“We also want to ride in $150,000 SUVs like you do”
José Patines has only two pairs of shoes. One recently got wet during a downpour in Caracas. “You have to see how they turned out,” he says, laughing. He carries 53 years on his shoulders. He is tall, thin, and has prominent eyes. Since 2012, he has been the general secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Workers' Union, where he worked until he was fired in 2018.
TL;DR
- José Patines, secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Workers' Union, was fired in 2018 for defending labor rights.
- He confronted former Chancellor Jorge Arreaza and some deputies, demanding better living conditions and accusing them of human rights violations.
- Patines acknowledges knowing Edmundo González and María Corina Machado and working with Machado for democratic change.
- He refutes accusations of being a 'traitor' and invites critics to inspect his modest living conditions.
- He reports ongoing threats and surveillance since his confrontation at the National Assembly.
- Patines demands a responsible salary increase based on the cost of the basic food basket ($700 monthly) and criticizes the government's use of state funds for political defenses while workers suffer.
- He urges Donald Trump to focus on Venezuela's transition, including workers and civil society, and calls on acting president Delcy Rodríguez to heed the demands of workers and retirees.
- He describes the period before January 3rd as one of confinement and fear due to repression and threats, contrasting it with the current possibility of protest.
- He recounts his dismissal, stating his wife was also fired simply for being his wife, despite having a two-month-old baby.
- Patines vows to continue fighting for labor rights, democracy, and justice as long as he has strength.