English Edition Nº 72 by Correo del Orinoco

Pg. g 7 | Analysis y

Pg. 8 | Opinion

Why Chomsky has good intentions, but is wrong on the case of judge Aﬁuni

An eyewitness testimony from the Venezuelan Revolution

FRIDAY | July 15, 2011 | No. 72 | Bs 1 | C ARACAS

ENGLISH EDITION The artillery of ideas

Major human rights advances in venezuela

Chavez raises bicentennial ﬂag

During the past decade, Venezuelans have enjoyed an increase in protections and guarantees of basic human rights

Public housing program advancing

The Chavez administration has set out to ensure that not only are civil and political rights guaranteed for all Venezuelans, but also economic, social and cultural rights. The Venezuelan Constitution, written and ratified by the people in 1999, includes vast and detailed chapters articulating the array of rights accorded to the Venezuelan people. These include the right to food, the right to shelter, to education at all levels, healthcare, recreation, culture, history, expression, thought, religion, indigenous peoples’ rights to land, languages, patents for traditional medicines, and the right to a dignified life, amongst others. | page 2

An ambitious government plan to ensure accessible and affordable housing for all Venezuelans has kicked off nationwide, with hundreds of thousands of families enrolling to achieve their dream of becoming homeowners. The program, Grand Mission Housing Venezuela, does not discriminate against any political affinity or class status, but rather seeks to provide any in need with the possibility of owning a home or making essential improvements to a current property. | page 3

Social Justice

Inclusionary education Venezuela’s Bolivarian University celebrates 8 years of accessible, quality education. | page 4

Politics

Chavez ratiﬁes cabinet Despite rumors, the Venezuelan President is keeping his cabinet members on board. | page 5

Economy

Food security & nutrition guaranteed Public food programs have increased nutrition levels. | page 6

Venezuela’s prison conﬂict ends through dialogue

ith the liberation of all inmates that remained hostage of prison gangs in the Penitentiary Center El Rodeo II, located in the outskirts of Caracas, the government’s determination to solve the 4-week conflict peacefully was imposed over those “looking for a massacre”, emphasized Interior and Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami. “Some right-wing sectors and media headlined and manipulated information to play with the pain of inmates, thank God the massacres remained just in the minds of those people. Thankful-

ly, we were able to find a peaceful solution to the conflict”. El Aissami celebrated “the victory of peace, resulting in the safety of 831 inmates. We are now providing them with medical attention”. Once the intervention has finished, the inspection and reconstruction of the prison El Rodeo II will begin. El Aissami noted that officers of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) risked their lives during the whole operation, but nonetheless, they guaranteed inmates’ physical integrity and human rights.

The conflict began when leaders of internal prison gangs violently took over the El Rodeo I and II centers, making demands against the government. Authorities successfully got Rodeo I under control within days, but Rodeo II remained in conflict, as armed gangs held hundreds of prisoners hostage, fired at authorities and refused to negotiate. Finally, after extensive dialogue and denial of basic necessities to the prison gangs, such as food and water, they were forced to cede, turn themselves in and release the hostages.

arading from the Federal Legislative Palace to Caracas’ Plaza Bolivar, representatives from communities, the Executive and Legislative branches celebrated 200 years since the national flag was first presented by General Francisco de Miranda and approved by the General Supreme Congress in 1811. At the end of the parade, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez appeared to raise -together with other authorities- the current national flag of the nation. During his speech in the Plaza Bolivar, Chavez assured that the Bolivarian Revolution is not just based on the proposals of the Liberator Simon Bolivar, but also in those of Francisco de Miranda. “The Bolivarian Revolution emerged as a volcano”, said the head of state. “This Revolution has been reborn from the tombs of history and was born at the beginning of the 21st century to become an eternal, permanent and perpetual Revolution. Miranda’s Bolivarian and Socialist Revolution shall never leave”, Chavez exclaimed.

2 | Impact

NoÊÇÓÊUÊFriday, July 15, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Venezuela: major advances in human rights Under the Chavez administration, human rights have been substantially increased and expanded in order to guarantee the population not just civil and political rights, but also economic, social and cultural rights

enezuela stands “at the vanguard” of “respect for and enforcement of human rights; be it civil, political, economic, social, or cultural rights”, affirmed Venezuelan Ambassador to the United Nations, Jorge Valero, after submitting his country’s human rights report to the UN this week. Valero told reporters that in Venezuela human rights and socialism are “two sides of the same coin”, as both seek to improve the Venezuelan people’s overall quality of life.

“HUMAN RIGHTS FOR GOOD LIVING” The Venezuelan government submitted findings this week to the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a process in which member-states present their own human rights assessments once every four years. Titled “Human Rights for Good Living”, Venezuela’s report highlighted a number of the human rights advances made possible by the Bolivarian Revolution under the leadership of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. According to Ambassador Valero, Venezuela finds itself at “the vanguard worldwide in the exercise of human rights” because the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is guided by the political philosophy of liberation hero Simon Bolivar (influenced by Rousseau) who taught that the “most perfect system of government is that which produces the greatest amount of happiness possible for the greatest amount of people”. “Social investment has become our national strategy to reach a sovereign and integral development. Each of the different social missions, which attend to the most excluded sectors of the country, allows us to advance in the context of the UN Millennium Goals”, said Valero.

