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Category: Politics
Venezuela FAU Rally: Videos and Photos
West Boca News went to the Venezuela rally today on Glades Road across from the FAU main entrance. We interviewed several people. Videos are below, with more photos at the bottom.
We estimate there were more than 200 people in the demonstration by the time we left around 5:30 pm. The event was still growing as people came after their work ended.
Here is a short video where a group of demonstrators shout and cheer.
Oriana Bottaro is a Spanish River High School student. She is a principal organizer of the rallies yesterday and today. Here she speaks to a reporter from CBS 4 in Miami. We did not see any media from Palm Beach or Broward County at the event.
Here we interview Ms. Bottaro:
Jorge Clavo is another student at Spanish River, who helped get the word out about the rally. Here’s a short interview:
Here is a longer interview with Jorge:
This is an interview with Alejandro Jimenez, an FAU student and the brother of Oriana Bottaro.
Theresa Brier, a staffer for Congressman Ted Deutch, appeared at the demonstration to read a statement from his office. She did not answer substantive questions. Here she speaks with us and CBS 4 Miami.
And here she reads the statement:
Cecilia Perez-Matos is the youngest daughter of former Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez. She is also an attorney and a resident of West Boca.
And here are some more photos of the rally:
Venezuela Protest at FAU on Tuesday
West Boca News received a press release for a protest that will be held at FAU tomorrow, Tuesday February 18th.
Some highlights of the release are below in italics with our comments in regular text:
Today, February 17, 2014, a group of over 100 Venezuelan and non-Venezuelan nationals gathered at the intersection of Glades Road and SR-7/441 in Boca Raton, FL to protest the human rights violations that began on February 12, 2014 all across Venezuela, in light of peaceful protests nationwide.
For more on today’s protest see our article and photos: Venezuela demonstration in West Boca.
Throughout the country, protesters are being jailed and tortured unjustly and illegally. The Venezuelan people have taken to the streets to manifest their grievances, only to be shot and dispersed by the forces of the dictator, Nicolás Maduro.
We, as Venezuelans living outside of the country, feel that we must at least contribute our grain of sand to the cause of our fellow countrymen. Therefore, for the first time ever in Boca Raton, a protest was staged today.
Another protest will be carried out tomorrow, February 18, 2014 at the entrance of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton at 4 PM for the same cause. … A sincere thanks on behalf of the Venezuelan community of Boca Raton.
Venezuela Demonstration in West Boca
This afternoon dozens of West Boca residents gathered on the southwest corner of 441 and Glades in a demonstration related to the current unrest in Venezuela.
Large demonstrations began in Miami roughly four days ago, covered yesterday by NBC Miami. Certain areas of South Florida are known for having large Venezuelan populations, especially Weston (jokingly referred to as Westonzuela). Boca Raton is better known for its large Jewish population. West Boca has prominent Brazilian and Colombian communities. Apparently Venezuelans are growing here, as shown by today’s demonstration. However, it’s too soon to call it Bocazuela.
We talked to several of them. This demonstration was led by students, both from the local high schools (one mentioned Spanish River) as well as area colleges including FAU. They were emphatic about the government murdering and raping people as well as the lack of press freedom. A few noted that they enjoy much greater freedom here in the US, as evidenced by today’s protest.
We asked why they were doing this in West Boca, and why now. The timing results from the protests in Miami and recent events in Venezuela. And they’re doing this in West Boca because it’s difficult for many of them to get to Miami, and because they feel it’s important to spread the word to a larger audience. A larger demonstration will take place tomorrow (Tuesday) at the FAU main entrance at 4 pm.
Several seemed unaware who their congressman was. Congressman Ted Deutch lives roughly two miles away, near West Boca High. Having heard the name, one young man indicated he was involved with some kind of student caucus connected with Deutch. He hadn’t thought to contact the congressman but said he would reach out to him now.
It will be interesting to see if Deutch says or does anything. A search of the Deutch page on house.gov reveals zero results about “Maduro” (Nicolas Maduro is the current leader of Venezuela), zero about “Chavez” (Hugo Chavez was the previous leader) and nothing meaningful about “Venezuela.” Deutch is known for being staunchly pro-Israel but it’s unclear if he has any guiding principles to his foreign policy views or how they might apply to what’s going on in Venezuela now.
The Palm Beach Sheriff had a noticeable presence with three deputies. They told us they noticed the gathering during a routine patrol and were not sent because of any calls. They expressed their support for the right of citizens to demonstrate and were focused on making sure they were able to do so in a peaceful fashion. The deputies kept their distance and were polite.
We were alerted to the event around 4 pm. The photos were taken by this article’s author before 5 pm. We confirmed that the demonstration was effectively over at 6:15 pm when another member of our team drove by.
Guest Article: Failed Transit for Disabled
Courtney Gale writes to us about problems with transit in Palm Beach County for persons with disabilities. Here, with our edits, is an e-mail and then a more formal article:
E-mail
I am disabled, so I use Palm Tran’s door-to-door service. I have been having problems with them for years:
- Many drivers are late even though they have a 30-minute window for pick up;
- Waiting over 30 min in the FL heat is not ideal;
- Many drivers get lost even though there are many options available now for finding a pick up or drop off point;
- If you do not qualify for PT’s Transportation Disadvantaged program you end up paying $6 for a round trip (that’s $3.50 each way);
- When riding, wheelchairs and the people that occupy them, are to be strapped in. Many of these belts are loose so even though they may be around a person, the effect they are meant to have is moot.
