|
Take a break! - from stories of war, terror, state-sanctioned torture, crime, poverty, government corruption, oppression, racism, media deception, environmental destruction - and all the rest of the bad stuff on the daily news menu. We have gleaned news stories from the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington to provide some really Good News about what's been happening in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela this spring. These articles not only tell us what is happening now but also what could be happening were other governments to invest their nations' wealth in the welfare and empowerment of the people rather than the enrichment of corporations and the wealthy few. The administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is proving that it can be done - as he faithfully carries on with the grand Bolivarian Revolution begun by our late President Hugo Chávez Frias. Note: There is a lot of good stuff here so this is "pick & choose" kind of reading. We have formatted these news stories to make it easy for the reader to peruse, pick and choose what is of special interest. We've also mixed full news stories with a number of news summaries. Summaries can be read in full by clicking on the titles or by going to the original source at Venezuela's embassy website in Washington DC. - Les Blough in Venezuela News from AVN / Press – Venezuelan Embassy to the U.S. Venezuela Dispatches: Issue 13, Spring 2013 75% of Votes Audited in Venezuela with Zero Error
The votes reviewed during the first 10-day cycle of the citizen verification audit of Venezuela’s presidential election found “zero error,” according to an announcement by National Electoral Council (CNE) Vice President Sandra Oblitas on Thursday.
After an intense day of debates, the domestic policy committee of Venezuela’s National Assembly approved on Wednesday a special law against crimes of torture, which will guarantee greater respect for human rights. Civil Society Highlights Transparency of Venezuelan Vote Audit
On Tuesday, Venezuelan university students and members of the Latin American Foundation for Human Rights and Social Development highlighted the transparency of the audit being carried out to verify the results of the April 14 presidential elections. This process, called… Venezuelan Electoral Council Broadcasts Vote Audit Live Online
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) begins on Tuesday the online broadcast of the audit of the results of the April 14 elections. The process, referred to as “citizen verification phase 2,” began May 6 with the participation of citizen observer Stronger social safety nets for members of the military
On Sunday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced via his Twitter feed, @NicolasMaduro, the creation of Mission ‘Negro Primero’ to offer greater social protection to members of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB). This program was initially conceived by the leader… Afro-Descendent Month Kicks off in Venezuela
Afro-Venezuelan Day will be celebrated today, May 10, with the placing of floral arrangements at Simón Bolívar Plaza in Caracas. Electoral Council: 99.98% Accuracy So Far in Vote Audit
On Wednesday, the third day of phase 2 of the “citizen verification” audit of the results of the April 14 election in Venezuela, 354 voting tables were verified from the states of Barinas (104), Bolívar (181) and Carabobo (69). Venezuela Electoral Body Approves Citizen Involvement in Election Audit
Yesterday, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) approved the presence of organized social movements in the second phase of the citizen verification audit of the results of the last presidential elections on April 14. The audit has been broadened in order… Foreign Ambassadors Witness Vote Audit in Venezuela
The rector of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), Socorro Hernandez, announced Monday that a group of ambassadors from various countries will witness the auditing process for the last presidential elections that is currently underway. Interviewed on ANTV, the television channel of the National Assembly, Hernandez said that the ambassadors will have the opportunity to “see the process directly to take information to their countries.” The delegation will include members of the diplomatic corps from European embassies in Caracas. So far, over 75% of the ballot boxes from the April 14 elections have been audited, and no significant mismatches have been found between the paper receipts issued to voters to be placed in ballot boxes and the tally sheets from the electronic voting machines. The results are in accordance with the outcome obtained from the “hot audit,” done on 54% the ballot boxes on April 14.