Venezuela’s social missions, affirmed the diplomat, “have allowed for a massive and accelerated accessing of economic, social, and cultural rights”. POVERTY DOWN, HEALTH, EDUCATION & NUTRITION UP In a research project funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) found that poverty in Venezuela has been cut in half (from 48.6 to 27.6%) during the 2002 to 2008 period. ECLAC also found Venezuela to be the country with the least amount of income distribution inequality in 2010, placing Venezuela’s progress in the context of a region “known as one of the most unequal in the world”. According to Venezuelan Minister of Health Eugenia Sader, the country’s National Public Health System, with its flagship Inside the Barrio program staffed largely by Cuban doctors, has increased the number of facilities that provide free health care from 4,000 to 13,000. As a result, there were some 432 million visits to free clinics in Venezuela between 2003 and 2010,

saving an estimated 300,000 lives. A 2010 report released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco) found university-level enrollment in Venezuela to be 83%, two and a half times higher than the Latin American average of 34%. According to Unesco, Venezuela now ranks fifth (5th) in the world and second (2nd) in the region – after Cuba – in this important measure of cultural development. In terms of food and nutrition, data released by Venezuela’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) found the daily caloric intake of the average Venezuelan between 1998 and 2009 to have risen by 27 percent. Up from 2,202 to 2,790 calories per day, Venezuela’s per capita calorie intake now sits high above the nutritional target of 2,100 figure established by the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Child malnutrition in Venezuela was found to have been reduced by 58.5% during the last decade, from 7.7 to 3.2 percent in 1990 and 2010, respectively. Venezuela now stands fifth in Latin America in terms of countries with the lowest rates of malnutrition amongst children under the age of five.

“Venezuela is not only recognized as a country that has reduced its own inequalities, but also inequality throughout Latin America and the Caribbean”, said Valero. Last week the joint VenezuelaCuba heath care program that provides free eye surgery for people throughout Latin America, known as Mission Miracle, celebrated its seven-year anniversary. According to Manuel Pacheco, Mission Miracle’s international coordinator, some 1.3 million Latin American and Caribbean people have recovered their vision thanks to the revolutionary program. In the first six months of 2011 alone, some 100,000 people benefited from the free vision-recovery program in 72 specialized clinics across Venezuela. POLITICAL RIGHTS With respect to political rights, Venezuela’s Ambassador to the UN highlighted the numerous electoral opportunities that have occurred since the Revolution first came to power in 1998. “In a period of 10 years we have had a total of 16 electoral processes, a figure which dem-

onstrates just how much popular support exists for Venezuelan democracy”, affirmed Valero. According to Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), popular participation in the country’s presidential elections increased from 54 to 74 percent in 1998 and 2006, respectively. The Venezuelan people, said Valero, “enjoy a wide range of democratic liberties; and I can assure you that very few countries in the world enjoy the same freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”. According to the diplomat, all sectors of Venezuelan political life “have the right to express themselves freely, and as is often the case, even when their proposals go against what is established in our Carta Magna”. According to Valero, the United Nations has never once produced “a single official document or declaration against Venezuela, and none can exist, because Venezuela characterizes itself for being scrupulously respectful of absolutely all human rights”. In October, the UN’s Universal Periodic Review will meet to review the information provided by the Venezuelan government and provide any pertinent feedback as it relates to human rights in the country. “One could say that Venezuelan socialism and human rights are two sides of the same coin”, affirmed Valero. “We have gone about substantially increasing our people’s quality of life. Today our people are happier, with elevated well-being indices, and with less social inequality than in the past. We have decided to take our society towards a society of equals, where the limits of justice, equality, and solidarity are both unstoppable and infinite”, he concluded. The Venezuelan Ambassador also added that his country “has constantly denounced imperial aggressions against the peoples of the world”, insisting on a respect for international law and the human rights of those under attack as in the cases of “the genocides committed against the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya”. T/ COI P/ Agencies

NoÊÇÓÊUÊFriday, July 15, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Venezuela’s Grand Mission Housing Venezuela, launched by President Hugo Chavez, continues to advance in order to ensure affordable housing for all

Politics

Public housing program to guarantee decent living

ith over four thousand volunteers working in 259 registration centers across the Western half of the country, last weekend the Venezuelan government initiated the second stage of its enrollment process for the social program, Mission Housing Venezuela. The month-long registration process officially began in 7 states and, according to officials, enrolled nearly 180 thousand residents in its first day of operations. Ricardo Menendez, Minister of Science, Technology and Intermediary Industry informed that the turnout for the program has been massive. “Nearly 180 thousand Venezuelans will soon have the right to a home.This figure has been calculated from the first of 30 days in which the census is operating. We know that it’s heavy work, but all available resources are being finetuned in order to guarantee the right to a decent living”, Menendez said from the state of Carabobo last Sunday. The registration process represents the second wave of inscriptions following the successful completion of the same process in May in areas of the country affected by torrential rains late last year, leaving more than 130 thousand homeless. Overall, the government reports that it has now registered more than 1.4 million families for the project which has become the Chavez administration’s flagship public assistance program after the coastal flooding brought the need for housing into the national spotlight.

