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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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, [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

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 [...]

Read Full Post »