During this second audit, known as a “citizen verification” process, the remaining 46% of the boxes are being reviewed after a request by a coalition of right-wing political parties. Those parties, however, subsequently declined to take part in the event, alleging that it would not meet their demands. The CNE maintained its commitment to auditing the remaining 46% of the results and submitted an agenda which began May 6, with a view toward certifying the proper functioning of all voting machines. Participants in this activity compare the vote tallies to the paper receipts contained within ballot boxes. The process is also being broadcast live online. Venezuela uses a uniform voting system designed by the London-based firm Smartmatic. The last election, which Nicolás Maduro won with a 1.8% margin, was witnessed by about 3,000 domestic electoral observers and 170 international accompaniers. Venezuelan Authorities Decommission Firearms
On Monday morning, Venezuelan authorities began their latest process of decommissioning firearms linked to crimes that were seized in several districts, said Luisa Ortega Díaz, Venezuela’s Attorney Genera.. The process will take place in Carabobo Park, in front of the Public Ministry in Caracas, Ortega tweeted from her @lortegadiaz Twitter account. A September 2012 decree by former President Hugo Chávez ordered the decommissioning of firearms held in evidence rooms of police stations, legal institutions and other security agencies throughout the country. This decommissioning was to take place following Public Ministry investigations and authorization that would take no longer than 20 days. According to Defense Minister Diego Molero, from 2003 to 2012, Venezuela has destroyed over 300,000 firearms, which is the equivalent of 480 tons. He also said that Venezuela is on pace to destroy an additional 16,000 firearms in the first six months of this year. Venezuelan Government Meets with Private Sector This Week
This week, the Venezuelan government is meeting with representatives of private businesses to find ways to boost the production of goods and services in Venezuela. The first meeting will bring together the Food Ministry and the Agriculture with producers and entrepreneurs in this sector to “assess the situation of production” and seek “solutions to help increase domestic production.”This was announced on Sunday via Twitter by the minister for food, Felix Osorio, who recalled that there are 12 high-level work groups being formed to address production across various sectors. The first has to do with the food and beverage industry and will met Monday at 2 pm at the Military Circle in Caracas. On Tuesday at 9am, the automotive sector will meet at the Central Bank of Venezuela. That afternoon, the machinery and equipment sector will meet in Military Circle. On Wednesday, the health sector will meet at 9am at the International Center for Education and Development (CIED-PDVSA) in the state of Miranda. The chemical products sector will meet at the same time in Military Circle. On Thursday, the packaging and container industry will meet at 9am at CIED-PDVSA, while the air and land transport services sector will meet at the same time in the state of Vargas. The industrial parts and components industry will meet at CIED-PDVSA at 2pm. Finally, four more groups will meet on Friday. First, representatives of the printing industry, construction materials industry, and clothing and footwear will meet in the morning at the Central Bank. In the afternoon, the personal care products sector and home maintenance sector will meet at in CIED-PDVSA. Last Friday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said that the key is to achieve a revolution in the country’s productive economy. He noted that the government has taken steps to expedite the delivery of foreign currency to the productive sectors and to provide incentives to producers such as grants, supplies and alliances. “Venezuela Week” in Washington, DC
Busboys and Poets will celebrate “Venezuela Week” from May 20th to the 26th in Washington, DC, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. As part of the celebration, each of its locations will have Venezuela’s national dish ‘Pabellon Criollo’ (which consists of shredded beef, white rice and plantains) on the menu, as well as a typical Venezuelan flan-like dessert called ‘quesillo.’ On May 20th, the Busboys and Poets on V & 14th will host an Afro-Venezuelan dance workshop featuring Mesi Walton, who did field research on the history and traditions of Afro-Venezuelan communities. There will also be an exhibit of documentary photographs titled “Malembe and Mondongo” by human rights lawyer Heather L. Hodges. On May 23rd, this same Busboys and Poets location will host a panel discussion on Venezuelan democracy and the latest presidential election, which was held in April and had a voter turnout rate of 79.17%. The discussion will feature electoral accompaniers who witnessed the event, including James Gómez, Director of International Relations for the Rainbow Push Coalition, Alex Main of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), and Dawn Gable, Assistant Director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas. Almost 3,000 Guests Visit Venezuelan Ambassador’s Residence in Washington
