English Edition Nº 68

Pg. g 7 | Social JJustice

Pg. 8 | Opinion

A Public Housing Program that provides hope for future homeowners

Wikileaks reveals US aggression and bully tactics against Haiti

FRIDAY | June 17th, 2011 | No. 68 | Bs 1 | C ARACAS

ENGLISH EDITION The artillery of ideas

As Chavez recovers, his support grows

Afro-Descendents Conference in Caracas

After an emergency surgery was performed on the Venezuelan President in Cuba last week, millions from across Latin America have expressed support and solidarity

Improving free healthcare nationwide

Despite opposition attempts to destabilize and take advantage of President Chavez’s current absence due to his recovery from recent surgery, Venezuelans have been pouring into the streets to rally support for their head of state. Messages of support and well wishes for a speedy comeback have been received from governments and organizations throughout the region and around the world. Amazingly, the efforts by antiChavez forces to turn the President’s health crisis against him have resulted in a rise in his popularity and mass support for his reelection in 2012. | pages 2-3

The Venezuelan government of Hugo Chavez has made access to free, universal healthcare a top priority during the past decade. Today, millions of Venezuelans receive high quality, free medical treatment, ranging from preventive care to advanced interventions. Millions of dollars were recently invested in improving the public hospital and clinical infrastructure nationwide in order to ensure quality care is available for all. | page 4

F

Politics

Trade with China increases China has become Venezuela’s second largest trade partner. | page 3

Politics

Resolving the electricity crisis Conservation & reduced consumption are part of recent measures to prevent energy shortages in Venezuela. | page 5

Sports

Athletes benefit from new Sports Law Venezuela is now a reference in sports excellence worldwide and athletes are enjoying more rights. | page 6

P

Denying healthcare to patients is a criminal offense

rivate hospitals and insurance companies may not request passwords, insurance cards, or any other requirement to allow patients to receive necessary and urgent medical care, Venezuela’s Attorney General, Luisa Ortega Diaz, informed the public last Tuesday evening.

“Health is considered a basic human right and it may not be commercialized”, she declared during a television interview.

The Attorney General detailed that Numeral 22 of Article 40 in the law regulating insurance activities stipulates that “insur-

ance companies are prohibited from refusing the immediate coverage of patients in the case of emergency treatment, as well as in situations of hospitalization, surgery and maternity care, therefore banning the requirement of entrance passwords or authorizations to receive medical attention”.

Ortega Diaz called on private hospitals and insurance companies to expedite mechanisms to guarantee the immediate entrance of patients in need of treatment.

She also underscored that should private medical care facil-

ities and providers ask for these types of requirements in violation of the law, they “may be committing crimes such as personal injury, murder and failure to assist a person in danger”.

A formal meeting will be held Monday with government officials and representatives from the private sector to address this issue, which recently has provoked protests nationwide from thousands denied treatment in private clinics and hospitals, in some cases resulting in death.

T/ AVN

rom JJune 19 19-22, 22 V Venezuela will host the “Forum of Afro-Descendents in Latin America and the Caribbean”, an event featuring several speakers from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.

The event is part of the 4th meeting of Afro-Descendents during the UN-designated International Year of AfroDescendents. The forum will include concerts and different cultural activities in Caracas.

On June 21-22, historian and researcher Jesus Garcia, who is also Venezuela’s Ambassador to Angola, will host a presentation titled “Pursuing the Emancipation and Unity of Afro-Descendent Peoples in the Construction of a Multipolar World”. Jerry Rawling, former president of Ghana, will also speak on “Capitalist Globalization and the Right to Self-Determination of Peoples and Communities”.

The Forum of Afro-Descendents precedes the founding summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), a new regional integration organization to be launched in Venezuela on July 5-6.

|

2 | Impact

NoÊÈnÊUÊFriday, June 17th, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Venezuelans, Latin Americans express support for President Chavez W

ith messages of support and best wishes for their ailing leader, hundreds of Venezuelans turned out in public squares around the country on Sunday to demonstrate their solidarity with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as he recovers from an emergency surgery performed last week in Cuba.

Finishing a three nation Latin American tour, Chavez was taken by surprise during an official visit to the Caribbean island last Friday when a pelvic abscess provoked the necessity for an operation.

“With the invaluable support of Fidel and Raul (Castro) and Cuba’s excellent health system… the diagnostic exams revealed the existence of a pelvic abscess that merited the decision of the president to undergo immediate surgery”, informed Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro in an official statement released last Friday.

Government officials reported the success of the operation and the satisfactory recovery of the Venezuelan President who had just recently overcome a knee injury that had kept him sidelined from public appearances for nearly a month.

On Sunday, government sup-

porters carried signs and banners reading “the people are with you Comandante”, and “Get well soon, President”, as citizens gathered in the Bolivar Plaza of Caracas to wish the President a speedy recovery and a safe trip home to Venezuela.