people and we won’t close the enrollment point until the last person in line has the chance to register”, the coordinator in the Plaza Bolivar of Merida affirmed. Araujo commented that the vast majority of state residents are living in rental situations where the price of private rooms and apartments prohibits people from saving and investing in their own home. “There is a lot of need. Recently we were doing work in the neighborhood of Simon Bolivar and we came across a single house where 16 families living. So you can imagine at the state level how big the need is and for this reason we want the people to come and register and participate in order to make their dream of owning a home a reality”, he said.

HOUSING FOR THE ANDES The Andean state of Merida, where 51 enrollment centers have been installed in 23 municipalities, is one of the 7 states to participate in this second round of registrations. Pedro Araujo, Coordinator of a registration point in the state capital told the Correo del Orinoco International on Monday that participation in the process has been heavy and orderly. “The first two days, Saturday and Sunday, were hard work because we had a high turnout of

NON-PARTISAN PROGRAM Gali Prato, one of the participants on hand last Monday, expressed her contentment with the quickness of the registration process, calling to the idea of the public housing mission “excellent”. “Right now the country is in need of homes and all that’s available is very expensive without there being means to pay. I’m a professional, I rent and I have a child…With the help of God, this mission will succeed and I’ll have my own house”, she said.

Although Prato’s situation is not as urgent as flood victims who have been forced to take refuge in temporary shelters, her participation in the program highlights the inclusive nature of the project which has been open to all Venezuelans independent of their social class or political affiliation. In the opposition controlled state of Tachira, resident Nery Moreno commented on the wide range of citizens, including those critical of the government, who are taking part in the mission. “Its surprising to see the number of people from all over the

political spectrum who are registering in order to acquire a dignified home through this wonderful program created by President Hugo Chavez”, he said. MISSION OF MISSIONS In the past 12 years the Venezuelan government has introduced a number of social programs, known as missions, in areas such as education, healthcare, job training, agriculture, food sovereignty and technology. The success of the missions in reducing poverty, wiping out illiteracy and contributing to a

3| higher quality of life for all Venezuelans has been well documented by organizations around the world including the United Nations which has praised the OPEC member state for its advancement in social development. Mission Housing Venezuela plans to take the experience of the past 12 years and amplify it in attempts to eliminate the country’s current housing deficit, set by some observers at 1.5 million. As the Chavez government’s boldest program to date, the mission will provide quality homes to all residents, prioritizing flood victims and those living in precariously constructed shantytowns on the outskirts of urban centers. To be successful, the government has enlisted the support of both public and private construction companies and financial institutions including assistance from international allies such as China, Argentina, Brazil, and Iran. NECESSARY STEPS With the completion of the second phase of enrollment in August, more than 65 percent of the Venezuelan population will have been given the opportunity to apply for the program’s benefits which will provide housing subsidies of up to 100 percent for residents, depending on family income. The following step in the Mission’s work entails the formation of small brigades of community volunteers to canvass neighborhoods based on the information received from registrants. The survey work, which is intended to verify census data and prioritize those families in high need situations, is already underway in areas where the inscription process has been completed. Other housing works have also been started around the country as the government utilizes all possible resources to reach its goal. “We understand that there are already an important number of houses whose construction has been completed by the Executive branch and more than one thousand homes have begun construction out of the 3,600 that will be built this year”, said Rafael Isea, Governor of the state of Aragua at the launch of that state’s registry last weekend. Similar construction projects have been completed in the states of Miranda, Falcon, Zulia and in the Capital District. T/ COI P/ Agencies

4 | Social Justice

NoÊÇÓÊUÊFriday, July 15, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Bolivarian University celebrates 8th anniversary of inclusionary education T

he public university was founded on principles of accessibility and quality for all seeking to study higher education With over 20 thousand students studying in 20 different educational centers around the country, the Bolivarian University of Venezuela (UBV) celebrated its 8th anniversary last week with a series of cultural, sporting and other recreational activities to commemorate the date. “It’s been 8 years of searching, of creation and of recreation, of amplifying life, of commitment to another way of life, of being and understanding the meaning of society and university”, said Yadira Cordova, Minister of University Education at an event held on Tuesday. Founded in 2003, the UBV has been at the heart of the Chavez administration’s educational reforms, providing students previously excluded by the country’s elitist university system with the chance to study for a college degree. The guiding principal of the Bolivarian educational model, named after Independence hero Simon Bolivar, has been to take the university to the community, matching coursework and majors with local needs.

