The magic of the circus breathes life back into Venezuela

Americas Now

The magic of the circus breathes life back into Venezuela

Jorge Heli has been a part of the circus since his teenage years as a street performer. Working on the public spaces of his native town of La Sabana and other cities in Venezuela, he realized that his country didn’t need more street performers but more circus producers.

So he got together with some colleagues and started working on a dream: bringing the Venezuelan Circus Festival to life.

Thanks to their hard work, their town, which until then was only known for its surfing, has become synonymous with circus. For the past ten years, volunteers have organized to create the Circus Festival, an event that is not just about the entertainment, but also lures hordes of tourists every year to this coastal town, and helps inspire a younger generation.

Many of the performers are street artists who use the venue to display their talents to a large audience. Thanks to the festival, which is free-for-all, at least 1,000 children who are under privileged have experienced memories for a lifetime. The circus helps reduce dropout rates and keeps the children away from bad influences.

Jore Heli is the force behind this festival, and our Game Changer this week in Americas Now.