“The people are with President Chavez and will always accompany him because he has been the one to awaken the people, the poor, the indigenous of Latin America and the world”, said Caracas resident Maria Palma during the rally in the capital.

Similar demonstrations, organized by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), also took place in the states of Vargas, Miranda, Aragua, and Bolivar.

“We have our feet firmly planted on the ground, strong in the people’s struggle. We’re in solidarity with you [President] and are concerned for your health”, declared Alexis Toledo, Mayor of La Guaira, capital of Vargas state. “That’s why we’re unifying our forces, so that you receive all of our energy and recover quickly”.

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT International messages of solidarity have also been forthcoming from around Latin America and the world.

Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, expressed his thoughts and prayers for the leader of the OPEC member state.

“Many decades on the battlefield fighting against the oppressors and demanding the rights of millions of oppressed and marginalized sometimes leads us to forget that we need to take care of our own bodies”, Skerrit wrote.

Manuel Zelaya, ex-President of Honduras and leader of the country’s National Front of Popular Resistance also sent his best wishes to the recovering head of state.

“From our position in the struggle for which you have shown such solidarity, I want to express our desire for your rapid recovery just as your examples and teachings continue in your homeland and in all the people of Latin America”, he wrote.

On Monday, Cuban press sources revealed that both Raul and Fidel Castro paid a visit to the recovering Chavez, spending more than an hour with their

closest international ally.

“I’m being very well taken care of and even Fidel told me that I need to rest”, Chavez said. “Fidel and Raul are on top of every detail”, he affirmed.

Despite the illness, the Venezuelan head of state has been able to continue to exercise the functions of his office, signing into law a new decree on Sunday night that raises Venezuela’s debt ceiling by $10.5 billion for 2011.

The Special Debt Law was passed to boost state funding for agricultural, housing and work initiatives as well as create a special contingency fund to resolve any problems caused by heavy rains affecting some regions of the country.

At the end of 2010, torrential downpours led to the displacement of over 130 thousand people in coastal areas of the Caribbean nation.

This year, recent rains in the mountainous Western areas of the country have caused numerous landslides, closing roads and shutting access to some towns in the states of Merida and Tachira.

19, 1810 when a Spanish Governor and Captain General were deposed by the Caracas municipal council and the struggle reached its climax on July 5, 1811, when independence was formally declared.

Venezuela’s celebration of 200 years of independence will feature a variety of events and com-

memorative acts, and will coincide with the formal creation of the Community of Latin American and Carribean States (CELAC) during a summit bringing together delegations from across the region in Venezuela.

T/ COI P/ Agencies

New resources celebrate Venezuela’s Bicentennial A

s Venezuela approaches the celebration of 200 years of independence, two websites and a daily news insert have been launched to inform people about the events commemorating this important date, as well as detail the country’s rich history and allow users to browse through historic documents related to the fight for independence from Spain.

Last week, the Ministry of Communication and Information launched the main website of Venezuela’s celebrations of its bicentennial (www.bicentenario.gob.ve) This website includes news, a calendar of events and historical information (including a digital archive about independence hero Francisco de

Miranda) related to the upcoming bicentennial, which will be celebrated on July 5th.

Another website launched by Venezuela’s National Library (www.bicentenario.bnv.gob.ve) allows visitors to browse through and read 150 historic documents related to the country’s fight for independence. Those documents, chosen by a team from Venezuela’s National Archives and the National Historical Center, include original and transcribed versions of the Act of Independence, letters written by independence heroes Simon Bolivar and Miranda, and editions of Correo del Orinoco, a pro-independence newspaper published at the time.

Along with the websites, a dai-

ly newspaper insert, “Independencia 200”, is being published that chronicles Venezuelan history year-by-year from 1811 to the present. Each issue, which corresponds with a specific year, includes events from that year written as if they had recently happened, fictional interviews with historical figures and information on cultural activities from the era. Two hundred of the four-page editions will be produced and distributed through 25 national and regional newspapers. The insert will also be published online in PDF Format on the main bicentennial website (www.bicentenario.gob.ve).

Venezuela’s fight for independence from Spain began on April

T/ Press Office

NoÊÈnÊUÊFriday, June 17th, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Politics

|

3|

Opposition tries to provoke instability in Venezuela “Opposition in Venezuela launches offensive on President Hugo Chavez, after he approved a law while abroad having surgery in Cuba”

O

pposition lawmakers were angered Wednesday that President Hugo Chavez enacted a law from Cuba, arguing that his absence was unconstitutional and that he could not govern from abroad. The 56-year-old Venezuelan leader arrived in Cuba on June 8th on the final leg of a trip authorized by the National Assembly that also included Brazil and Ecuador. He was rushed into emergency surgery last Friday after suffering sharp pain that was diagnosed as a pelvic abscess which required immediate surgery.

Chavez is reportedly recovering well, though the government has given no official date for his return to Caracas.

