women alike—if there’s one thing we do every day, it’s planting food. This translates into food security and food sovereignty. Today, farmers must continue to come together and exchange seeds, farming experiences, and methods for caring for animals and crops because the capitalist system offers false alternatives and ultimately seeks to strip us—the farmers—of our food sovereignty and the food security on which our territories rely,” notes Jarvaz from the communes. He links this practice to food security, or the availability of food, and to food sovereignty, or the ability to decide how to produce it. While the market offers standardized inputs and technologies, rural organizations promote the exchange of seeds, knowledge, and farming methods.
The conflict arises at this crossroads. On the one hand, there is a global model that relies on external resources, allows a few transnational corporations to control strategic knowledge, maximizes profits, and concentrates wealth. On the other hand, there is an approach that prioritizes territorial sustainability, decommodification of social relations, participatory democracy through community organization, and socialization of production. In Venezuela, this debate is evident in the growth of rural communes, which are collective organizational structures integrating production, distribution, and community life. There, land is not considered individual property, but rather a resource for collective use.
The Bolivarian Revolution, which began in the late 20th century, spurred a redistribution of access to land in various regions of the country. “We, as farmers, are today deepening our collective work, our work in solidarity, and our complementary work within the territory. The Bolivarian Revolution has given us access to land and democratized land tenure for farmers. Therefore, we need to see ourselves as a community, to see ourselves in communion; that is why in Venezuela we are committed to the communes—to the communion of all people within a specific territory—but not merely seeing ourselves as the Ezequiel Zamora commune, but rather coordinating with the neighboring commune right next to us.” This process allowed for the emergence of new organizational experiences. However, the current challenge is not limited to land tenure. The organizations point to the need to improve living conditions in rural areas, such as education, health care, housing, and connectivity.
This includes rural schools deep in the Venezuelan countryside, universities, health centers that provide round-the-clock care, and homes with basic services. There is also productive infrastructure, such as rural roads in good enough condition to transport food to cities. In a country where distances and logistical challenges are significant, these needs take center stage. “Today, we’re working on improving our agricultural roads, health care, education, and building decent housing. In short, we’re striving for the ‘good life’ that indigenous peoples speak of. So, as farmers, we are talking about a life of dignity.”
At the same time, the transition to alternative energy sources is being promoted. Some communities in Bolívar State are already implementing solar energy systems to power businesses and homes. This initiative aims to reduce dependence on traditional power grids and ensure energy independence in hard-to-reach areas.
Jarvaz and the Communard Union are proposing the strengthening of networks at the regional level, from South America to Central America. “Today, small farmers are sustaining life. What would become of the fields, mountains, and savannas if there were no small farmers? In addition to tilling and working the land, they care for it, protect it, reforest it, and restore it. We are engaged in active resistance—a struggle for the vanguard—and we are certain that strength lies in unity. Therefore, we call on all farmers—men and women—of our beautiful Americas, from north to south and throughout the center, to unite, communicate, and continue meeting so we can protect our one and only home: Mother Earth. Long live April 17! Long live rural struggles! Let’s keep moving forward. From Venezuela, we say: “Commune or nothing.” Exchanging seeds and knowledge is a strategy for sustaining people-led production models in the face of pressure from international markets.
Within this framework, the slogan “commune or nothing” expresses a political stance. Against the backdrop of a global food system crisis, Venezuela’s rural communes position themselves as a solution based on territorial organization, agroecological production, and creating dignified living conditions.
The challenge lies in sustaining this experiment over time and expanding its scale. The fundamental question remains: Is food a commodity or a right? In the Venezuelan countryside, the answer is cultivated daily.
*Jarvaz Ruiz is a member of Communard Union and the political coordinator of the Patria Grande del Sur project.
This article was prepared by the Center for Agrarian Studies, coordinated by Carolina Sturniolo, Bruno Ceschín, and Fernando Rizza.
Source: Nodal
Translated from Spanish by The Assembly Media team.