February 17, 2005
Venezuela to spend 1 trillion Bolívars on flooded areas

(VeNews, reproduced by BBC Monitoring Service) - "Venezuelan government places 1 trillion Bolívars to reconstruct damage in Merida. In a summary of damages caused by the recent torrential rains that swept through Venezuela, the government has announced that it will spend 1 trillion Bolívars to build what it calls axis villages.

Mérida State Governor Florencio Porras says 100,000 persons have been affected in the Tovar, Zea and Rivas Davila municipalities 5,000 persons from nine municipalities have registered as homeless (...)

In Táchira, Governor Ronald Blanco la Cruz reports that eight bridges have collapsed.

In Falcon 1,743 persons are in shelters, 121 have lost their homes and many sectors in affected areas are without electricity.

President Hugo Chávez Frías has announced the setting up of a risk management committee, consisting of five regional task forces in Caracas, Barquisimeto, Barinas, Barcelona and San Fernando de Apure. The idea of launching a policy of 'national de-concentration' was launched after the Vargas natural disaster in 1999, but never really implemented.

The construction of new axis villages or towns is aimed at protecting the lives of families living in high risk zones.The committee is charged with re-ordering Vargas, repairing concrete barriers along the River Guaire and monitoring garbage collection on river banks (...)".