Opposition legislators, who control a minority 40 percent of Venezuela’s single-chamber legislature, the National Assembly, argued that his prolonged absence meant that Vice President Elias Jaua should replace him, despite the fact that Chavez is still actively running the government, even from his sickbed.

They traded insults with the majority pro-Chavez lawmakers, who insisted -- as government loyalist Iris Varela put it -- that Chavez does not stop being President

“even if he’s on the Moon, or in Beijing”. Another legislator, constitutional scholar Carlos Escarra, said it was “absurd” to claim that the President could not govern simply because he was abroad.

According to Venezuela’s constitution, the National Assembly must authorize any presidential trip abroad lasting more than five days, and any “temporary absences” of up to 90 days are filled by the vice president. Escarra said the government is complying with the constitution because the legislature authorized his trip abroad.

Opposition lawmakers, however, demanded that a “temporary absence” be declared and that the vice president replace Chavez. The President “cannot govern from abroad”, said law-

maker Omar Barboza, who was especially angered over the measure that Chavez signed into law from Havana. It is “absolutely irregular to enact laws from abroad”, said Enrique Sanchez Falcon, a professor of constitutional law at the Central University of Venezuela. “The vice president should temporarily take over”, he declared to the press.

“Venezuela has been humiliated because either it is governed

by Chavez from Cuba or by (Cuban leader) Fidel (Castro)”, charged opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado, who is obsessed with Venezuela’s relationship with Cuba and constantly claims her country is being taken over by “Castro-Communism”. Machado, founder of the

NGO Sumate, a group heavily funded by US government agencies, was elected to her current position last September, after running a campaign supported by the US International Republican Institute (IRI). The wealthy legislator, who also supported the April 2002 coup d’etat against President Chavez and was received by ex President George W. Bush in the White House in 2005, has not been shy about her desire to run for president in 2012.

On Wednesday, the National Assembly authorized President Chavez to stay in Cuba “until he is in condition to return”. Despite constant contact with his cabinet members, and frequent calls to public television to inform the public of his recovery and his attention

to daily matters, opposition forces are attempting to provoke a climate of instability in the country claiming there is a “power vacuum” and a state of non-governance due to the President’s absence. One opposition legislator, Julio Borges, went so far as to say the President is prohibited from governing outside of the capital, Caracas, which is the seat of state power. Such a ridiculous assertion would imply that a Venezuelan president ceased his powers once stepping outside the boundaries of the capital district, excluding him from governing in the rest of the country.

Generally, an elected head of state governs lawfully until his or her stated term ends. In the US, the President frequently makes executive decisions while traveling abroad or away from the White House. President Obama even authorized the military attacks against Libya while on a visit to Brazil in March and just last month signed the extension of the controversial Patriot Act from France using an even more polemic method called the “auto-pen”.

The “auto-pen” is an automated signature issued without the presence of the President, which some say is unconstitutional.

At least in the case of President Chavez, the Venezuelan head of state himself reviewed and signed - with his own hand and pen - a recent bill into law, no matter where he was.

T/ Agencies P/ Agencies

China-Venezuela relations keep growing T

rade between China and Venezuela has increased by 50 times in the last decade, which has transformed the Asian country into the second largest trade partner of Venezuela, a fact evidenced by the consolidation of bilateral relations.

During the inauguration of the Third Industrial Expo China-Venezuela 2011 in Caracas this Thursday, Venezuela’s Planning and Finance Minister, Jorge Giordani, said that ties between the two countries have been strengthened on the basis of equality, cooperation and fraternity, which has made the expansion of multiple agreements in commercial and productive industries possible.

As of 2011, trade levels between China and Venezuela have reached $10 billion dollars, which represents an increase of 900% compared to the $200 million dollars in trade existent between the two nations in 1999.

“This decade, relations between our peoples, presidents and governments have not just been strengthened, but have also expanded and diversified. At the beginning, our relationship was just based on energy and agriculture exchange. Currently, it covers the most productive sectors of our economies”, Giordani explained.

A diverse range of agreements

have been signed with China, such as in the health sector (to supply medical and healthcare equipment and materials) and in the construction sector (in which the Asian country will contribute to housing construction in the framework of the Venezuelan public housing program “Grand Mission Housing Venezuela”).

The Planning and Finances Minister also emphasized that the relationship with China goes beyond just a commercial link, and both countries now share strong political and cultural ties.

T/ AVN P/ Presidential Press

|

4 | Politics

NoÊÈnÊUÊFriday, June 17th, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Venezuela: improving health services nationwide In a move that will see yet greater funding applied to essential public services, the Venezuelan government announced a series of initiatives last week intended to strengthen the Caribbean nation’s growing health care infrastructure and expand access to residents in the state of Aragua

E

ugenia Sader, Venezuelan Health Minister, informed on Sunday that 28 hospitals will be the beneficiaries of 51 million bolivars ($11.8 million) allocated by the national government to be put to use on renovation projects for the public facilities.

