Why a Wall Street Banker Joined Venezuela’s Revolution

Venezuelan financial analyst Juan Carlos Peraza explains why he gave up a lucrative job as a Wall Street banker and returned home to support Hugo Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution.

By Ben Norton

In an interview with The Grayzone, Venezuelan financial analyst Juan Carlos Peraza detailed why he gave up a six-figure job in New York to join the socialist revolution in his homeland.

“Understanding what the Bush administration did over there, [while I was] in New York, how they created whole lies to invade Iraq, really opened my eyes,” Peraza said. “Understanding the intention of George Bush and the American empire, trying to steal the natural resources of countries, how they really lie, how they are capable of lying to the American people, which is a very nice people.”

“What really amazed me the most, after being in the financial system, understanding how they operate, and how they support war,” he continued. “And I understand that there is a military-industrial complex that needs to sell. They have businesses; they have companies associated to them that are listed at Wall Street, and they need to have sales; they need to increase profit sharing.”

Peraza also discussed how the US government and Venezuela’s right-wing opposition have waged an economic war for the past 20 years.

“One of my jobs is to really come across to the multilateral banking system, how we can really get financing through them,” he said.

“We have around 80 projects, major projects to develop the country, and we need external financing. How if the commercial system, the commercial banking system doesn’t help us? The only system that is helping us to finance the country is the bilateral banking system — China, Russia, other countries, other friendly countries.”

Peraza continued, “The [US] sanctions began — you see they are very undercover; the sanctions are covered up, through imperialism. They really know how to do this quietly. They don’t stop.