They came wearing red

And so they came. The College President and Executive Director arrived at breakfast time. Their coming had been an on-off affair depending on who one spoke to the previous day. They were followed a few hours later by a great many government officials including the Secretary General of INTI, the department that issued the legal proceedings to'rescue' the college land, representatives from regional and local level ministries, including the Mayor of the municipality, dressed in the ubiquitous red polo shirt. At least one university professor accompanied the government parties. Representatives from four co-operatives who would all like the college land had also been invited by the government. College staff, all 7 seven students currently on campus and 2 volunteers were also present. Armed police were on hand too. The whole proceedings were filmed by the government.

The college authorities had been lead to believe the purpose of the meeting was for the Caracas bods to have a look around the college, for the college to present its position in situ and for a decision to be reached. Not so. The college may have been the location for the meeting but it was certainly not the host! Setting aside for the moment why we were even having this meeting, proceedings seemed very democratic. All parties to the 'dispute' were represented and would get to have their say. The Mayor opened the meeting, giving a lecture on socialism. He was followed by the more eloquent Secretary General of INTI from Caracas who gave another lecture on socialism and the meaning of the revolution – least we forget, it is not for the benefit of any individual but for the benefit of the whole of society. It was a very civilised meeting, considering how angry people were. The only person who spoke with any ire was a campesina from one of the co-operatives. She demanded 100 hectares of land. The Secretary General reminded her the revolution does not serve individual needs. Nobody was being guaranteed anything until the commission has concluded. Some disagreement among the co-operatives emerged. The staff clapped when staff members spoke. The Secretary again reminded everyone that no claims seeking to advance the individual will be met.

In the course of the meeting INTI's Secretary General said the order to 'rescue' the land was not from the Minister but from the office of the Governor of the state. One Mr Chavez, brother of Hugo. Indicating perhaps who is really in charge and that the usual hierarchies have not been respected. The Mayor of the Municipality was a little miffed too because his office had not been informed the court proceedings were going to be issued. One suspects that regional INTI did not anticipate the course events might take once they started legal proceedings. Things are not going as smoothly as they may have liked. Now that national level INTI, the Ministry of Education, The Mayor (Chavez Party) and what feels like the world and his wives, are involved, mesas de trabajo (roughly, working groups) will be established to collect the proposals of each side and the necessary information to enable government officers and their experts to make an analysis (presumably framed in terms of what will best lead to 21^st century socialism) of the situation and compile a report for El Comandante Chavez who will make a final decision. The process of hearing proposals will last about 15 days. I've no idea how long it will take El Comandante to reach his decision. And in my experience of how things work here, this time frame is subject to change.

And so with that agreed the meeting was called to a close and I'm not sure who left happy. Not the college staff or students. Probably not the campesinos. Possibly not the Mayor whose nose was put out of joint because he was not informed, as he should have been, about the court action. Possibly not national level INTI because not only was the chain of command ignored and their hands are tied because of the involvement of Chavez' brother but now they have to deal with the fall out. Possibly the only happy participants were the local level INTI! Which has already served a second set of documents to the college with additional and perhaps contradictory 'orders'.

The reality for the college is that students will now be told to delay further their return to classes. However, under the agreement originally signed by the administrating body it is illegal for them not to open the academic year. They're in a bit of bind then! There is still no money to pay staff salaries due at the end of this coming week – the second pay packet they will miss. And poor administration means there is no social fund to pay staff off which is probably illegal, but that is another matter. Food at the school is getting worse with fresh vegetables being a rarity. The farm is not producing chickens any more but I saw some lovely looking pigs today and we seem to have a plentiful supply of (tough) beef. I'm afraid our rations are going to be cut to one meal a day very soon, already at meals they often only fill one of the 6 compartments on our prison style metal trays.

Having considered selling some trees to raise cash for salaries and essential running costs, the college has been told there is some kind of 'measure' attached to the court order which prohibits either of the sides from doing anything to the land, including clearing or planting. Lawyers for the college cannot find the 'measure' on the statutes. But INTI has informed them they may put a proposal to sell off trees to the mesa de trabajo next week and if all parties agree to it they can override the unwritten measure. Now there's an idea and something else to add to the confusion! In return the campesinos might just propose they start using that big tractor they've moved on to the land or maybe better still they should be given the teak plantations.

Who knows whether the outcome of the process will be fair or just or truly fit the aims of the socialist revolution. I'd like to think so but I have my doubts, after all why has the college, a non-profit making establishment with almost all student places funded by the Ministry for Higher Education, teaching farm management to students from poorer backgrounds and with a social outreach programme, been a target ahead of the private landowner across the road with thousands of hectares of fallow land|? Perhaps because such landowners organise private armies to kill campesinos? Perhaps because powerful personal interests are at play? It's definitely not because 'shit just happens'.

One possible outcome, hinted at by some on the government side, is that not just the land but the buildings as well will be taken over and transformed into a public university. That would be revolutionary and not necessarily a bad thing. But then just do it. The international movement of which the school is a part may or may not choose to see the loss of a member – the first in its almost 50 years in existence – but will have to confront a new regime and possibly a new, expanded curriculum. In this case the revolution wins in principle but it is in the execution that the real commitment to slogans will be seen. Current students must be enabled to complete their course and staff must be treated respectfully and provided work. That's the promise, let's see the reality.

“Solidarity, fraternity, love, justice, liberty and equality” we see the slogan everywhere, not lets see it in action. Viva la revolucion!