Venezuela Buys Laptops for Little People

This is an exciting story on the education and technology front: Venezuela signed a deal with Portugal last weekend to buy 1 million affordable laptop computers to place in schools across the country.

The first delivery will consist of 250,000 of the kid-friendly laptops (Intel’s Classmate PC), and the rest are expected by the end of 2009. This is the single largest purchase of these new computers to be made so far by any country in the world.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said, “It’s a lot more than exporting computers. It’s about cooperating with Venezuela to set up a program similar to what we have in Portugal. The aim is to improve education.”

The computers run on Linux software, an open-source technology supported by the Venezuelan government. Read more from AP, AFP and BBC.

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Venezuela Enters Oscars Race with “The Color of Fame”

Breaking news, movie fans: Venezuela has just selected its submission for the category of Best Foreign Language Film in the upcoming Oscars. Oh the agony of waiting until February 22nd, 2009 at 5pm to find out who wins!

The film is called El tinte de la fama (“The Color of Fame”). It tells the bittersweet and often humorous tale of a young woman who tries to escape poverty by entering a Marilyn Monroe look-alike contest. It is directed by Alejandro Bellame and stars Elaiza Gil. Click on these links to read more in English or Spanish. Watch the extended trailer below.

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Dreaming of Choroni

Just on the other side of Henri Pittier National Park in Aragua, Venezuela, there is lovely little beach town called Choroni. A tiny mountain road leads you up into the clouds and over, into a forest of tall shade trees, rushing creeks, and lush ferns.

The beach itself is nestled beside the coastal mountains that stretch across Venezuela. Choroni is a favorite destination for nature lovers and sun worshippers alike. Hundreds of varieties of birds live there, and some lizards too.  Visitors pitch tents on the beach and camp overnight. You can rent a chair and umbrella and pass the day watching the waves crash between the mountains. Coconut water is a favorite treat, and occasionally you might see some one climb up a palm tree and get a coconut.

The small town of Choroni was constructed in the Spanish style. On the “malecon” or sea wall, there are remnants of an old Spanish fort, complete with cannons. At night, locals and visitors come together on the malecon, to share music, art, souvenirs, food, and drink. Couples and friends sit on the wall and stare into the sea, dreaming of the next time they come to Choroni.

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In Venezuela, the World’s Biggest Ice Cream Shop

At a shop nestled in the Andean town of Mérida, visitors can find the largest selection of ice cream available anywhere on the planet. Heladeria Coromoto holds the Guinness World Record for the widest variety of ice cream flavors. Its menu includes varieties such as smoked trout, garlic, coca-cola, avocado, hot dog — nearly everything imaginable. There are over 830 of them.

Heladeria Coromoto was founded twenty-odd years ago by Manuel Da Silva Oliveira, a Portuguese immigrant with a good business sense. His parlor has become an attraction for locals and tourists alike. Amazingly, he explains, “we use no chemicals… It’s all natural. If you eat the spaghetti with cheese ice cream, it has real spaghetti and cheese in it.”

Still anxious for more? Check out an article from the Christian Science Monitor.

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Adorable Dogs Find Homes in Venezuela

In Caracas, and throughout Venezuela, the number of stray animals is striking. Street dogs or “cacris” live without a home, human companionship, or veterinary care. Generally the animals are unsterilized, heightening the overpopulation crisis with each season. Meanwhile, the very few Venezuelan animal shelters are packed to capacity.

To help alleviate the crisis, a group of Venezuelan youths took action, and “La Red de Apoyo Canino” (or the Canine Support Network) was born in 2005.  The mission of La Red, is to share information, encourage sterilization, and find homes for cats and dogs through a network of foster homes. Through its listserve, supporters voice concerns, ask questions, and find homes and supplies for rescued pets. The Network supports a number of caring citizens who have turned their homes into animal shelters.

Notably, in Caracas, Mrs. Maria houses 30 to 40 dogs at a time in her apartment. Volunteers from “la Red” visit her each week to help her clean the house,  wash the dogs, and give them walks and attention. They usually bring a load of dog food along, too. Mrs. Maria’s home is pictured at the top.

The number of stray dogs and cats in Venezuela is still increasing, but there are a growing number of active, concerned citizens who are connecting with each other and educating the public to help save the animals and give them the loving homes they deserve.

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Venezuelan Sluggers Hit Home New Records

Venezuela has always been one of the best-represented countries in the U.S. Major Leagues. This year, Venezuela stood out for sending even more professional baseball players into MLB at a time when the number of foreign-born players declined overall. Now, the Venezuelans are breaking records.

