If I could vote in Venezuela, I would say yes to the amendment

Leo Bassi, a clown descending from an European circus family, enemy of the power, and censored in Spain due to his critics against Catholic Church, stated that if he could vote in Venezuela, he would say yes to the constitutional amendment.

In his first visit to the country, invited to participate at the IV International Circus Fest 2008, in Caracas, Bassi admitted that even if he is not familiarized with Venezuelan politics, he likes Bolivarian Revolution.

*- We would like to know your experience with Spain's censorship *

In the last three years, I have lived a brutal censorship by Catholic Church against a show where I talk about my atheism. I made a successful show, but far right-wing groups and far catholics, first, tried to scare me with anonymous calls threatening to kill me, and then, they have put bombs that have been about to explode in front of my locker. However, they have not frightened me, so they got tired of that. Theater tends to bother. You cannot live in consensus. I think it would not be good for society if everybody would agree with everything it is said.

*- What do you transmit on stage? *

I have think a lot on what is to make a show. The public want what the actors convey and they tend to love it deeply. I think that what we really want to see is others life, others essence. At stage, if I say and do things with the essence and strength of what I believe, then the public gets it, which it does not mean I am making a political show. Instead of using words, I like to transmit with actions, surprising the public. Even the most ridicule act like grabbing a Coca-Cola can and destroy it is the fruit of a political consciousness, of a point of view about world situation, instead of making a one hour speech talking about globalization. I think clowns, good ones, and probably there are not many of them, achieve to say deep things with their simplicity, and that is the hardest part. I am working on it.

*- Do you have a specific public? *

Yes, I do. People already know me in Spain, Italy, and Germany. They know what I do. Conservative people do not like it. They know how the thing is and they are interested on it. My public is mainly young, very open minded people willing to try and know different things. I have a good public. I really love my public.

*- Politically, how would you define yourself? *

I want to be honest. I rarely see myself represented in a political party. In general, I think I am a left-wing person. I hate the North American commercial world. There are good people in United States like Michael Moore, I totally agree with him. Maybe I am too idealistic, but I would like a humanist system.

*- What have you heard about the Bolivarian Process and President Hugo Chávez? *

In Spain, where Latin America is really important because history, culture, and language, people are always paying attention of what is happening in Venezuela, so there is pretty often news about Chávez on newspapers. However I have the feeling information is manipulated. I am talking about newspapers like El País, which is considered a left-wing newspaper, but all the news about Chávez are negative ones. I am skeptical. I want to see things with my own eyes. To start with, I do not trust too much on media means, because I know them, I know how they work, and the money behind them. Big families, and their interests. I received an invitation to make a show here, so I took advantage of the opportunity to try to see something. We made a tour by some communities. We were told about the social, health, education, and cultural work that is carried out at these poor neighborhoods in Caracas.

*- What do you think is happening in Venezuela? *

Seen from outside, and without having a full knowledge of the situation, I am sympathetic to what is being done. I have never seen any country to face poor neighborhoods and poor people problems in such straight way. My main worry is poor people in big cities and the political system. When I come back to Europe, I will say positive things about what I have seen.

*- In Venezuela, there is currently a discussion about a constitutional amendment for a presidential continuous reelection. What do you think about it?

I have some contradictory opinions about it, because a real revolution needs more than a man. It is like a circus, we have to train future generations to give way to new artists. However, if I could vote in Venezuela, I would vote yes to the amendment, because many people were excluded for a long time and now they have a person that is paying attention to them; nevertheless, I would vote with many reservations. What I am trying to say is: Watch out! You need to train other people, because you can not depend on a single man. That was in other epoch.

*- In Europe, representing the “free world”, you have been threatened, but here in Venezuela, where we have a “tropical dictatorship”, you have been invited and nothing has happened to you *

I have come here prudently, i.e, when I arrive in a country, which I do not know its values I only carry out funny shows. It is possible that if I stayed here few months I would start making jokes about Chávez. I have dared to criticize Spain's Catholic Church because I really know the political situation in that country. I was in Russia on September, after a week I started to make jokes about the consumerism because it was crazy by then. The clown always goes against power, any kind of power, and I like to do it smartly. I can not be opposed to something if I do not know it, and, since I did not know anything about Venezuela I have not dared to make any jokes about its political situation.

*- Will we see soon a show about Venezuelan political situation? *

Yes (laughs). If I come back. But look, in Europe between X to XIII centuries, clowns were part of the feudal institution and kings used to fight each other to get the best buffoons. The ones that criticized more the king were by then those giving the king more prestige. It is funny to think that a country is stronger than other if its comedians are more critics. A country where nobody dares to criticize the government because fear, it is a government going towards decadency.