MAJOR INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT Thanks largely to the UBV and other higher education programs such as the government’s Mission Sucre, Venezuela now boasts one of the highest university matriculations rates in the world. According to UBV acting Dean, Angel Moros, the number of college students in the country has jumped from 785 thousand in 1998 when President Hugo Chavez won his first presidential election to nearly 2.5 million in 2010. “Since the arrival of the Revolution, there has been a substantive change [in university education] from an exclusive model to one based on participation and inclusion which is not only expressed in [enrollment] numbers but also in the kind of education that we are promoting in the classroom”, Moros said during an interview with state television. CREATING JOBS To mark the UBV’s anniversary, President Chavez addressed the students and instructors gathered on Tuesday via telephone, encouraging graduates and pro-

fessionals to link the university’s work with a new social program, called Mission Work, which is set to begin later this year. The new mission, the President informed, is set to create some 3.5 million jobs in Venezuela over the next 8 years, converting unemployed and underemployed in-

dividuals into economically and socially productive workers. Ten billion bolivars ($2.3 billion) in government funding has already been approved for the new program. During his address, Chavez spoke of the need to transform society from a culture of capital-

ism and individualism to one of solidarity and socialism through the creation of a development model that prioritizes human relations over profit. “I want the university, alongside other revolutionary institutions to be at the vanguard with its work and its knowledge. There should not exist a single municipality where the university is not scientifically planning concrete development projects to accelerate changes in work relations”, the head of state declared. Over the past 8 years, the UBV has graduated nearly 150 thousand professionals from all over Venezuela in what Minister Cordova considers to be the spirit of the South American nation’s Independence leaders and that of the country’s current Bolivarian Revolution. “Today, at 200 years [since Independence], the university needs to carry the same spirit and direction that the Bolivarian Revolution carries in order to contribute to the deepening of socialism and the construction of new relations”, she said. T/ COI P/ Agencies

Venezuelans march for gender equality & diversity O

n Sunday, a large group comprised of numerous equal rights organizations marched in Caracas from Plaza Venezuela to the National Assembly to demand respect and equality for gender diversity. Ricardo Hung, vice-president of the grassroots community organization Lambda, of Venezuela, said, while speaking on Venezuelan television (VTV), that the aim of the march was to enable a commission from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersexual (LGBTI) communities to deliver a document to the National Assembly. The document, which was last presented to the National Assembly on August 22, 2010, demands that certain issues relating to gender equality be included in different Venezuelan laws.

Specifically in the document, the LGBTI network requests an amendment to the Civil Registry Law to allow the Venezuelan LGBTI population to change names and genders on personal documents without needing a physical genital change. The network has also petitioned for the approval of an antidiscrimination law which would punish violations of human rights against peoples of gender diversity, and eliminates, in all current legislation, all aspects of laws that deny, or limit, rights of people of diverse sexuality. Hung stressed that the march for gender diversity shows the disposition of the revolutionary government to push for the inclusion of all sectors and that citizens create laws to vindicate

their rights that are established in the Constitution. Ingrid Varon, member of the Venezuelan Lesbian Base, explained that at the activity they were demanding equality and fair rights in various areas of national life, including at the workplace. The activist highlighted the different LGBTI organizations currently receiving substantial support from various ministries and state institutions in the defense of their rights. “Our march is assertive and strong, we’re revolutionaries, we’re standing up and fighting, we’re part of communities, communal councils, representing sexual diversity without shame and with pride”, Varon exclaimed. According to National Assembly press, legislator Juan Aleman

received the document from the organizations, and said the LGBTI community will have an answer to its requests and demands within two weeks. Lambda is an NGO formed in 1998. According to its own description, it has evolved into an organization that aims to promote the “integral development of male homosexuals” and to promote “selfrecognition as complete human beings ...and their insertion in different social spaces in our country”. The Venezuelan Lesbian Base was formed in February 2010 and focuses on culture, history, education and awareness, and hate crime and violence prevention. T/ AVN with reporting by Tamara Pearson P/ Héctor Lozano

NoÊÇÓÊUÊFriday, July 15, 2011

The artillery of ideas

In his first Council of Ministers meeting since returning from Cuba on July 4, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced a 30% wage increase for the country’s public health sector; appointed the nation’s first Minister for Youth and Students; and ratified the continuation of his cabinet members

Politics

Chavez: Raises public health wages, ratiﬁes cabinet

entist Juan Carlos Monedero, who explained that the protest movement in his country is using the economic and political model of the Bolivarian Revolution as an example. “More and more people in the streets understand you”, Monedero told Chavez. The sociologist also urged Chavez to take care of his health, because “day after day we need you more in Venezuela, Latin America and in the process that is currently in progress in Europe”.

