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Hello friends and comrades!

After a bit of a summer hiatus, we’re back with a fresh episode of Outernational, this time with artist, DJ, electronic musician and Venezuelan-New Yorker MPeach. MPeach aka Mariana Martín Capriles has been actively fundraising in the aftermath of dual massive 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on June 24th. We talked about Mariana’s unique career as a diaspora artist who has prioritized returning regularly to the homeland to collaborate and perform, striving to build a bridge and maintain connections, especially with Afro-Diasporic artists and traditions. Mariana’s story also exists within a complicated historical and political context, one that is often over simplified. The nation was already in a fragile state following a U.S. invasion in January and the kidnapping of President Maduro. Now under the occupation of the U.S. military with a budget managed by little Marco Rubio who fancies himself a colonial viceroy, the government of Delcy Rodríguez is making massive deals with U.S. corporations to sell off Venezuela’s most valuable resource of oil to the highest bidder. There is no doubt this deal with enrich the elites of both the U.S. and Venezuela, leaving the people impoverished.

As anti-imperialists with a commitment to human rights from each of our positionalities – me as leftist “United Statesian’ and citizen of the imperial core and her in the Venezuelan diaspora, a working artist on the left/anarchist spectrum, we acknowledged that each of our commitments requires something different of us. We both believe that first and foremost, solidarity with the working people of the world is our priority. This is a difficult but necessary conversation that often gets flattened into dehumanizing binaries, with people talking over each other. I immensely appreciated Mariana’s willingness to share her experience and have this conversation.

How do we square these commitments that can be made to feel like contradictions? What does real solidarity with the working people of the world look like? While we can’t simply listen to any one Venezuelan as they’re not a monolith, it feels crucial to at least have conversations with those we claim to be in solidarity with and align on values. The organizers, the trade unionists, the working people, including artists. We make the attempt here for understanding in the context of Mariana’s own story, towards principled solidarity.

It’s a great conversation with a lot of depth and I hope you’re able to listen and share with an open mind!

To support earthquake relief efforts, you can attend the Artists United for Venezuela Fundraiser in NYC on September 10th at Chocolate Factory, or donate to the many mutual aid links below!

Solidarity,

Amirtha

Chocolate Factory Fundraiser, Sept 10

Fundraising Links for Venezuela Earthquake relief:

Direct Mutual Aid Fundraiser by Mariana:
https://gofund.me/d163ced6a

HOGAR BAMBI Organization Fundraising for displaced children

https://bambifoundation.org

IMPAKTEMOS
https://gofund.me/a352153f8

FUNDANA
https://www.fundana.org