“We’re finishing the remodeling of clinics and high technology centers. In total, there will be 28 hospitals that we’ll be updating in the state of Aragua. Nineteen public works are being carried out by the Health Ministry in which 43 million bolivars ($10 million) have been invested. The remaining work is being done by the mayors’ offices with additional credits”, Sader announced during the inauguration of a physical rehabilitation center named “Aguacatal” in the city of Maracay.

The Aguacatal rehab center is the 42nd of its kind to be inaugurated in the state since June and is staffed

by Cuban doctors and therapists who will provide free universal care for Venezuelan patients.

“For people of scant resources, to have this free rehabilitation center is a blessing because we don’t have the money to pay the high prices of private clinics”, said community member Richard Tarazona during the facility’s inauguration.

CUBAN AID Currently, some thirty thousand Cuban health care professionals are working in Venezuela as part of a international agreement signed between the two nations that provides the Caribbean island with much needed oil in exchange for expertise in the areas of medicine, agriculture and sports.

Barrio Adentro, the Chavez government’s flagship health care program staffed by both Cubans and Venezuelans, is part of this agreement and ensures access to free universal coverage for all residents in the South American country.

Now in its eight year of existence, Barrio Adentro has treated more than 60 million patients in its more than 6,700 clinics throughout Venezuela.

The program has focused on providing primary care to previously excluded populations and includes high technology centers with advanced medical equipment as well as special pediatric, maternity and infant attention facilities.

“These types of medical services are denied to the people living under capitalism”, Minister Sader said of Venezuela’s public health initiatives on Sunday. “Only in Revolution is it possible that Venezuelans can enjoy a free health care system”, she affirmed.

CHINA Other health care projects currently being undertaken by the Venezuelan government include the construction of a pharmaceutical warehouse in the municipality of Jose Angel Lamas, also in the state of Aragua.

The 48 thousand square meter facility, the first of five medical warehouses to be built in

the country, is the product of an international agreement signed between China and Venezuela valued at just under $864 million.

Construction is slated to begin this month and, once finished, the depot will have the capacity to supply five surrounding states with prescription and over the counter drugs.

The Chinese consortium ZTE, one of the largest telecommunication firms in the world, is spearheading the project which, according to company executives, will be comprised of state of the art technology to ensure the availability of essential pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for the Venezuelan people.

“In these warehouses, robotic systems will automate the reception and stocking while, in the process, they will identify the content of the boxes and send the information to a database to be reviewed by the Health Ministry”, ZTE representatives informed.

As part of the agreement, China will also provide medical supplies, surgical equipment and drugs at reduced prices to the Venezuelan government, translating into savings for ordinary citizens.

MODERNIZATION OF HOSPITALS During an interview broadcast by the state television channel VTV on Monday, Minister Sader reported that in addition to the

public works taking place in the state of Aragua, the national government has embarked on a total of 812 projects in 141 hospitals throughout the national territory to improve the country’s medical infrastructure.

In total, the official explained, the Chavez administration has approved over 1.5 billion bolivars ($348 million) for the public projects which seek to revamp and modernized many of the nation’s public hospitals and clinics.

Sader also drew attention during the interview to the attempts by some private contractors with ties to organized mafias to derail the public works, encouraging Venezuelan community members to oversee the progress of the projects and report any irregularities.

“We’re making a call to the Venezuelan people to not allow any dark interests to impede the work that we’re doing in the hospitals. We’ve come across acts of sabotage by unscrupulous people who claim to be members of unions, who through the use of arms are blocking workers from the job”, she said.

TEN YEARS OF HUMANE HEALTHCARE Notwithstanding the stories of larceny and threats employed by corrupt sectors to derail the public projects, Sader expressed her contentment with the Health Ministry’s work and praised the initiatives of the Chavez government which has made quality health care a national priority for over ten years.

Speaking of the 8,400 new Venezuelan community doctors that will graduate from Cuban medical programs this year, the health minister contrasted the treatment that patients will receive from professionals trained in humanistic ethics versus those forced to operate under capitalist conditions.

“The public clinics will be equipped with doctors who will be prioritizing life and helping people in the spirit of solidarity and love for the patient, not allowing the sense of economic finance to prevail over the health and life of human beings”, she affirmed.

T/ COI P/ Agencies

NoÊÈnÊUÊFriday, June 17th, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Politics

|

5|

Venezuela responds to energy shortages Conservation, cuttingback electricity bills and using energyefficient appliances are some of the measures announced this week by the government to resolve problems caused by excessive use of electrical energy

R

esponding to a series of power outages in Western areas of the country provoked by excessive demand and some instances of sabotage, Vice President Elias Jaua alongside Energy Minister Ali Rodriguez announced a package of measures last Monday designed to accelerate energy efficiency in the nation and prevent further blackouts.

The measures, which intend to curb the irresponsible consumption of subsidized energy by residential, commercial, and government users, were made known during a press conference held at the headquarters of the state energy company Corpoelec in the capital of Caracas.

