Venezuela is hosting leftist activists from around Latin America at a forum that has been criticized by opponents who say the fragile country can hardly afford to entertain hundreds of international guests.
On Friday, delegates from Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico and other places flocked to the Caracas hotel where the four-day Sao Paulo Forum is being held.
Some people wore Che Guevara T-shirts and posed for photos. They perused stalls selling handbags made by indigenous communities. A sign said “Trump, Unblock Venezuela,” a reference to the Venezuelan government view that U.S. sanctions are driving the country’s economic problems.
In another area of Caracas, a small group of protesters denounced the leftist forum as a waste of resources. They blame state corruption and mismanagement for Venezuela’s humanitarian and political crises.