On May 4th during the annual “Around the World Embassy Tour” organized as part of Passport DC, almost 3,000 people visited the residence of the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States and the adjoining Bolivarian Hall to learn more about the culture of this country. The Venezuelan Embassy participated in Passport DC for the fifth year in a row, welcoming members of the community in Washington as well as tourists from many other countries as one of more than 40 diplomatic offices that opened their doors for the day to showcase national culture and traditions. Guests lined up outside the residence and were greeted by Venezuelan women in the colorful traditional costumes of the llanos – the plains region – and the country’s largest indigenous group, the Wayúu. In a guided tour of the home, they viewed artwork by recognized figures in Venezuela such as Armando Reverón, Manuel Cabré, and Héctor Poleo. Dianne Hudson of the United States expressed her satisfaction with the tour, saying, “this has been my favorite visit, it’s like being in a museum, not just because of the paintings but also because of how organized it is.” Meanwhile, Sonia Villanueva of Argentina said, “I can’t believe that the piano that they have in the ambassador’s living room was played by Harry Truman.” After the guided tour, guests went to the patio to try vocal drinks from Venezuela like, papelón con limón and tamarind juice and taste a bread pudding made out of quinoa. This year, the United Nations is celebrating “the International Year of Quinoa” to honor this uniquely nutritious South American grain that dates back 5000 years in the Andes. Venezuela joined seven embassies in featuring information about quinoa at Passport DC. Another highlight was an Afro-Venezuelan dance presentation to the beat of traditional tambores, which was taught by Mesi Walton. In the Bolivarian Hall, a video documentary was offered about a 500-year-old cultural tradition in Venezuela called the Dancing Devils of Corpus Christi that was recently declared “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO. There was also a photo exhibit of Venezuelan landscapes by Cesar Quijada. On the lawn in front of the Bolivarian Hall, visitors learned about the tradition known as the “May Cross,” and helped adorn a cross with paper flowers as an expression of thanks for blessings received during the year and particularly good crops. New Venezuelan Charge d'affaires in Washington: “We will make the relationship positive”
In an interview with the Venezuelan newspaper Panorama, the recently designated chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Washington, Calixto Ortega, expressed his interest in seeking “channels of integral understanding that are not just limited to politics and to commerce, but also in the area of culture.” “We are going to do absolutely all that is possible and within our reach and understanding in order to make these relations positive,” he said. “This designation that falls upon me is a clear demonstration that President Maduro wants to establish relations on these terms. A message is being sent to the United States.”
“Unfortunately during the Fourth Republic [before President Chávez] there were Venezuelan governments that had weaknesses toward North American governments, a tendency they have tried to implement lately. However, President Chávez was clear in saying that interference in Venezuelan affairs will not be permitted.” Below is the full interview:
How do you react to your designation by the government? It was a demonstration of confidence. President Maduro, when he was Foreign Minister, was always looking to give me some diplomatic post, but I always wanted to be in Venezuela resolving electoral political issues… In the end, that’s what happened and I stayed on as usual fulfilling my obligations in the Parlatino but to tell you the truth this designation surprised me. I understand that it is all a product of a series of tasks that Chávez left us with, for Maduro as well as for me, to frequently visit the center of power that is Washington with the objective of establishing relations with academic sectors, congressmen, politicians and the media and thus counterbalancing the campaign that during the coup d’état and the oil strike in Venezuela, the opposition carried out in an organized way. What will be the key to improving dialogue between Venezuela and the US? The first thing is reciprocal respect between both countries… Unfortunately during the Fourth Republic [before President Chávez] there were Venezuelan governments that had weaknesses toward North American governments, a tendency they have tried to implement lately. However, President Chávez was clear in saying that interference in Venezuelan affairs will not be permitted. The US government took note of your designation… Our minister counselor at the Embassy in Washington called me to tell me that they had received an unusual note in which the Department of State reacted positively to my designation, and especially what I said about the groups that I had been working with [in the US] and the exchanges that I had with US Congressman. That bore some fruit… have you and Foreign Minister Elías Jaua met to define an agenda? Today I have my first meeting with Minister Jaua for an agenda that first of all President Maduro announced and is simply to seek the reestablishment of relations between Venezuela and the United States. That will be our first objective… President Chávez himself tirelessly promoted friendly relations with the whole world, including the United States. That policy is being resumed or continued by President