"Supervisors were humbled by the ambassador's invitation and I believe this relationship will provide an institutional framework for social, cultural, and financial ties between the people of Andres Eloy Blanco and those of Dane County," stated Kumar, the resolution's lead sponsor; "In addition to the educational component of this relationship, there are also social benefits. Working class communities in cities and counties across the United States have greatly benefited from sister relationships with Venezuela."

County Supervisors, community organizers, and officials in Andres Eloy Blanco worked together to formulate the resolution and relationship. Matt Earley, co-owner of Madison-based cooperative Just Coffee, who recently returned from visiting Sanare, the capital of Andres Eloy Blanco, said; "The people of Sanare and of Dane County share the same sense of progressive politics, environmental stewardship, and grassroots democratic participation in government. In Venezuela the municipality of Sanare is often called the birthplace of the nation's cooperative movement. Like Dane County, Andres Eloy Blanco is looked to as a leader in cooperative activities."

Anne Reynolds, Assistant Director at the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, who has also been working to create the relationship stated, "Dane County is home to a diverse and successful group of cooperatives. A sister - county relationship with Andres Elroy Blanco would help build connections between the cooperatives in both communities, and support opportunities for education and research."

Currently, the City of Milwaukee is looking to create a relationship with Corora, Venezuela. The government of Venezuela has stated their interest in offering discounted heating oil and free eye surgery to Milwaukee's low-income residents. Over the last few years, the Venezuelan government has provided millions of gallons of heating oil at a 40% discount to hundreds of thousands of low-income households in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Philadelphia, New York City's Harlem and Bronx neighborhoods, and Indian reservations across the country.

Other cities around the world have created relationships with Venezuelan cities. These relationships have opened new avenues for trade between cities and counties, whether they exchange ideas and culture or goods and services. For example, London recently signed an agreement with Venezuela in which Venezuela will provide 20% reduced fuel costs to city buses to directly subsidize the fares of 250,000 low-income bus riders. In exchange, Venezuela will benefit through the provision of London's technical knowledge in its infrastructure, urban planning, and tourism.

Sanare is an urban area surrounded by small rural towns located in the Midwest of Venezuela. The main engine of the municipality's economy is agriculture and coffee production. According to Mayor Alfredo Orozco, during many decades this area has been the epicenter of many struggles for social justice and is also considered to be the birthplace of the Venezuelan peasant cooperative movement, as well as home of poets, musicians and revolutionary leaders. All these characteristics make Andres Eloy Blanco a place with a unique social and progressive environment, as well as a place whose inhabitants have great adherence to participatory democracy and to community life. "After receiving the visit of several Wisconsin residents in our state, and after the participation at our International Coffee Fair of Madison's Just Coffee Cooperative, with which we established a relationship, we feel very excited about the prospect of establishing a Sister County relationship with Dane County," said the Mayor.

Officials from Andres Eloy Blanco are very excited at the prospect of building a relationship with Dane County. Sanara's head of the Department of Tourism and International Relations Maria Victoria Casanova said, "From Sanare we would like to say that we believe it to be a great idea to establish this relationship with Dane County, we think that we have much in common and much to share, and that to us seems marvelous!"

According to Martin Sanchez, Consul General of Venezuela in Chicago, the Andres Eloy Blanco Municipality shares many values with those of Dane County, such as its adherence to democracy, solidarity, cooperation and citizen empowerment. "A sister county agreement is an excellent opportunity to begin a strong relation that promotes and strengthens economic, social, and cultural exchange between these two counties, at levels and in areas not yet reached or explored," Sánchez said. According to the consul, "there is a conscious effort underway in Venezuela to revitalize its agricultural sector. "It makes sense for us to establish relationships with those from whom we can benefit in terms of technology cooperation and who can benefit from what regions like Andres Eloy Blanco have to offer due to its culture and the quality of its agricultural products," Sanchez said.

Currently, Dane County has a sister relationship with Apartado, Colombia and the City of Kassel, Germany. Most recently, a delegation of Dane County supervisors visited Kassel to meet with city officials and observe the light-rail system and energy generating plants with the hope of replicating a similar model in Dane County.

Beyond official recognition of the sister-county relationship, the resolution would also establish a revenue and expense account for donations, and form a taskforce to foster trade, enhance intercultural understanding, and encourage communication, friendship, and goodwill between communities in Venezuela and the United States.