“These are not measures intended to limit the right to electricity, but rather to avoid the inadequate and excessive use of energy in order to guarantee a safe and stable supply”, Vice President Jaua said

to journalists gathered for the event on Monday. “Government institutions and agencies will set the example first by reducing energy use in buildings”, he added.

As part of the initiative, rate increases of ten percent will now be handed out to large energy users who fail to reduce their consumption level to those consistent with rates of use in 2009.

In the case of noncompliance, the rate hikes will be increased by five percent every month.

While this measure applies to the biggest consumers such as shopping malls and industrial firms, individual households that show heightened energy use will also be required to display reductions or face similar sanctions.

Entities that work with essential human services such as hos-

pitals, law enforcement agencies and suppliers of potable water are exempt from the new regulations.

INCREASED CONSUMPTION Greater incomes combined with population and economic growth have elevated Venezuela’s energy consumption from 10,800 Megawatts a year in 1999, when President Hugo Chavez took power, to its current level of 17 thousand.

Venezuela is now the second highest electricity consumer in all of Latin America, next to Argentina, and has seen a jump of two thousand megawatts in its consumption levels in the first half of 2011.

Last year, a prolonged drought crippled production at the nation’s largest hydroelectric dam, forcing the government to imple-

ment rolling blackouts and apply energy-savings measures to households and businesses.

Those measures were lifted as the crisis subsided and while government officials have cited the existence of sabotage as a major reason for recent outages, Jaua recognized on Monday that production increases are necessary to complement a lowering of demand.

As such, the government has announced a plan to incorporate a further nine thousand megawatts of electricity to be added to the power grid by the end of 2012. The increases will be made through the construction of new power plants and the renovation of older stations.

INCENTIVES But the government insists that excessive demand must be reduced and in addition to price hikes, cost incentives are also being provided to consumers who are able to curtail usage.

For those able to reduce their electricity consumption by between 10 and 19.9 percent, a discount of 25 percent will accompany their monthly bill while those able to lower their usage by more than 20 percent will see a 50 percent slash in costs. Electricity is already heavily subsidized by the state, yet Jaua announced that no rate increases were planned in the

near future. He did, however, emphasize that consumers are more apt to waste electricity due to the low prices. “If users had to pay unsubsidized rates for electricity, consumption would go down”, said Jaua, “but for now we are not going to increase rates”.

“We are sure that we’re going to win this new battle. With the consciousness of our people we’ll be able to stabilize our electric system for the well-being of the Venezuelan people”, Jaua assured.

A government decree ordered state institutions to rely on individual energy plants during the hours of 11am-4pm and 6-10pm until restrictions are lifted. Jaua also called on people to reduce usage of high-consuming appliances, such as air conditioners and electronics.

A massive public awareness campaign regarding energy conservation has already been in full swing since last year’s difficulties. Public television regularly broadcasts short commercials encouraging households to shut off lights when leaving rooms and “unplug appliances not in use”. Neon signs and billboards are also regulated under the new decree, which limits their usage between the hours of 7pm to midnight.

T/ COI P/ Agencies

Public electricity company worker charged with sabotage V

enezuelan authorities Tuesday charged an employee of state-run electricity company Corpoelec with sabotage, saying the act led to a major electricity failure across several states in May. In a statement, the Attorney General’s office said it charged Luis Alfonzo Pena Nanez for his role in the power outage. The ministry also said it would charge another worker, Hugo Alberto Aguilar Caceres, this Friday.

Under state law, the accused could face four to eight years in prison.

As the oil-rich South American country struggles with widespread power shortages this year, top Venezuelan officials have frequently blamed the problems

on sabotage as well as policies implemented by governments before President Hugo Chavez.

Critics say the country’s pow-

er troubles instead stem from rigid state control over the sector, mismanagement and lack of investment.

Venezuelan officials said that Pena and Aguilar were in charge of monitoring the flow of electricity through high-tension transmission lines. “Both failed to perform the necessary maneuvers to prevent a failure of the lines”, the Attorney General’s office said in the statement.

The May 9th interruption in two transmission lines caused a blackout across at least 10 states and the tourism hotspot of Margarita Island.

The announcement came on the same day that Argenis Chavez, a younger brother of the President, was named as the new vice minister of electricity development, according to the Official Gazette.

Speaking on local news channel Globovision, the vice minis-

ter said he expected Venezuela’s electricity shortage to last until December as demand in the country was close to reaching 18,000 megawatts.

The electricity problems are likely to become a key political issue as President Chavez lines up a reelection bid next year.

On Monday, authorities announced a new set of electricitysaving measures including penalties for customers who fail to conserve power.

The government’s most recent restrictions were prompted in part by power failures over the weekend in the heavily populated and oil-rich state of Zulia, among several western states.

