March 28, 2006
Venezuela explains Bolivarian Missions to the European Union

(Ven-Global News/ Radio Nacional de Venezuela) - "The Venezuelan delegation explained the progress that Venezuela has achieved in the field of social equality by implementing the social missions as a tool to fight poverty.

Inclusion as the main source for social cohesion was the main thesis posed by the Venezuelan representatives attending the High-Level Conference between the EU and Latin American and Caribbean Countries on Social Cohesion held on March 27 and March 28. This meeting was opened by the European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, in Brussels.

Venezuelan Vice-minister of Educative Affairs of the Ministry of Education and Sports, Armando Rojas, Vice-minister of Health Networks of the Ministry of Health, Carlos Alvarado, Chargé d'affaires of the Venezuelan Diplomatic Mission before the EU, Alejandro Fleming, and Second Secretary of this Diplomatic Mission, Nedeska Yanez, attended this High-Level Conference. This meeting is part of the arrangements towards the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean Meeting to be held next May in Vienna, Austria ".

Armando Rojas, Venezuelan Vice-minister of Educative Affairs of the Ministry of Education and Sports, delivered a lecture and explained that Venezuela had been affected by the neo-liberal policies' impact on the social rights of the people during the 90's. Notwithstanding, he affirmed that the inequalities that had marked the Venezuelan society until 1998 started to change when the unfair distribution of the oil wealth was fought.

At the meeting, the Venezuelan delegation made clear that the Venezuela's State Model has allowed the government to put forward dynamic policies. Such policies overcome the restricting and neoliberal forms that contributed to exclusion. Therefore, the Inclusive Missions are making progress in order to find new solutions to the mass problems that tore apart the Venezuelan society, which became poorer and poorer despite the huge wealth of the country.

Likewise, the Venezuelan representatives stated that Venezuela has implemented positive changes in education, has dignified work and empowered the poor. This has guided the growth that currently makes possible for the country to have a cohesive society experiencing social and economic growth with an integral culture of participation in social life, despite the coup and the oil and financial sabotages".