SAME CABINET, NEW MINISTRY Responding to rumors in both the national and international press that he intended to make changes to his cabinet, Chavez publicly confirmed his plans to keep his entire cabinet as is and announced the incorporation of Marypili Hernandez as Venezuela’s first Minister for Youth and Students. Chavez explained how his government had consulted with members of Venezuela’s organized youth before choosing Hernandez for the post. While “the youth lead themselves” said Chavez, “the creation of this new ministry [for youth and students] will move things even further along”. Hernandez is a journalist and was president of VTV from 1999 to 2001 and in 2007 she was ViceMinister of Foreign Affairs for North America. Referring to the rumors of a possible reshuffle in his cabinet, Chavez said he was aware of the “many rumors, trying to destabilize, trying to sabotage”, and that he rejected suggestions by some in the press “that there was a division in the government (during his month-long stay in Cuba), and that the long knives were drawn” between the different ministers interested in the presidency if Chavez were to be become unable to serve. “Despite the rumors, I ratify Vice-President Elias Jaua”, Chavez said. “There will be no pact with the bourgeoisie. We’re going to accelerate the pace of economic, military and social transformations”. Elias Jaua, Chavez’s Executive Vice-President, would have legally been designated president of Venezuela if, after Chavez underwent emergency surgery in Cuba last month, he was left unable to serve out the rest of his term in office. At that time, the Venezuelan National Assembly granted Chavez the first of two possible 90-day authorizations to govern from abroad. In accordance with the Venezuelan Constitution, after a total 180 days, or if for any other reason Chavez was physically unable to govern due to his health condition, the presidency would be handed over to Jaua. Along with Jaua, Chavez ratified his entire cabinet, including Defense Minister Carlos Mata Figueroa and Strategic Operations Commander, General Henry Rangel Silva.

T/ AVN

T/ Juan Reardon

ccording to Chavez, the wage increase was made possible by recently enacted legislation that allows the Venezuelan state to increase windfall oil taxes as international oil prices rise.

HEALTH IS WEALTH Speaking on national television from the Miraflores Presidential Palace, Chavez said that his cabinet had decided on the 30% wage increase for public sector doctors after having reviewed a number of wage increase proposals presented by different medical associations. Chavez said that he had chosen between “exaggerated” proposals and others that were “more rational”. Details on the wage increase, which went into effect on July 1, 2011, were published by state television, VTV this week. Resident doctors, with their usual night shifts and other responsibilities, will have wages rise from the current 5,278 to 7,100 BsF per month ($1,227 to $1,651 USD). Category I Specialist Doctors, with the same rights and responsibilities as they have now, will go from 7,100 to 9,400 BsF per month ($1,652 to $2,186 USD) while Category II Specialist Doctors will go from 8,065 to 10,645 BsF per month ($1,876 to $2,476 USD). Hospital Director Doctors will go from 8,700 to 11,600 BsF per month ($2,023 to $2,698 USD). After announcing the scaled increase, Chavez affirmed the “salary increase is an act of justice for our doctors, and now, let’s continue working with more heart and more soul, with greater dedication, for the health of the Venezuelan people”. OPPOSITION In recent months doctors linked to the Venezuelan Medical Federation (FMV) have been pressuring the national government for

a wage increase that would make the minimum and maximum wage earned 9,500 BsF and 14,820 BsF per month ($2,209 and $3,446 USD), respectively. The FMV stepped up its actions in recent days, with ongoing protests and work stoppages at public hospitals across the country since June 30th. In response to Chavez’s announcement, FMV vice president Dianela Parra said that the President was “autocratic” and that protests would continue until their demands are met. In 2003, the FMV asked courts to bar Cuban doctors from practicing in Venezuela.

OIL PROFITS FOR HEALTH According to Chavez, the BsF 3.3 billion (USD $767 million) allotted to fund the wage increase comes from windfall oil taxes that Venezuela has secured thanks to the Special Contribution Law for the Extraordinary and Exorbitant Prices of Oil enacted on April 18, 2011. In an interview with TeleSur earlier this year, Venezuelan Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez affirmed that the new windfall oil tax law, “seeks to maintain and have strict control over natural resources in order to direct the profits to the

Venezuelan people”. He said the law is “about making sure that these resources belong to all Venezuelans. In short, earnings from the exploitation of our natural resource will be converted into houses, into agriculture, into work, infrastructure, health, education and social inclusion”. As part of last week’s Council of Ministers meeting, Chavez also announced the approval of an additional BsF 1.7 billion ($395.3 million USD) for Venezuela’s new housing mission in order to achieve the goal of building 150,000 homes by the end of the year.

President Chavez: People are awakening against capitalism “C

urrently, people are awakening against capitalism’s interests and there is hope for a new and better world”, underscored the President of Venezuela referring to the crisis in Europe. In a phone conversation during a TV talk-show on Wednesday, Chavez urged Europeans to begin a transition process through democracy. “We do not want wars or bombs, we want change that comes from a real democratic process with people’s participation”, he stated.