Maduro. It’s not an easy responsibility… It’s not exactly a bed of roses, but we will work to prevent it from being a bed of thorns. We are going to seek channels of integral understanding that are not just limited to politics and commerce, but also in the area of culture. When will you go to the US? Maybe in a month or little longer, because I have to wait for some paperwork for a diplomatic visa specific to the job that I will do. In your opinion, how do you think Maduro – Obama relations will be? We are going to do absolutely all that is possible and within our reach and understanding in order to make these relations positive. This designation that falls upon me is a clear demonstration that President Maduro wants to establish relations on these terms. A message is being sent to the United States. Click Hereto go to the original source (in Spanish). National Lawyers Guild Praises Venezuela Electoral System
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG), a U.S. organization with 120 chapters nationwide, sent a delegation to act as international accompaniers during Venezuela’s presidential elections on April 14, and released a press release on April 17th stating that: “[the] process was fair, transparent, participatory, and well-organized.” The NLG sent five members to polling stations in five different states around Venezuela, joining a larger team of 170 accompaniers from abroad. According to the press release, “the NLG monitors found a reliable system in which 54% of all votes are randomly audited on Election Day. NLG monitors witnessed one such audit in Caracas in which the paper ballots matched perfectly with the electronic votes.” The NLG observed the following positive aspects of the system: “advanced voting procedures that prevent fraud through multiple fingerprint and voter ID certifications; accurate and efficient digital and manual vote calculation; active participation by party witnesses and national and international observers.” NLG attorney Robin Alexander is quoted as saying: “The U.S. would do well to incorporate some of the security checks and practices that are routine in Venezuela to improve both the level of participation and the credibility of our elections. The six polls I visited in the state of Carabobo were calm and well-organized and lines were short.” Finally, the press release also urges the U.S. government to give Venezuela the same treatment that the country has given to the U.S. by recognizing the election. A member of the delegation, Daniel Kovalik, states: “In the end, it is the Venezuelans who must decide their own future and leaders and the U.S., in the interest of democracy, must honor that decision.” Read the full text here. CITGO’s Simón Bolívar Foundation Funds Social, Environmental Non-Profits in S. Bronx
CITGO Petroleum Corporation, through its non-profit Simón Bolívar Foundation, announced on April 26 that it will donate nearly $1.25 million in grants to 32 community programs in the South Bronx in the areas of arts and culture, education, environment and health. CITGO created the Bronx Social Programs in 2007 o promote a brighter future for the South Bronx, where 38% of the population lives below the poverty line in one of the poorest U.S. congressional districts. Since then, it has provided more than $6 million in grants to more than 70 unique tax-exempt organizations. “The Simón Bolívar Foundation is dedicated to building solidarity through support, which is an integral part of the social responsibility mission of CITGO Petroleum Corporation. We know that real, lasting change comes from within the community,” said Simón Bolívar Foundation President Dario Merchán. “We are proud to support leaders in the South Bronx community who share our vision and commitment of improving the quality of life for those impacted by poverty.” The programs were recommended by an advisory board of South Bronx residents, educators, community organizers and other leaders, who reviewed nearly 100 grant applications. They were chosen based on their potential to generate the greatest possible positive social and community impact. Selected this year are seven arts and culture programs, seven environmental initiatives, seven programs in health, and 11 programs in education. They range from after-school initiatives, arts and culture events to an urban farming project and green jobs training. jason Duchin, co-director of the DreamYard Project, said his organization “supports young people as they work toward higher learning, meaningful careers and social action. We believe that young people in the South Bronx need a continuous set of supports to help them towards positive outcomes as they navigate their educational pathway. We are extremely appreciative of the Simón Bolívar Foundation and CITGO for their generous support of our efforts for the last three years and those of other organizations that strive to make a difference in the South Bronx.” Every year, CITGO follows the social development principles of its parent company Petróleos de Venezuela to help ease the burden of many families across the country through social responsibility contributions, including the CITGO-Venezuela Heating Oil and Energy Efficient Lighting Programs, the Fueling Good initiative, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and many others. U.S. Academics Protest New York Times’ Bias on Venezuela A group of prominent U.S. academics including Noam Chomsky is calling on the New York Times