Making headlines this week for their never-before-seen feats were Francisco Rodriguez (“The Kid,” or “K-Rod”) of the L.A. Angels and Carlos Zambrano (“El Toro,” above) of the Chicago Cubs.

Last Saturday, Rodriguez stunned fans by saving a record number of 58 games for his team to defeat the old record set by Bobby Thigpen nearly two decades ago. Then, on Sunday, Carlos Zambrano pitched a lockout game in which the other side achieved no hits or runs.  Watch a video montage of Zambrano’s “no run no hit” game set to triumphant rock music from the Caracas newspaper, El Universal.

Read more about Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Zambrano, go to MLB.com. For articles in Spanish, click here and here.

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Venezuelan Music Tip: Raising Voices for Peace

Dame Pa’ Matarla is a band based out of Yaracuy that is just starting to gain attention outside of their hometown. They have been frequently seen on the beaches near Chichiriviche, hawking CDs and performing for passersby. Now, they’re giving concerts in Caracas and all around Venezuela. And they have a blog!

We recommend the song, “Alzemos la voz en favor de la paz,” which means, “Let’s raise our voices for peace.” It is a social commentary with a positive message sung in perfect harmony. Watch the video below.

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Venezuela Sends Aid to Haiti Amid Hurricanes

Venezuela has sent 33 tons of water, non-perishable food, medicine, and other supplies to Haiti as the small Caribbean island struggles to recover from a series of four hurricanes. ReliefWeb indicates that the storms Faye, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike have caused 79 reported deaths and displaced 50,000 in Haiti.

President Chavez approved the emergency aid through Venezuela’s National Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Recovery. It arrived in two shipments last weekend. The government also indicated that it would send disaster recovery specialists to Haiti, as well as the “Simon Bolivar” brigade of the armed forces.

Venezuela holds international accords with many nations guaranteeing cooperation in the event of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. Cuba also recently received emergency aid after Hurricaine Gustav, which was the strongest hurricane to hit that country in 50 years.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Venezuela supplied the U.S. with medicine and personnel, donated $2 million to survivors, and gave 1 million barrels of gasoline.

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In Venezuelan Festival, Bodies Become Art

Venezuela recently hosted the 4th annual World Body Art Encounter (Encuentro mundial de arte corporal). Participating in the event were 32 artists from 16 different countries. After a kickoff in Caracas last Friday, the event will tour different parts of the country.

By some accounts, body painting is a practice that dates back hundreds of years in Venezuela. The artist Penelope Rivera from Mexico said, “Venezuela is a country which has a lot of body art with ethnic characteristics, and I think we have to rescue them and integrate them into modern life.”

Check out pictures of the event captured by BBC News. To read more in Spanish,  click here.

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Venezuelan Children’s Book Brings Color to the Blind

A new and innovative children’s book from Venezuela has just come out in English and is delighting U.S. readers both young and old. It is called “The Black Book of Colors” (El libro negro de los colores).

The story, by authors Menena Cotin and Rosana Faria, offers a vibrant description of colors — for example, “red is sour like unripe strawberries and as sweet as watermelon.” Textured pictures and braille make the book thrillingly accessible to young people who are visually impaired.

The School Library Journal calls it “Fascinating, beautifully designed, and possessing broad child appeal, this book belongs on the shelves of every school or public library committed to promoting disability awareness and accessibility.” Want to know more? Check out a Washington Post review, see more pictures, or buy it on Amazon.

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Finding Venezuela’s “Lost World” in Canaima

If you can’t go see the wonders of Venezuela’s “lost world” in Canaima National Park yourself, do the next best thing: watch this video from Public Television’s “Wild Chronicles.”

The five-minute documentary follows a group of Venezuelan biologists and researchers to one of the most delicate and diverse parts of the world to collect specimens. Along the way, they discover a new species of catfish, climb up into the forest canopy to check out plants, and delve into the dark world of bats.

All of this is part of a multi-disciplinary attempt to measure local biodiversity and use that knowledge to create policies for environmental preservation. Venezuela’s wild spaces are home to a vast amount of flora and fauna, a natural patrimony that is definitely worth saving.

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What Will They Think of Next?

Happen to be hanging out in Caracas this September 11th? Well, here’s an idea: you could attend an “Anti-Terrorist Party” at Barra Bar on San Marino Avenue.

The theme is a serious one, as you can see from the poster pictured here. However, the attitude will certainly remain light. Entrance is free for everyone, and guests will enjoy the rhythms of dance music and electronic funk.

Venezuelans sure know how to get down while keeping their spirits up. And because so many Caraqueños have friends and relatives in the Big Apple, it’s no surprise that this city remembers September 11th.

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