T/ Kejal Vyas

|

6 | Sports

NoÊÈnÊUÊFriday, June 17th, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Venezuelan athletes debate new Sports Law Regulations to guarantee social security for athletes and provide them the opportunity to elect their respective federation board of directors are just two of the elements highlighted by Venezuelan athletes in the proposed Sports Law

ers] do not have a real passion for sports”, she added. “With this new Law, we will be able to choose people who really love sports and work for our benefit”, Sanchez affirmed.

Sports Bill should include a mechanism to create a Social Security Institute for Athletes.

Likewise, Antonio Cermeño, renowned Venezuelan boxer, underscored that once the Law is passed by the National Assembly, both active and retired athletes will have their social security rights guaranteed and will also possess the right to choose their sports leaders. Athletes will also have rights under the new law to request reports and accountability from their representatives regarding their activities and prospects.

Itamar Diaz, former member of the Olympic wrestling team and sub-champion worldwide, underscored that the inclusion of social security for athletes under the new Law would facilitate balanced nutrition, psychological attention, food subsidies and even prenatal and postnatal rest for pregnant athletes, amongst other benefits.

The administration of Hugo Chavez created a Sports Ministry in 2006 and has since placed major emphasis and investment on improving the nation’s athletics. Today, Venezuela is a reference worldwide and a multiple gold medal champion in an array of sports, such as baseball, martial arts, soccer and women’s softball.

ATHLETES’ BENEFITS Sanchez also suggested the

T/ COI P/ Agencies

T

he first discussion regarding a new law regulating sports activities and providing benefits and rights for athletes was held on Tuesday, May 14th in Venezuela’s legislative body, the National Assembly, and the second is scheduled for next Tuesday, June 21st. Athletes nationwide and from a diversity of sports activities were invited to participate in the debate.

“This is the very first time in our history that athletes will have the right to vote to choose the leaders and presidents of our respective sport federations”, assured Johana Sanchez, world champion of Karate-Do, during a legislative event aimed at exchanging ideas about the proposed law.

The Venezuelan parliament opened its session outdoors in the grounds of the Legislative Palace in Caracas, in order to present the

Sports Law in front of a boxing ring and alongside where athletes were playing soccer. People walking by in the street were able to listen in on the debate and give their opinions and suggestions to enrich the proposed legal instrument.

During the discussion, Johana Sanchez highlighted that “in the

past athletes did not choose their federation leaders and some of them even humiliated us, because they did not respect our national rankings and did not choose us for the national team”. Many athletes have been “harmed professionally by those federations, because they [federation lead-

Greivis Vasquez: “I want to give my best to the Venezuelan team” “I

want to give my best to the Venezuelan team. I owe it to them, since my last performances with the national team were regular”, said Greivis Vasquez, the third Venezuelan to ever play in the NBA, after his arrival back to his native Venezuela on Monday.

During a press conference in Caracas, Vasquez shared his experiences during his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies, as well as his future plans with the Venezuelan national team in the upcoming 2011 Pre-Olympic Basketball Tournament.

The tournament, which will serve as a qualifier for the 2012 London Summer Olympics, will be held from August 30th to September 11th in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

“I will sacrifice everything else to give 100 percent to the Venezuelan team for the Olympic qualifiers in Argentina. On June 23rd, I will return to the US. While there, I will continue my preparation individually

and then come back to Venezuela to work with the national team for the full selection, as my priority is to achieve excellent results for my nation”, declared the 24-year-old.

Vasquez returned to Venezuela to spend time with his family, make plans with the Venezuelan Federation of Basketball and begin preparations to participate in the Olympic qualifiers.

“Many of us are aware that we are responsible for the outcome in Argentina.

We are the ones to play for four days, we are the ones to give our maximum effort to honor the Venezuelan uniform. We are truly professionals, and we should achieve a superior performance”, he exclaimed.

“I have come to provide assistance for the Venezuelan team, mostly for upcoming players in the country. I am clear that in Venezuela we use some of the game philosophies found in US basketball, but we also implement other methods in order to

obtain better results internationally”, said the Venezuelan sports star.

Vasquez also recognized the talent and competition of some of his teammates, who will be instrumental on the Venezuelan team.

“Heissler Guillent has had a wonderful season in Venezuela. Nor can we put aside the talents of David Cubillo and Rafael Perez. Also we have the experience of Hector Romero and Oscar Torres, all of which guarantees that we have key players for success in the Olympic qualifiers”, affirmed Vasquez.

The Venezuelan basketball player debuted with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA on October 30, 2010 in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Grizzlies won 109-89. He has since had excellent results during his first season.

T/ YVKE Mundial P/ Agencies

NoÊÈnUÊFriday, June 17th, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Social Justice | 7 |

Venezuelans find hope in public housing program Facing a severe housing deficit, the Chavez administration has launched an amibitious new housing program that plans to build 2 million homes over the next 6 years with international support.

Venezuelans have overwhelmingly received the proposal with a positive outlook

land to build on will be intensified, given the amount of people that have registered for the program. Of the 153,000 homes to be built this year, 40,000 will be made accessible directly to members of organized neighborhood committees such as Community Councils and Communes, who will determine housing distribution on a need-basis.