to improve its coverage of Venezuela by using less biased language, and delivered a petition to the newspaper’s public editor on Tuesday. The petition laments the Times’ disproportionately negative portrayal of the late President Hugo Chávez and the country in general. It states that despite the fact that Venezuela is a democracy, “In the past four years, the Times has referred to Chávez as an “autocrat,” “despot,” “authoritarian ruler” and a “caudillo” in its news coverage. When opinion pieces are included, the Times has published at least fifteen separate articles employing such language, depicting Chávez as a “dictator” or “strongman.” This is compared to the Times’ uncritical coverage of Honduras, a country whose government suffered a military overthrow in 2009, the leaders of which have been described mildly as “interim,” “de facto,” and “new.” The petition points out that Venezuela has held numerous and fair elections in recent years, and that observers including former President Jimmy Carter have praised Venezuela’s elections as “the best in the world.” “We urge you to examine this disparity in coverage and language use,” the academics conclude. To read the full text and see the names of the signatories, Click Here UN Food and Agriculture Organization to Recognize Venezuela for Halving Hunger Editor's Note: While the UN acknowledges Venezuela having achieved the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating hunger, we have the corporate media making empty assertions of a serious hunger problem in Venezuela without a shred of evidence: The Guardian: Hugo Chavez’s legacy strikes hunger in Venezuela. It's a wannabee empire with head under water, grasping straws. - Axis of Logic
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will soon recognize Venezuela and 15 other countries for achieving part of the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating hunger. According to a statement by the FAO Director General José Graziano Da Silva, Venezuela will receive a certificate of recognition at the organization’s next conference to be held in Rome beginning June 15. The recognition is for successfully halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger, a goal established in 1996 to be achieved by 2015. fAO statistics say that 13.5% of Venezuelans suffered from hunger in 1990 – 1992, compared to 5% in 2007 – 2012. The other countries that will be recognized for meeting this goal are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Chile, Fiji, Georgia, Ghana, Guyana, Nicaragua, Peru, Samoa, São Tomé and Principe, Thailand, Uruguay, and Vietnam. Since the start of the Bolivarian Revolution in 1999, the Venezuelan government has developed a series of policies regarding food and nutrition that have been recognized by the FAO as helping eradicate hunger in the country. Local FAO representative Marcelo Resende said in March that the government has been able to “understand that food is everybody’s right and not just the privilege of a few, and it has worked based on that.” Venezuela Destroyed 8.2 Tons of Narcotics in Three Months
During the first quarter of this year, Venezuela’s Public Ministry coordinated and supervised the incineration of 8.215 tons of different types of illegal drugs throughout the country. The anti-drug director for the Public Ministry, Yemina Marcano, said in a press release that that amount includes 6.85 tons of cocaine, 1.65 tons of marijuana, 3kg of heroine and 857g of crack. Marcano said that the ministry has 40 district attorney’s offices and five regional offices. To prevent the use assumption of drugs, they work with the ministry’s Office of Social Management to offer courses and workshops for local communities and students. The president of Venezuela’s National Anti-drug Office, Nestor Reverol, said on April 26, that Venezuelan security forces had captured 19.7 tons of drugs so far this year, 6 tons more than in the same period last year. During 14 years of Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution, a total of 671.86 tons of drugs have been seized by authorities. \Venezuela celebrates Afro-Descendent Month
The month of May is Afro-Descendent Month in Venezuela, and on May 10, the country celebrated Afro-Venezuelan Day with the placing of floral arrangements at Simón Bolívar Plaza in Caracas. María León, a member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, gave a speech to begin the ceremony in Caracas, and the Afro-Descendent Social Movement led a march to the site of the resting place of former President Hugo Chávez, who was a champion of the rights of Afro-Venezuelans. Also that day, Afro-Venezuelan activist groups met at the Bolivarian Museum to discuss a strategic plan and solidify legal, political, economic and social proposals with the Afro-Descendent Social Movement. Afro-Venezuelan Day was created in 2005 in honor of the heroic crusade against slavery by the Black revolutionary leader José Leandro Chirino in the mountains of Falcón state in 1795. This occasion, like Afro-Descendent Month, was designated by Nicolás Maduro, who was president of the National Assembly at the time. In 2005, the Venezuelan government also created the Presidential Commission on the Prevention and Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in the Educational System. This commission, created under the Education Ministry, helped design new educational policies related to ethnic and racial topics. Venezuela has a large Afro-descendent population that is mainly concentrated in 14 states near the central coast, including Vargas, Miranda, Aragua, Carabobo, Yaracuy, Sucre and Guárico. To learn more about the achievements of Afro-Venezuelans, read our most recent Fact Sheet. Venezuela’s Milka Duno Finishes 8th Indiana Racecar Competition