The head of State alleged that capitalism is currently in its final stage, “This is imperial madness against Libya, the world and life”. He regretted the situation in Europe. Nonetheless, Chavez underscored the struggle of youth demanding better social conditions in their countries. “We do not want violence for anyone, but we also do not want the peace of graveyards. There is an awakening that is felt from here”. During his phone conversation, Chavez greeted Spanish sociologist and political sci-

www.venezuelanalysis.com

6 | Social Justice

NoÊÇÓÊUÊFriday, July 15, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Food security & sovereignty now guaranteed for venezuelans N

owadays, Venezuelans not only have a variety of foods at a low cost compared to what their salaries could afford 12 years ago, but they now are accessing more nutritious foods which allows them to consume the minimum amount of calories for a person in a healthy way. In order to compare the nutrition conditions that existed twelve years ago, we source a study carried out by specialist Elisa Quintana from the Institute of Nutrition and Dietetics of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) and published in 2001 in a specialized magazine. In this study, Mrs. Quintana evaluated the consumption of legumes over a five decade period (from 1945 to 1997). The research concludes that Venezuelans consumed 42% less legumes during that period, with a significant decline from 1966 and afterward. Legumes in Venezuela include different kinds of beans and peas. The minimum consumption touched a rock bottom of 31 grams a day during the 90’s. At that time, 55 % of Venezuelans consumed legumes.

RISE OF LEGUME CONSUMPTION The status of legumes consumption, among other foods, had a drastic change in the last twelve years. Until 1992, the consumption peak was below 35%. After the establishment of the Chavez administration and its first measures taken in the agricultural area, that status began to change. According to figures provided by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), daily legumes consumption started increasing progressively and reached a total of 42.34 grams per capita in the second semester of 2010. This represents an increase of 8.34 grams per person per day (24.52 %). Additionally, the consumption of black beans has been progressively replaced with other types of legumes, balancing the nutritional value given by other products such as lentils. They have become the new main element in Venezuelans’ diet and reached the status of black beans with a 53 % increase from 2008 to 2010.

A HEALTHY AND BALANCED DIET Although it is a temptation for some, the consumption of carbohydrates and fats predominate in Venezuelan’s meals, though they are the least healthy of foods. Thanks to the policies of the National Institute of Nutrition (INN) over the last 12 years, it has been possible to eliminate the so-called food guide clover which was valid until 1993 and did not contribute positively to the Venezuelan’s diet. With the design of the “Trompo de los Alimentos” (Spinning Top of the Foods), a new way to classify basic food groups was implemented, using this traditional Venezuelan toy. In this new distribution, legumes are given a more important position along with other products. The Spinning Top is easy to understand and families, schools, people’s cafeterias and all organizations involved in nutrition use it as reference. This system combines each of the food groups and the result is an assorted and balanced food guide. Water consumption and physical activity are included in the spinning top guide as key aspects of achieving excellent health. In order to have healthy nutrition that suits the nutritional rec-

ommendations for the Venezuelan population, the INN classified foods into groups according to their nutritional value and each of them was given a distinctive color. Grains, cereals, tubers and legumes are identified in yellow; vegetables and fruits in green; milk, meat and eggs in blue; sug-

ars in gray; fats and vegetable oils in orange and as a complement, the rope of the spinning top represents water and the physical activity which ensures a better quality of life. The way in which foods are organized in the spinning top is intended to guide the population

with respect to a proper and balanced intake of foods. That is to say, it provides a guide for the body to achieve all the nutritional components to improve growth, development and health. Research shows that Venezuelan families now have more access to products such as chicken, bologna, ham, eggs, beef liver, pork, aside from the usual consumption of beef. Regarding fish, the consumption of sardines increased (both fresh and canned), as did the consumption of tuna. Milk and dairy products are also more frequent in Venezuelan’s diet, while visible fats (butter and mayonnaise) decreasing. Butter, in particular, had a 4% reduction in its consumption in Venezuelan homes. Wholesale markets were the main source to buy non-processed foods 12 years ago, followed by the sporadic municipal and people’s markets, and the famous vegetable trucks which offer their products as they drive around the streets. The big private chains strategically offered processed products as the first option to consumers, leaving unsanitary spaces for the food groups that are considered important nowadays. Thanks to the creation of the Pdval and Mercal Network the conditions to acquire food products has changed. Despite the problems caused by a few corrupt administrators and the usual attacks against government-backed social programs, the Bolivarian Revolution is at the vanguard of national efforts to achieve food security and sovereignty by dedicating an exclusive program for sovereign production and sale of the necessary foods. The network has allowed Venezuelans to acquire the necessary foods for a balanced diet in a cheaper and easier way. The figures provided by the INE regarding the first trimester of 2010 have shown that more than 6,200,000 people buy in the Mercal Network and only around 2,700,000 still endure the old torture of buying in private chains. T/ Venezuela International P/ Agencies

NoÊÇÓÊUÊFriday, July 15, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Analysis | 7 |