Z

ulimar Hernandez is a 46-year old Venezuelan who works as a secretary and lives with her two children in a rented house in the poor neighborhood of Los Magallanes de Catia (western Caracas).

She has lived in a rented house for 10 years and has suffered the permanent rental hikes implemented by owners who take advantage of those who cannot afford to buy their own home. But Zulimar now knows her situation will soon change and she will be able to buy a house, “because our President Chavez worries about us and is committed to improving our lives and ensuring we can afford dignified homes”.

“This mission provides hope for my family to one day soon live in our own home. I have faith and trust the process, because the word of our President is important and I know that he will do the right thing for all Venezuelans”, she said referring to the “Grand Mission Housing Venezuela”, a new public housing program launched this past May. After several days of the initial registration for the program, more than one million people enrolled.

VENEZUELANS ANSWERED THE CALL The massive attendance throughout the registration process, authorized by the government throughout the country, was evidence that the people’s trust in President Chavez’s word continues to resist the toughest tests of asymmetric warfare against Venezuela.

“I heard Chavez’s proposal and saw the announcement in the news and did not hesitate to come register because I know it’s the President’s commitment to en-

sure we have access to adequate housing”, stated Ms. Ramirez Marineli after she registered for the mission in the Plaza Bolivar of Caracas.

This mother has lived in Catia for 47 years and works in a private company. The house where she lives with her six children was affected by landslides caused by the heavy rains last year.

Colombian Angel Marchan (63) is a graphic artist who has lived in Venezuela for 40 years. His wife and two children live with him in a friend’s house on Avenue Baralt (downtown Caracas). Mr. Marchan admitted that, “my faith in the revolutionary process was my biggest inspiration to enroll in this mission, I am a revolutionary.

I am convinced that the goals will be achieved and we will all benefit from this program”.

“This is a country full of opportunities and I have experienced that as a people we have a voice and a vote, our needs are being satisfied. The Grand Mission Housing is not going to be the exception, because a roof is critical for the safety and welfare of human beings and that is exactly what Chavez wants when he says he wants the greatest possible happiness for the people”, he affirmed.

COMMITMENT REDOUBLED To meet the goal of building two million homes by 2017, the Venezuelan government has estimated the use of 34,793 hectares

of territory throughout the country. President Hugo Chavez has announced that they already have 7,800 hectares to meet the housing plans for 2011 and 2012. Once the national registry ends, new land throughout the country will be available to register as multifamily property, as stipulated in the Law of Housing Ownership of the Grand Mission Housing Venezuela. These lands include: - Lote Fuerte Tiuna I (Caracas), 82 acres.

- Estation Cua (Miranda)-543 acres - Charallave-north (Miranda) – 200 acres.

- Next to Ciudad Zamora (Miranda)- 237 acres.

- Lomas de Guadalupe (Miranda)- 387 acres.

- The Triplex, road-Ocumare Santa Teresa del Tuy (Miranda), 123 acres.

- Playa Grande (Vargas) -64 acres.

City Caribia (Vargas)1,037acres.

- Base Libertador (Aragua)-224 acres.

- Base Aragua (Aragua)-37 acres.

- The Vineyard (Anzoategui)-303 acres.

- Refining Complex Jose (Anzoategui), 397 acres.

- Yucatán (Lara), 207 acres.

- Costa Oriental del Lago (Zulia),1,878 acres.

According to government sources, the effort to find suitable

MORE HOMES While the Venezuelan housing program continues, more and newer homes are being made available for those who lost homes and/or were displaced by last year’s torrential rains.

Noel de Luque is one of the 432 people who have benefited from this program so far. After living in the states of Bolivar, Barinas and Zulia without owning property, he arrived in Caracas to fight cancer.

“I am recovering thanks to the Revolution. I joined a community council here in the municipality of Baruta to organize in the community and I was chosen for a home. Imagine my emotion because owning a house is one of the greatest possible achievements for human beings”, said Luque.

Noel will share his apartment (featuring 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen and living room) with his mother and cousin. He tells people in shelters who are waiting for a home to register for the housing mission.

“Believe in our President. Believe that the only solution is socialism. Not capitalism. We can achieve it but we have to fight”, he exclaimed.

On the eve of Mother’s Day, Melania Rondon also received the keys to her new home, where she will live with two of her seven sons, her granddaughter and two great-grandchildren.

“I have many good things”, she said to President Chavez when she registered for the mission on the day it was launched. “May God bless you and guide you on a good path. Long live socialism.

I love you very much. My family is happy. Everyone is happy”, she added during a live broadcast from her new apartment, in which the President participated.