Article
IN THE WRONG DIRECTION WITH CONNECTION
By Courtney Gale
According to the U.S. Census 2000, 20.9% of the individuals in Palm Beach County are disabled. Some of these will have been born with their disabilities, whilst others won’t have. Not only does this highlight why everybody should have good disability insurance coverage in place (this disability insurance guide is useful for more information), it also shows how important it is that disabled access is kept at the forefront of our minds. Many people who ride paratransit buses do not drive for medical reasons. I am also one of these people.
Living in Palm Beach County, I use the shared, door to door, paratransit branch of our public bus system known as Palm Tran Connection. I have been a Connection rider for 10+ years and other than experiencing the trips that I have scheduled, I have also undergone a plethora of problems which makes me seriously wonder if Connection drivers show their charges the respect and compassion they deserve. Disabled, frail and elderly citizens depend on this service and these vehicles to get to work, college, important medical appointments, shopping or just spending some time out of the house.
When I have an excursion planned, I have learned to state my appointment for at least thirty minutes to an hour ahead to ensure I arrive on time as [other] passenger[s] who uses Connection to get to adult daycare.
One looks forward to her trips to daycare and gets upset if the bus is late. “All her friends are there […] it’s her life.”
Connection drivers are often late picking their passengers up whether it’s to their destination or a return trip home. The wait “window” is to be thirty minutes, but it often ends up being an hour or more. During the wait time, riders must stay alert to look for that big white van and, more often than not, place at least one phone call to complain or inquire about where their vehicle is due to the tardiness. Palm Beach Post reported the situation of a diabetic man who had not eaten prior to his wait window. He had a 9-9:30 am pick up time. The van finally arrived at 11 am. I admit, homes can be a bit difficult to find, but GPS, maps, hell, being able to read the signs pointing to the proper streets are all ways to overcome this hurdle.
When a van arrives early, the drivers usually leave before I can get out the door since he (or she) has not read the sheet outlining the details for each passenger known as their manifest. For example, mine says, “DEAF PASSENGER IN A WHEELCHAIR.” A wheelchair can make getting ready twice as long and being deaf, I do not hear the phone ring, but they usually call the house anyway and when no one picks up, they move on.
So after I have reached my frustration point for the day, paid the driver (We’re at $3.50 each way when those on regular buses pay $3.50 for an unlimited day pass.) and signed the intake sheet, I must endure the strapping in of my chair.
If you ask many drivers, the chest belt is supposed to go behind me. They do not know the proper placement of the restraints and many belts are so loose, they forfeit any and all responsibility for keeping a wheelchair user securely in place.
Once they drop me at my doctor’s office and I have finished my hour-long appointment, I get to do the whole thing over again.
It makes for a very long day surrounding a very short meeting.
The Palm Beach Post took notice of these problems when service became really bad in August of 2012. Palm Tran reduced service vendors from three to solely Metro Mobility Management Group. Metro promised them a savings of approximately $16.7 million over the next five years. Despite Metro’s problems such as labour issues and a case involving a blind passenger being groped by a driver, Palm Tran officials approved the takeover.
When asked about the switch, Palm Tran’s executive director, Chuck Cohen, was quoted as saying, “This has gone beyond what we were expecting,”
Switching from three providers to just one, what did you expect?
The administrator at New Day Adult Day Care Center, Julie Tombari, believes the drivers were not fully trained, but seven weeks after Metro’s takeover, Tombari and several of the customers thought they saw things starting to improve.
Apparently, not fast enough because not even two weeks ago, the Sun-Sentinel reported that Palm Tran had ended their contract with Metro Mobility.
“Providing paratransit service is expensive for any transit agency,” said Lisa Bacot, executive director of the Florida Public Transportation Association. Palm Tran is no exception, but what does cost to the county have to do with recognizing a rider’s needs and a driver treating the different impairments accordingly that they are faced with every day? Background checks, more thorough training periods, a standard of medical knowledge and a test for all of this should be mandatory for all drivers. Not only that, but the drivers should want to be there.
Maurice Jacobson, Palm Tran advisory board member and a Connection rider, agrees: “It’s a lifeline to be able to not only go to the doctor or the grocery store, but also they have a right to go to the movies, the library,” he said, “These are not profit centers. They’re service centers.”
In an e-mail that county commissioner Shelley Vana’s aide Kelly Peck composed to Cohen, PTC director Ron Jones and Metro owner Cullan Meathe, an excerpt read,
“It is horrible that our most vulnerable have missed important doctor appointments and even lost their jobs; it is totally shameful […] There are truly safety issues. That is not OK, none of it is. […] I shudder to think that something horrific is just a step away. This is despicable, and I am so glad that I do not have a loved one that has to endure these conditions.”
References: Palm Beach Post, Mon Oct 1, 2012
Palm Beach County, Aug 6, 2012
Sun Sentinel, Jan 18, 2014