Chomsky: Good intentions, but wrong on facts in case of judge Aﬁuni A

cademic life in the United States can be very agreeable. The life of a professional scholar normally implies good pay, not overly strenuous hours and job security. Do your job, don’t make too many waves and enjoy the ride into a solid upper-middle class retirement. Perhaps it’s the fear of threatening this comfortable existence that has kept so many intellectuals over the years in the US from taking up causes of social justice or from openly participating in progressive social movements that speak truth to power. A glaring exception to this trend, of course, has been the MIT linguistics professor Noam Chomsky. Throughout his career, Chomsky has worked indefatigably to defend the interests of the marginalized and downtrodden, voicing his acerbic criticism of a Machiavellian US foreign policy while standing up to corporate media’s renditions of international affairs. With respect to Venezuela, the linguist has been an outspoken defender of the government of Hugo Chavez as it continues to stave off US intervention in the form of coup attempts, economic sabotage, and destabilizing psychological campaigns. Such defense has been a welcomed break from the international coverage of Venezuelan affairs which has rested on a cynical defamation of Chavez and censorship of practically every positive development made in the country since the ex-military officer was first elected president in 1998. It was indeed surprising, then, to see that a recent article in Venezuela’s largest conservative newspaper El Nacional report that the country’s right-wing student movement has been using the figure of Noam Chomsky to further their allegations of a clamp down on human rights in the South American nation by the Chavez government. The question revolves around the case of ex-judge Maria Afiuni, arrested by Venezuelan authorities in 2009 for illegally authorizing the release of a wealthy banker from custody during his trial on charges of corruption and financial malfeasance. Chomsky, through the petition

of the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard University, wrote a letter to the Venezuelan government in which he asks for amnesty for Afiuni who is currently under house arrest and being treated for cancer. “Afiuni has suffered enough”, Chomsky wrote, “I am convinced that she must be set free”, he stated. The question of the judge’s guilt was never addressed, the professor affirmed in a an interview. His request for amnesty was, rather, made solely “on humanitarian grounds” based on the conditions of her imprisonment. As could be predicted, international and domestic media outlets were quick to jump on the news, claiming that the famous US dissident had broken ranks with his old friend Hugo Chavez. The Guardian, most notably, used the Afiuni case to claim that the linguist referred to Chavez’s rule as “an assault on democracy”. In a subsequent interview, Chomsky lashed out at the Guardian’s coverage, criticizing the treatment of his comments as “deceptive”. Knowing Chomsky’s record, it would be hard to believe that his amnesty missive was not written without the truest of intentions and that his request for freedom for the ex-judge was based on the information provided for him by the Carr Center at Harvard. Unfortunately, it turns out that the Carr Center’s Latin American Initiative is Coordinated by a known

anti-Chavez Venezuelan, Leonardo Vivas, who was the key player behind the push to get Chomsky’s support for Afiuni. BIAS ON RIGHTS ISSUES As such, the issue raises some important questions about what cases actually make it to international audiences and how the treatment of human rights has been constructed both inside and outside Venezuela. What many living outside the Caribbean country fail to understand is that the so-called “human rights agenda” here – which has captured the gaze of so many internationally – has been sculpted and massaged by conservative upper and middle class opposition members for years. The economically privileged sectors of the population, who make up the bulk of the nation’s opposition, have utilized their allies in the international media and NGOs as well as Washington bureaucrats and politicians to construct a discourse based on “human rights” with the explicit intent of discrediting the Chavez presidency. Torrents of accusations thus rain down regarding violations of freedom of speech, the proliferation of political prisoners and the crackdown on dissidence in the country. The Afiuni case is no exception to this onslaught as members of the opposition portray the judge as a “political prisoner” although it is widely known that she had

never been an outspoken critic of the Chavez government. Of course, all of these accusations and the manner in which they are presented to the public have been skillfully tailored to appeal to the sensibilities of liberals internationally. International audiences are provided glimpses of “hunger strikes” outside the offices of the Organization of American States in Caracas and read about “peaceful student protests” at the University of the Andes in Merida as part of the media spectacle. But what is not immediately visible is the class background of these protestors or the violent confrontations initiated by armed student groups looking to provoke a reaction from authorities in order to justify their allegations of “repression”. This is the true face of the Venezuelan opposition. But despite these very real occurrences, there is yet another issue that highlights even more strikingly the bias and disingenuousness of the human rights agenda in the OPEC member state. NO OUTCRY FOR FARMERS RIGHTS Since 2001, when the Venezuelan government passed its agrarian reform law, more than 250 landless farmers have been assassinated by mercenaries contracted by wealthy landowners in order to prevent the implementation of the country’s land redistribution program.

And worse yet, of these more than 250 political murders, not a single landowner has been convicted in any court of law for the crimes. Although the political murder of landless farmers and the impunity that surrounds their cases is the most pressing human rights question currently facing Venezuela, the issue is all but ignored both inside and outside the country. The question must be asked then, where is the Carr Center and the army of NGOs who over the years have been so quick to attack the Venezuelan government for violations of human rights? Where is the New York Times, the Guardian, the Washington Post? Where are the students clamoring for justice? Could it be that since these farmers are poor Chavez supporters, they don’t fit into the pattern of victims as defined by those who hail for the same social class as the landowners contracting these murders? Here the question of Judge Afiuni’s guilt becomes relevant. Contrary to popular misconceptions, the real problem with the Venezuelan justice system is exactly the impunity that reins in its bureaucracy laden and clientistic courts. Afiuni belongs to this class of technocrats, lawyers and judges who for decades have impeded the efficient delivery of justice and who since 2001 have helped ensure that more than 250 families have not had closure with respect to the politically motivated murder of a loved one. The fact that this judge was arrested on charges of corruption by facilitating the escape of a wealthy financier and thereby contributing to this culture of impunity should not so quickly be dismissed. As with just about everything concerning events in Venezuela, caution needs to be exercised and sources need to be checked. If the lack of credible information about what’s happening here on the ground can arrive at such a level that someone like Noam Chomsky ends up being paraded, albeit erroneously, by a right-wing student movement, things have gotten quite out of hand. T/ Edward Ellis

