TUPAMARO [2011] Venezuela's Urban Guerrillas

4+ hours of footage stringouts from an in-production documentary film. Working title: TUPAMARO (2011) English subtitles included. Screens: http://imgur.com/a/c3tla ---------------------------------------- by Martin Markovits and The Underground Productions (Los Angeles) http://www.lasrever.com/morepowertou.htm ---------------------------------------- In Summer 2010, a L.A. film crew flew out to Caracas, Venezuela with gifts and guaranteed access to the leadership of the Tupamaro armed collective. These "urban guerrillas" act as social workers and protectors of the radical working-class barrio "23 de enero", just a few blocks from the presidential palace and one of the strongest bastions of support for President Hugo Chavez. 'Chino' is the charismatic, brash face of the Tupas, while 'Mao' is his intellectual elder. Times have changed markedly since the 1980s, when the struggle was dedicated to overthrowing the elected government of the day. Fierce supporters of the present Marxist revolution, the Tupas now count among their enemies Colombian paramilitaries and narco gangs, both of whom destabilize society and thus the revolutionary process. But with a dwindling membership that is far from battle-ready, how serious are Mao and Chino about playing a significant role within their limited territory, let alone the rest of the sprawling capital city? This film depicts the spectrum of problematic issues in Venezuela, ranging from police corruption and the narcotics trade, to political division and foreign intervention. Chino and Mao speak at length alongside drug dealers, ex-politicians, journalists, and a U.S. expert.