Please join us on Saturday, August 23, 2014 for a night of delights, including classical music, jazz, opera, Latin food and spirits, in support of peace, education and love in Venezuela. This evening benefits Unidad Venezolana, a non-profit which provides humanitarian aid to Venezuelan students and civilians harmed in the recent conflicts. www.UnidadVenezolana.org Heavy appetizers, hosted bar, and live entertainment. Guests $100 VIP Champagne Circle $250 (includes hostess and bottle service)  Please inquire about Silver, Gold and Platinum sponsorships.   Special celebrity guests include:  Gabriela Montero Carmen Maria Montiel Avila, Miss Venezuela 1984 Juan Pablo Galavis Monica Mesones, Latin America model, Univision Newscaster at Willowbrook Farms an intimate and stunning Rancho Sante Fe estate (address details will be shared upon receipt of ticket purchase)   Friends of Latin America Host Chairs: Eva M. O'Keefe, Charo Garcia Guerra, Lena Evans, and Esther Rodriguez   THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS             What is happening in Venezuela? Since February 12, 2014 Venezuelan students have faced increased oppression from forces of the government of Nicolas Maduro for their simple desire to protest the current economic and political situation in their country. 2900 students have been imprisoned for protesting against the government. 41 students have been killed. Amnesty international has 150 cases of documented torture using electricity, gasoline, lights, dogs. Harvard educated opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez sits in a military prison without bail since early February charged with inciting violence. Many students and civilians are now in maximum security prisons alongside rapists and killers. The crime of these brave students has been to speak up against the repressive and tyrannical Venezuelan government. Venezuela now lives under a dictatorship where basic human rights are not upheld. The international community has been slow to react. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and is the 5th largest oil producing country in the world. Many fellow Latin American countries such as Brazil and Argentina and many of the Caribbean countries receive Venezuela’s oil at a discount through an organization called Petrocaribe. Because of the economic interests at stake, these countries are afraid to intervene or to speak ill about the situation in Venezuela. Venezuelans have a right to protest and have many reasons to do so. The economic and political situation in Venezuela is dire. Venezuelans are simply fed up with the crime and murder rate in their cities. The murder rate in Venezuela ranks as the second worst in the world with over 25,000 in a country of 30 million people. Venezuela has an impunity rate of 95%. The social revolution that started under Hugo Chavez produced limited successes for the poorest individuals in Venezuela but has crippled the economy and created an inflation rate of 60% - the highest in the world. At the same time, the government has closed or taken over many private businesses and farmland which has created shortages of basic necessities such as flour, cooking oil, medicines including lifesaving cancer drugs and even toilet paper. Venezuelans line up for hours every day to buy items that here in the USA we just take for granted. Further discontent comes from the disproportionate and violent reaction from the Venezuelan National Guard “GNB”, the police and paramilitary groups called “collectivos” resulting in over 41 deaths and hundreds of students severely wounded, detained, and tortured. Venezuela’s state owned media is on a total blackout and only report news favorable to the government. TV stations that disagree with the government have been forced to sell to government forces or simply shut down. Newspapers don’t have paper to print their news and they too comply with government censorship rules. Finally, Venezuelan’s are protesting the intervention of Cubans supporters of the Castro regime into Venezuela’s affairs. There are 5 Generals in the Venezuelan armed forces from the Cuban regime. Venezuela sends $14 billion of free oil to Cuba per year. Nicolas Maduro is a puppet of the Castro brothers. The objective of this fundraiser is to educate our fellow Latin and American brothers and sisters about the situation in Venezuela. We have partnered with Unidad Venezolana – a non-profit group based out of Miami, Florida to send food, medicine and legal assistance to Venezuelan students and civilians affected by the conflict. We sincerely appreciate your participation in this fundraiser for UnidadVenezolana.org. You can also help by contacting the White House, your local Congressperson and your State Senator. We need to make the story of Venezuela more visible, similar to the Ukraine situation that is in the forefront of the news cycle even though is very far away. A communist Venezuela under the rule of the Castro regime is a real threat to the peace and stability of the Americas. Unlike Cuba, Venezuela is a country rich in oil, aluminum, uranium and many other minerals. We can all do our part to maintain freedom and democracy in our continent. God Bless you and God Bless The Americas Host of Friends for Latin America Eva M. O’Keefe, Charo Garcia Guerra, Lena Evans, Esther Rodriguez