ALBA company to export seeds to African countries
The Venezuelan Agriculture and Lands Minister Juan Loyo indicated that Venezuela will be able to export 4 million rice and sorghum seeds for human consumption to African nations such as Gambia, South Africa and Nigeria thanks to an agreement between the Venezuelan Development Bank (Bandes) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Loyo made this announcement during an inspection conducted in the ALBA Pulse Joint Venture (EMSLA).
EMSLA was created by Venezuela and Cuba, and Argentina supports this joint venture by supplying technology.
EMSLA facilities is located in the state of Yaracuy (about 200 miles west of Caracas) and its goal is to foster, produce, manage, transform and industrialize pulses and agricultural products grown in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan agriculture and lands minister said that the plant can storage 788 tons of pulse, sorghum, cotton and rice seeds, which are distributed among domestic producers.
Rodolfo Viñate, representative of the Argentinean government, pointed out that “we thank that we have been allowed to transfer technology. We feel we are part of the Revolution.”
Viñate explained that Argentina shares with Venezuela the knowledge it achieved to become the worlds first agroexporting country and that EMSLA and “its workers can produce a high-quality seed.”
Ministry of Peoples Power for Foreign Affairs
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
STATEMENT
The Minister of Peoples Power for Foreign Affairs Nicolas Maduro held a telephone conversation on Monday afternoon, February 21, 2011, with the Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Kousser, who is in the city of Tripoli, capital of the Great Socialist Peoples Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kousser Moussa informed to his Venezuelan counterpart that the leader Muammar Gaddafi is in Tripoli, exercising the powers granted by the state and facing the situation the country is living. Thus, he rejected the comments irresponsibly made by the United Kingdom Foreign Affairs Minister William Hague to the press.
Referring to the historic friendship that unites the Libyan and Venezuelan peoples, Foreign Minister Maduro expressed the hope that, in exercise of its sovereignty, the Libyan people find a peaceful solution to their difficulties; that it preserves the integrity of the Libyan people and the nation, without the interference of the imperialism in the region whose interests have been affected in recent times.
Finally, the Foreign Ministers of Libya and Venezuela agreed to maintain contact to exchange first-hand information on evolution of the situation in the fraternal country.
INE: Questions about AfroAmerican recognition in 2011 Census to be modified
A subcommittee of the National Statistic Institute (INE Spanish acronym) proposed to modify the question of the 14th Population and Housing Census 2011 on the recognition of African descendants.
Carolge Guevara, representative of the Ministry of Peoples Power for Culture and member of the INEs Subcommittee for Afro-descendants Statistics said that the question to be modified is the following "Do you recognize yourself as: a) black / black b) Afro-descendant c) brown skinned d) Other (specify). "
After launching a self-recognition communication campaign of African descendants, from 17 to Jan. 31 piloted in Macuto, Vargas state (north of Caracas), the proposal to change the question came out.
Also the director of the Relationship Office for Communities of Afro-Descendants of the Ministry of Education said they hope to add variables such as "white" and other aspects related to physical features, ancestry, culture and traditions.
Guevara said that this campaign will inform people about the racial ethnic question to be included in the census.
Billboards, fliers and TV and radio spots are the resources to be used throughout the country as part of the campaign, whose motto is "Proud of our origin. I'm Afro-descendant ... and you? how do you recognize yourself?"
"The Afro-American population has historically been excluded," said Guevara, who noted that the socioeconomic census includes questions related to Afro-American roots so as to, know the reality of that population.
"If the results statistically show that they are less advantaged and earn less income, institutions can tackle that reality," he said.
The 2011 Census will reveal where and how many Afro-descendants there are in Venezuela, where and under what conditions they are. With this data public and private organizations could make policies to encourage and include this population.
He explained that this question is to recognize Venezuelan that have been excluded and treated in a discriminatory manner. "This is not about division."
in 2007, the Subcommittee of Afro-descendant Population Statistics was created as an initiative sponsored by the Afro-Venezuelan Organizations Network and the Relationship Office for Communities of Afro-Descendants.