Venezuelan racecar driver Milka Duno took eighth place on April 28 in the third competition of the Automobile Racing Club of America Series (ARCA), which was held at the Salem Speedway in Indiana. Duno, who is part of the team Venturini MotorSports, made a total of 201 trips around the track which is just 0.6 miles long. The Caracas-born driver began in 20th place in the overall standings, and moved up to eighth place among a field of 27 competitors. The winner in Indiana was the US driver Tom Hessert, who began the race in sixteenth place. This was Duno’s most important finish in the ARCA Racing Series, topping her earlier times place two seasons ago in New Jersey. She now has 460 points in its place overall, compared to 630 points for series leader Frank Kimmel of the US. Venezuelan swimmer Andreina Pinto wins gold in Charlotte
Andreina Pinto, an Olympic swimmer from Venezuela, won a gold medal on Saturday for the women’s 200 meter butterfly event at the Arena Grand Prix in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the weekend, she also finished second in the women’s 800 meter freestyle and fifth in the 400 meter freestyle. Venezuela’s Minister of Sports, Alejandra Benítez announced Pinto’s gold-medal finish on twitter along with her winning time of 2:12.40. Benítez also lauded a gold medal in the men’s 200 meter relay by the Venezuelan swimmers Andrés Doria, Miguel Pérez, Antoine Kazne and Andy Arteta. The Arena Grand Prix allows competitors to qualify for world championships through the International Swimming Federation. Representing Venezuela in Charlotte were Mercedes Toledo, Erika Torrellas, Alexis Márquez, Eddy Marín, José Pérez, Kenneth Gil, Jesús López, Miguel Pérez, Chaerly Sánchez, Antoine Khazne, Andrés Doria, Andy Arteta, and Andreína Pinto. Next on the calendar are the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona from July 19 to August 4 and the World Junior Championships in Dubai from August 12-25. Three Home Runs for Miguel Cabrera in One Game
Venezuela’s Miguel Cabrera hit three home runs one game last Sunday night, despite an 11-8 loss for the Detroit Tigers against Texas Rangers. His first home run came in the third inning, earning three runs for the Tigers. Then fifth inning, he hit a one run homer against pitcher Derek Holland. The third game in the eighth inning against Tanner Scheppers. A home run for the Rangers by David Murphy allowed them to take an 8-7 lead in the sixth inning despite Cabrera’s strong performance. Murphy hit one over the fence to right field to score three runs, shortly after Prince Fielder for the Tigers hit a double with the bases loaded. The Rangers walked Cabrera on purpose even though there was a player on first base. Cabrera won the Triple Crown in 2012, the first player to achieve this since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. This year, he is leading the American League in batting average and RBIs, and he has 11 home runs, one less than the current AL leader. However, the Tigers lost 3 of 4 games against the Rangers in their recent series. At the close of the series, Rangers manager Ron Washington said of his formidable Cabrera: ”I’ve never seen a guy that puts the bat head on the ball as regular as he does, and on all pitches. He’s just a tremendous hitter. I’m very happy that he’s headed to the airport.” Other Venezuelans in the Game For the Rangers, Venezuela’s Elvis Andrus went 4-1 with one run and an RBI. For the Tigers, Cabrera went 4-4 with four runs and five RBIs, and Omar Infante went 5-2 with two runs. Meanwhile, Víctor Martínez went 5-0 and Avisail García went 2-0. Watch Cabrera’s home runs on Sunday on MLB.com. (Correo del Orinoco/ Press – Venezuelan Embassy in US/ May 21, 2013) Reminder: Summaries can be read in full by clicking on the titles or by going to the original source at Venezuela's embassy website in Washington DC. Venezuela Celebrates International Day Against Homophobia
The World Health Organization eliminated homosexuality from its list of diseases 23 years ago today, on May 17, 1990. Political and social organizations, in debating the need for an annual day to raise awareness, chose this date for the celebration…
The Venezuelan government announced Wednesday that next week it will begin a series of work meetings with private sector firms to discuss adjustments to legal and financial matters and take steps to increase the production of goods and services in… Venezuelan Government Has Delivered 24,000 Homes to Refugees
Venezuela’s Bolivarian Government has delivered 24,000 homes to families who lost their homes as a result of heavy rains in the country in late 2010, President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday during a meeting with spokespersons of people living in shelters… FAO Praises Venezuela’s Commitment to Food Security
On Monday, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative in Venezuela, Marcelo Resende, praised “the behavior, positions and commitment of the government of Venezuela in the area of food and nutritional security, not only in terms of rhetoric,… New Supreme Court President: We’re Building a Legal System for the People
|
