[Venezuela] Chavez: Bring Poverty to Zero

From Prensa Latina

Caracas, (Prensa Latina) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez considered Tuesday that to bring poverty and misery to zero in that South American nation is the essence of the Bolivarian Revolution.

The statesman emphasized that even with political changes in Venezuela and filling the country with viaducts, freeways and housing complexes, if poverty remains for 20 years, then "we would have ploughed the waves, as Simon Bolivar said."

"That means we must be more efficient, to visualize the most critical areas and create a new economic and social model, different from capitalism that is a poor people-producing machine", he said.

According to the Head of State, the Revolution goes forward in all areas, including the Armed Forces, and every day makes progress that benefits the country.

Chavez spoke Tuesday afternoon at the loan-granting ceremony for the cooperatives of the Vuelvan Caras Mission (About face social program) in the Municipal Theatre of Caracas.

In Venezuela 300,000 people are integrated into 6,000 of those groups under the Popular Economy Ministry, with a budget of 420 million dollars, mainly for the agricultural area.

Chavez commented that the levels of poverty and misery have substantially decreased in Venezuela, despite of the oil strike between December 2002 and February 2003 that slowed down the progress the Bolivarian Executive began.

He highlighted that despite the US attempt to sabotage Venezuela, "we are under the obligation to strengthen the armed component of the Republic to defend this land."

Chavez praised the position of the Venezuelan Catholic hierarchy and the Papal Nuncio, who distanced themselves from Ret. Cardinal Rosalio Castillo´s recent declarations on the day of the Divine Shepherd.

During the feast Saturday, January 14, Castillo attacked the Venezuelan government and the president, which was considered a provocation and was severely criticized by the faithful and government authorities.