The Subcommittee for Afro-descendants Statistics comprises institutions such as the Banco de la Mujer (Womens Bank), the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF, English acronym) the INE and Afro-Venezuelan social organizations.
Bolivarian Revolution has quadrupled agriculture GDP
The agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased 31% during 12 years of the Bolivarian Revolution. This figure is contrasted with only 7% reached during 40 years of the Fourth Republic.
This information was announced by the Minister of Peoples Power for Agriculture and Lands Juan Carlos Loyo, during the presentation of his annual report before the National Assembly this Tuesday.
"In the Fourth Republic, we were at a pace of 7%. In the last twelve years of the Bolivarian Government and Revolution, the agriculture GDP has grown 31%. There you have the figures to compare." Loyo said to right-wing deputies of the National Assembly. "These figures provided by the Central Bank of Venezuela are completely open to audit whenever you want."
Minister Loyo said that trawling was an atrocity against marine environment. The Bolivarian Government therefore prohibited this method and then took a census of 3,261 fishermen in order to offer them an alternative to take up small-scale fishing. In this area, the national government has invested $7.44 million.
"This policy was a national clamor. So far, 1,700 of these fishermen have received financing and we are still working with the rest of the group to develop productive projects." Loyo pointed out.
Right-wing deputies claimed that Agriculture Complex Ezequiel Zamora (CAEZ Spanish acronym) was at a standstill. In this regard, Minister Loyo said that this state-company has processed 3,900 tons of sugar cane to date, coming from the almost 6,000 hectares of growers in the states of Barinas and Portuguesa (west).
"Currently, 300 tons of sugar are being produced daily thanks to this milling. We are making important advancements. We have just started." Loyo pointed out.
Venezuelan News Agency (AVN) / Translated by MinCI
Cable car to Macuto operative by November 2012
The second phase of the coastline cable car Warairarepano-Macuto will start operations in November 2012. It will link Maripérez station in Caracas with Macuto in Vargas state (north) in a 40-minute ride. This information was announced by Minister of Peoples Power for Tourism Alejandro Fleming during the endorsement of the public credit contract granted by the Bank of Economic and Social Development of Venezuela (BANDES Spanish acronym) for the execution of this project.
The first phase (2011) has an investment of $ 31,4 million to be financed by BANDES. In the second phase, the state oil company PDVSA will participate as resource provider institution.
“The endorsement of this important contract seeks to provide all the electromechanical components for constructing the cable car linking Caracas with La Guaira. This shows the strategy of the government led by President Hugo Chávez to improve the sector of tourism,” said Minister Fleming.
“The system will have s significant incidence since it will allow people from both sides of the mountain to move between the two places in a shorter time,” Fleming added.
The Warairarepano-Macuto route is designed in two sections. The first section goes from El Cojo station (Vargas state) to San José station connecting to Warairarepano. The second section reaches Galipán station.
The construction of the second phase will be done by the Austrian company Doppelmayr and it will the contribute to the economic development in several areas.
“Communities living in the cable cars surroundings will be able to develop a socioproductive activity related to tourism. It will benefit the community and the Venezuelan people as a whole,” Fleming pointed out.
This significant project will continue consolidating the position of Venezuela as national and international tourist destination, as well as giving the chance to the Venezuelan people to progress with this strategy of the Bolivarian Revolution for recreation and good living.
President of BANDES and Minister of Commerce Edmée Betancourt said that the project is part of the Socialist Strategic Plan Simón Bolívar 2007 – 2013.
“It is one of our integral projects and it is divided into stages. BANDES, as a bank for development, supports the Venezuelan State and provides it with the necessary equipment valued at $ 31,3 million.” Said Betancourt.
“This project requires more funding to be finished. Therefore, the supports comes not only from BANDES but also from PDVSA.” She added.
A representative of Doppelmayr, Mario Schoffel, said that the company is transferring technology and training to the Venezuelan State.