FRIDAY | July 15, 2011 | No. 72 Bs 1 | C A R A C A S

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

Eyewitness update from the Venezuelan Revolution W

hile we are facing huge cuts and strikes here in the United Kingdom, Venezuelans are enjoying increased public spending and services, and workers’ conditions and pay keep improving. The May Day march was huge this year in Caracas, so big that I only just made it to the rally to hear the end of Chavez’s speech! People had come by the busload from all over the country and the streets of the capital were red with hundreds of thousands of workers marching to commemorate this important date and support the advances in their country. The atmosphere was great, everybody was in good spirits, contrasting with the angry marches we have seen here in Britain against the government’s attack on ordinary people. This year there was even more to celebrate in Venezuela. The minimum wage was increased 25%, coming into effect on May 1st and making it the second highest in Latin America. Public sector workers including teachers and nurses got a 45% pay increase. Also, all workers, private and public, now receive “cesta tickets” - food vouchers on top of their pay. Previously only public employers had to provide this benefit. These measures are key to guaranteeing basic nutrition and living standards in the face of inflation. Perhaps the most pressing issue right now is that of the over 300,000 Venezuelans whose homes were destroyed in the heavy rains and flooding last year, and who are currently living in shelters provided by the government. Any public building that can be utilized is presently housing flood victims, even Miraflores, the Presidential Palace, upon orders of President Chavez himself. On April 25th, 45 families sheltered in the Presidential Palace

were finally given the keys and titles to their new apartments, which are in a new building with recreational areas and space for a bakery, grocery store, and cooperatives to be run by the residents. Each spacious apartment was fully equipped by the state, free of charge, with domestic appliances including refrigerators and televisions. I watched on television as the families signed the title deeds to their new homes, their eyes filled with tears of joy and gratitude. The apartments are subsidized up to 80% depending on people’s incomes, giving them the opportunity to own their own home, something many could only have ever dreamed. I visited one of the biggest shelters, housing around 2,700 people on five floors of an installation of what was to become yet another huge shopping mall. The building was recently expropriated by the

state and will eventually become a cultural center, but for now it is home to thousands of Venezuelans from Caracas and the surrounding coastal areas. Conditions aren’t ideal, with row upon row of bunk beds, the only privacy are sheets that occupants hang over the sides of the beds. However, some have already been moved into private rooms, as temporary cubicles are being built. Despite this, as far as possible daily life is normalized. All are provided with basic goods, like toiletries and clothes, as well as economic support for those unable to work. There are classrooms for children during the day and the various education missions in the evenings, a health center and cultural and recreational spaces. Residents are forming cooperatives to take charge of the cleaning and there is already one in charge of preparing meals twice a day for everyone on site.

Walking around with a friend who works there, Joel Linares, he explained how the job has taken over his life. He coordinates the needs of one of the floors of the shelter and also teaches. He is often there over 16 hours a day because he is so dedicated to helping people get on with their lives. As we walked around the various floors, people greeted him affectionately, informing him about any problems or doubts they had and asking for advice. Children ran around playing as mothers looked on and chatted to each other. The scale of the response to the flooding has been truly impressive and despite their hardship, people are able to more or less get on with their lives and also take advantage of new opportunities to study and train, while they wait for their new homes. Not only are houses being built for the flood victims, but also on

April 30th, the “Gran Mision Vivienda Venezuela” – a massive public housing program aiming to build 2 million affordable homes over the next seven years – was launched. Every Venezuelan living in precarious conditions or simply wanting to own their own home can sign up. Within the first three weeks 500,000 people had signed up for the mission at the registration point in their neighborhood. This first stage will help determine the scale of demand and identify those who are most in need. The program will not only tackle the huge housing deficit but will provide employment opportunities and a boost to the economy. Its impact on people’s lives cannot be underestimated. Towards the end of my stay, the Obama administration announced it was imposing sanctions on Pdvsa, the Venezuelan oil company. Despite these ludicrous sanctions, the US is happy to continue receiving Venezuelan oil, demonstrating the hypocrisy of the measure. This hostile policy was widely rejected in Venezuela with thousands of workers protesting at Pdvsa installations across the country in defence of their sovereignty. Chavez’s support remains strong and the steady social progress, wage increases and housing mission, are only set to strengthen this. In the face of US opposition and aggression, Venezuelans seem more defiant and ready to defend their revolutionary process – and the Presidential elections next year will be a decisive test. As always, I saw great progress and was inspired to keep on spreading the word about what is really going on in Venezuela. - Catriona Goss