T/ Yeneiza Delgado Mijares P/ Presidential Press

FRIDAY | June 17th, 2011 | No. 68 Bs 1 | C ARACAS

ENGLISH EDITION The artillery of ideas

A publication of the Fundacion Correo del Orinoco • Editor-in-Chief | Eva Golinger • Graphic Design | Alexander Uzcátegui, Jameson Jiménez • Press | Fundación Imprenta de la Cultura

OPINION

The United States awful treatment of Haiti, according to WikiLeaks I

n the wake of this year’s many disasters, the flow of bad news coming out Haiti has slowed to a trickle. Last week actually brought some good news that the 2010 quake’s death toll might actually be much lower than reported. And then WikiLeaks swoops in with with 1,918 documents from a seven-year period starting 10 months before the coup that ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004 and ending six weeks after the January 12, 2010 earthquake.

In partnership with WikiLeaks, The Nation and the Haitian weekly newspaper Haïti Liberté are publishing a series of stories that so far highlight how the United States has been micromanaging and manhandling the Haitian government into aligning their policies with US interests. It is, of course, not news that the United States bullies allies into doing what it wants, but the first couple of scoops are worth itemizing.

THE US USED HAITI AS A PAWN IN AN OIL WAR AGAINST VENEZUELA Rene Preval took power after Aristide’s ousting and immediately visited the United States to bolster confidence in the two nations’ diplomatic relations. According to a March 26, 2006 cable written by US Ambassador Janet Sanderson, Preval wanted “to bury once and for all the suspicion in Haiti that the United States is wary of him”, wary because of Preval’s ties to Cuba and Venezuela. Sanderson also said that Preval “stressed to the Embassy that he will manage relations with Cuba and Venezuela solely for the benefit of the Haitian people, and not based on any ideological affinity toward those governments”. But US behavior behind the scenes would show how “wary” may have been too gentle a word.

Preval quickly dashed his own hopes for a strong relationship with his northern allies by negotiating a deal with the Venezuelanbased oil alliance PetroCaribe. Recognizing how the deal made sense both for Haiti’s strapped budget and poverty-stricken people--the Haitian government “would save USD $100 million per year from the delayed payments” by US embassy estimates--the United States stonewalled the deal for years to come. US officials apparently helped to enlist Chevron and ExxonMobil, the only US oil companies operating in

the real priorities of ‘Haiti’s most important and reliable bi-lateral partner’, as Sanderson calls the United States”.

Haiti, to block their shipments and refuse to transport PetroCaribe oil, a necessary requirement for Haiti to sign the deal. Despite the US ambassador’s recognizing Haiti’s lack of interest in anti-US politics--”At no time has Preval given any indication that he is interested in associating Haiti with Chavez’s broader ‘revolutionary agenda’”, she wrote in one cable--Sanderson suggested that the US “convey our discontent with Preval’s actions at the highest possible level when he next visits Washington”, after Preval visited

Venezuela to negotiate a related energy deal that would bring electricity to more homes and save the Haitian people millions.

Chevron ultimately signed the PetroCaribe deal in early 2008, despite US protests, but only after two years of negotiations potentially watered down the benefit to Haiti.

However, as The Nation points out, “The extraordinary story that the Haiti WikiLeaks cables tell of the US Embassy’s campaign against PetroCaribe--which provides such obvious benefits for Haiti--lays bare

US WANTED TO KEEP HAITI’S MINIMUM WAGE AT 24¢/HOUR Preval’s campaign to raise the nation’s minimum wage caught the attention of the Obama administration. The 37¢ bump seems small by US standards, but considering it would raise wages by 150 percent-from 24¢ an hour to 61¢ an hour--the new rule stood to dramatically affect the lives of poor Haitians. However, it would also dramatically affect the bottom line of US companies, like Hanes and Levi Strauss who contracted labor in Haiti to sew their clothes. The companies insisted on capping the wage increase at 7¢ an hour, and the US ambassador pressured Preval into a $3 per day wage for textile workers, $2 less than the original $5 a day that Preval had wanted.

Still the US Embassy wasn’t pleased. A deputy chief of mission, David E. Lindwall, said the $5 per day minimum “did not take economic reality into account” but was a populist measure aimed at appealing to “the unemployed and underpaid masses”.

Ryan Chittum at the Columbia Journalism Review did a little bit of math to put these figures into perspective. The proposed $5 per day falls well short of The Nation’s estimated $12.50 per day needed for a Haitian family of three to make ends meet. But how dramatically will the even lower $3 a day affect the US companies with a stake in the matter?

Zooming in on specific companies helps clarify this even more. As of last year Hanes had 3,200 Haitians making t-shirts for it.

Paying each of them two bucks a day more would cost it about $1.6 million a year. Hanesbrands Incorporated made $211 million on $4.3 billion in sales last year, and presumably it would pass on at least some of its higher labor costs to consumers.

Chittum notes that Hanes’s CEO Richard Noll could cover the losses with just one sixth of his $10 million compensation package. That makes American Apparel and their no sweatshop policy look angelic, sexcrazed CEO Dov Charney and all.

Adam Clark Estes