“We are participating in the technology transfer. We received an invitation from the State and we accepted it with enthusiasm. This will allow the staff involved in the construction of this section to work later on as operators of the system.” Said Schoffel.
Schoffel explained that the system will have 123 cabins with a capacity of eight people. “Each contract increases the participation share of the national industry.”
This means of transportation will allow users to go from El Cojo station to Warairarepano in 27 minutes and if the system works at full speed, it will get to Maripérez in 13 minutes.”
Doppelmayr is also working in the modernization process of the cable car in Mérida state (west) and supervises the maintenance works of the system Maripérez-Warairarepano done by the company Venezolana de Teleféricos (Ventel).
Mérida cable car
More than 100 tons of electromechanical components from Austria and Switzerland have replaced old parts and the restoration of more than 70% of the cargo cable car integrated in the Mérida cable car system.
Minister Fleming informed that the cargo cable car will serve to transport assembly equipment and to restore the Mérida cable car system. The electromechanical components is manufactured in Austria and Switzerland through a systematic process done with one of the most advanced construction technology worldwide.
The modernization process of the Mérida cable car includes the replacement of the rooftops of houses surrounding the system, as well as training in tourism promotion for communities in Barinitas and La Pueblita, in Mérida state; so they can become the main promoters of the cable car system.
The government also requested Doppelmayr to work on landscape design project to provide Barinitas station with a proper vision of tourism and therefore stop the deterioration of Las Heroínas square.
Venezuelan News Agency (AVN) / Translated by MinCI
300,000 children are attended to at 40,000 Simoncitos all over Venezuela
More than 300,000 children aged from 0 to 6 years receive comprehensive attention in nutrition, health and non-conventional education at 40,000 Simoncitos that the Government has installed all over the country, informed José Hernandez, Director of the Autonomous Service of Comprehensive Attention to Childhood and Family (Senifa Spanish acronym) in the state of Miranda.
In Miranda 22,380 children are attended in 1,850 of those centers, assuring alimentation, uniform and school items supply for free. Hernández added that in the next month it is foreseen the inauguration of 70 Simoncitos all over the state of Miranda.
“The Ministry of Education has asked to the community councils to joint efforts to look for spaces. Then, we send a team of supervisors to evaluate, if the space are adequate we supply them the necessary equipments and then we inaugurate it, explained.
From next March 1, everything regarding the food supply for the children’s meals will be managed through the School Alimentation Program (PAE Spanish acronym). This program attends the primary and secondary schools in Venezuela. It is about taking advantage of the distribution capacity of this program and making easier the process of food acquisition.
“Some time ago an amount of money was deposited into an account of the caring mothers, so they could buy the groceries. But now, this will be done through the PAE,” said Hernández.
The Simoncitos are part of the Venezuelan State social programs. They are located inside the community in a space duly conditioned and supplied, where children daily attend.
Through the Senifa, the Ministry of Education guarantees alimentation, uniform and school items supply for the attending children, also all the furniture and the necessary equipment for the operation of these centers.
From the age of three years, children start to receive pedagogic notions and their first steps of their initial education.
The mothers in charge of the children well-being and care at these centers, known as caring mothers, are chosen in the heart of the communities and by their own community councils.
Previously, they take psychometric tests and are instructed about the use of pedagogic tools and the right handling of food. These women receive a monthly cash incentive equivalent to a minimum wage.
Venezuelan News Agency (AVN)
OPEC Basket over $ 100 for the first time after two and a half years
The price of the OPEC Basket (made up by 12 oil blends) placed above $100 for the first time in two and a half year, reaching $100.59. This information was announced in a statement released on Tuesday by this organization.
This benchmark is a compilation of the prices revised on Monday, when tensions intensified in Libya. This country is one of the major exporters of the OPEC. The price of the basket reached $99.08. This information was presented by AFP.
This is the first time that the OPEC Basket surpasses the figure of $100 since September 2008. That same year on July 4, the basket had reached a record price of $140.73.
The OPEC Basket includes the different oil blends produced by the organization: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Irán), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (United Arab Emirates) and Merey (Venezuela).
Venezuelan News Agency (AVN) / Translated by MinCI
Venezuelan Govt. Granted Over $ 820 Million to Domestic Tour Operators in 2010
In 2010, the Bolivarian Government granted more than 3,548 million Bolivars (825.1 million dollars) in loans to various tourist entrepreneurs in the country to promote this sector and consolidate Venezuela as a tourist destination nationally and internationally, said Tuesday the Minister of Peoples Power for Tourism Alexander Fleming.
During the presentation of his annual report 2010 before the National Assembly, he noted that, as a result of this significant investment, domestic tourism grew by 3% compared to 2009. This growth was possible thanks to the implementation policies such as social tourism, which ensures peoples access to all destinations and natural beauties of the nation.
"More than 17 million Venezuelans toured the country and had the opportunity to know their tourism heritage," he said.
He explained that these figures can not be compared with reports of the Fourth Republic (1958-1998). At that time there was no interest or policies to include the people in that area.
"In the past, tourism was a unique system where the packages were for a few. Only the Venezuelan elites could access tourist destinations," he stressed.
In relation to the domestic tourism, he said that in the 12 years of the Bolivarian government an average of 581,000 foreign tourists entered the country, while in the last 29 years of the Fourth Republic (1979-1998) only 394,000 international visitors did, although all conditions were ideal for Venezuela to consolidate tourism as a force. There was no smear media campaigns against the country.
He said that "now, despite the coup, the oil sabotage and smear media campaign, we are growing in this sector. This is the result of a strategy to promote revolution in the tourism sector and an effective strategy in foreign policy of the national government, which makes foreigners come to the country and see with their own eyes the reality. "
He said the support given by the Executive to this sector through tourism laws and funding allowed to reinforce the development of this area with the participation of several domestic private entrepreneurs.
He added that as a result of this growth, in recent years there have been a steady increase in tourism service providers who comply with the standards and want to make the country, together with the Government, an international tourist destination.
He added that these policies have allowed the consolidation of a sector that contributes to the diversification of the economy and development. Tourism sector represents four points of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He noted that the figures presented by Venezuela are the result of an effective promotion not only outside but also in the country, with a strategy of inclusion of its inhabitants.
"Venezuela is the destination where Venezuelans build their future. It is also our destination and the destiny of all those who want to come here. Venezuela is no longer the best kept secret in the Caribbean, it became Venezuela: getting to know it is your destiny" he added.
Venezuelan News Agency (AVN)
Venezuela Mounts Campaign for Rational Use of Gasoline
The Venezuelan Ministry of Energy and Oil will launch a campaign for the rational use of gasoline, which will encourage the population to save gasoline and prevent waste. However, increasing the gasoline prices or reducing its distribution quotas is not predicted because this resource is vital for the country’s development plan.
The statement was made on Thursday by Deputy Enzo Cavallo, member of the permanent commission of energy and mining of the National Assembly, during a television interview.
“We must not be alarmed; the Venezuelan opposition is causing uncertainty among the population to create fear, these measures are taken to create a new social awareness, it’s to save gasoline,” said the legislator.
The Venezuelan government subsidizes 90 percent of gasoline prices. In the country there is also an alternative of vehicular natural gas, an eco-friendly option which offers the same output than traditional fuel and is widely offered in the market. The state-run oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), has promoted the use and natural gas as part of its policies to guarantee an alternative, economic and eco-friendly system respecting international standards.
“We must save gas and we have another alternative: we can switch gasoline to natural gas; there is plenty,” he said.
The money from the 100,000 barrels of gasoline saved would be reinvested in social programs, said the deputy.
Venezuela is the country with the lowest gasoline prices, but the government is promoting among the citizens energy saving to positively impact the environment.
Cavallo denied that the campaign is being developed due to a production or distribution imbalance, since the Venezuelan government and gas stations keep normal levels of supply.
AVN/ Press Office Venezuelan Embassy to the U.S.
(Edited by Axis of Logic)
Source: Ven Global News (MINCI)
