Posted in Sports, tagged baseball, detroit tigers, magglio ordonez, major league baseball, MLB, Sports, venezuela, venezuelan baseball players on June 30, 2008|
A favorite Venezuelan baseball player, Magglio Ordonez, will be out of the game for 2 weeks after he pulled a muscle.
The injury occurred on Saturday, when his team, the Detroit Tigers, beat the Colorado Rockies 7-6.
He told the press, “I’ll be back when I’m ready.” Get well soon, Magglio!
Posted in Arts & Culture, tagged Art, caracas, culture, florida, History, latin american culture, Latin American history, Travel, Venezuelan History, venezuelan independence, venezuelan traditions on June 27, 2008|
Venezuelans know their history. This fact is emphasized in a Florida Times-Union column today that describes a guided visit to a mural in Caracas that depicts many aspects of the past. The author was hosted by Global Exchange, which does “reality tours” in Latin America.
Here is an excerpt: “It begins with pictures of its original inhabitants, the Arawak, Carib and Chibcha Indians, to depictions of Spanish conquistadors and African slaves. There were depictions of icons like Simon Bolivar, who led Venezuela in gaining its independence from Spain, as well as scenes of poverty and other modern day challenges. … What got to me, though, was how the art drew so many people off the streets and into a conversation.”
Does the mural sound familiar? It can be seen outside of the Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas. Or just look closer — its beautiful imagery is pictured on the header of this blog.
Posted in Arts & Culture, Society & Politics, tagged classical music, culture, development, el sistema, gustavo dudamel, gustavo the great, Hugo Chavez, Jose Antonio Abreu, Los Angeles Philharmonic, music, music education, news, poverty, simon bolivar youth orchestra, venezuela, Venezuelan culture, venezuelan government, venezuelan music on June 26, 2008|
By now, you’ve surely heard of Venezuela’s renowned music program “El Sistema,” which gives young children from poor families an opportunity to learn how to play classical music. The program is 30 years old, and currently reaches quarter of a million students. It is also having a big impact around the world.
Here is a roundup of articles you may have missed:
The Associated Press writes that Venezuela’s youth orchestra program has turned the country into “a powerhouse for producing talented musicians.” The prime example is conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who will head the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009. “‘El Sistema’ has given me everything. It gave me the possibility of having a path in life with music,” he said.
Reuters notes that rich countries like the U.S. and and UK are “lining up” to imitate the Venezuelan program. Hundreds of thousands of children in Venezuela have sidestepped a life of poverty and crime through the free education, so why not try it elsewhere? L.A. and Baltimore are developing similar youth orchestras.
Wired Magazine opines that, regardless of what people think about President Chavez, nothing can touch the shining example of his state-funded music education program. The heavy investments in poverty relief and human development indeed show that Venezuela has its priorities straight.
The New York Times reports that Venezuela is testing the peaceful techniques of “El Sistema” in prisons across the country. Here, “budding musicians include murderers, kidnappers, thieves and… dozens of “narcomulas,” or drug mules, as small-scale drug smugglers are called.” If the attempt to humanize jails works out, prison reform in Venezuela may also set the standard for other nations.
Posted in Nature & Environment, Society & Politics, tagged bbc, Cuba, development, eco-friendly design, environment, environmentalism, housing, James Ingham, oil, Petrocasas, poverty, venezuela, venezuela anti-poverty effort on June 25, 2008| 1 Comment »
We love petrocasas, the eco-friendly houses that are taking poor families out of the crumbling barrios in Venezuela and also in Cuba.
That’s why this new coverage from BBC News is so exciting!
The petrocasas program is setting new standards for how developing countries can address poverty and related housing issues in a way that is affordable and effective. Not only that, but petrocasas are far better for the environment than hodgepodge slums are. They are made from recycled waste generated by oil refining!
BBC correspondent James Ingham reports. Click here to watch.
Posted in Nature & Environment, Society & Politics, tagged agriculture, cooperatives, farming, food, food crisis, food security, food supply, land reform, venezuela on June 20, 2008|
Now here is something that is good for the economy and the environment.
Idle estates in rural Venezuela are being used for small-scale agricultural production by local farming cooperatives. This is a result of a program of land reform that has benefited over 100,000 families. The cooperatives have helped poor and previously landless communities become powerful producers of items such as beef, dairy products, grains, and vegetables.
Many cooperative members are aware that their work is helping offset a food crisis that threatens poor communities all around the world. They know how much Venezuela relies on imported goods, and have taken an active role in ensuring that local supples are available. Read a great IPS article here.
Posted in Society & Politics, The Region, tagged democracy, Fernando Lugo, latin america, oil, paraguay, politics, venezuela, venezuela oil on June 19, 2008|
Paraguay’s President elect, former Bishop Fernando Lugo, visited Caracas yesterday to meet with President Chavez. We can probably expect to see lots of cooperation between Venezuela and Paraguay once Lugo is sworn in in August.
Amazingly, Paraguay spent the last 60 years under one-party rule. With the election of Lugo last April 20th, the country voted to renew democracy.
Read about yesterday’s meeting between Chavez and Lugo here (in English) or here (Spanish).
Oh — and did you hear? Venezuela will produce more oil.
Posted in Society & Politics, tagged banking, banks, development, economic development, lending, micro-lending, microfinance, poverty, venezuela, venezuela anti-poverty effort, venezuelan economy on June 18, 2008|
In Venezuela, going to the bank is getting easier for people who live in low-income neighborhoods.
The government is pushing financial institutions nationwide to open up in areas that historically lacked access to banking. Small loans are being given out in these areas, which are hotbeds of entrepreneurship.
The technique of microfinance, as it is known in development lingo, has for many years been practiced by government lending agencies such as the Banco de Desarrollo (the development bank known as BANDES) and Banco de la Mujer (the women’s bank, BANMUJER). Micro-lending has been an important part of Venezuela’s anti-poverty effort.
Venezuela continues to experience high rates of economic growth and consumer activity. Small businesses open up every day. Now, the poor may stand to benefit more as the private banks catch on and capture the market for financial services. Read more here.
Posted in Sports, tagged baltimore orioles, baseball, major league baseball, MLB, oscar salazar, Sports, venezuela, Venezuela baseball, venezuelan baseball players on June 17, 2008|
Oscar Salazar of Maracay, Venezuela, is earning a reputation as a strong infielder and powerhouse hitter with the Baltimore Orioles.
His success was not always a sure thing, though.
Salazar debuted in Major League Baseball in 2002, but only lasted eight games with the Detroit Tigers. He tried his luck in the Mexican leagues, and, with no other offers, took one last shot at a career in baseball in Italy.
That’s where Salazar really put in his time. “”You have to be patient… When you go to Italy, you can’t go over there and say ‘play and have fun.’ You’ve got to go over there and work,” he said.
It paid off, and Salazar became the best hitter in the Italian leagues. Back in Venezuela, he caught the attention of an Orioles scout. Now, he is helping them win games.
“It’s a reminder to our group… You cannot let anyone tell you you can’t do anything,” said Orioles Manager Dave Tremblay. Credit: Washington Post.
Posted in Arts & Culture, tagged Art, artists, culture, Jesus Soto, latin america, latin american culture, venezuela, Venezuelan Art, Venezuelan arts, Venezuelan culture on June 16, 2008|
If you’ve been to the Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas, and if when you were there you got tangled in a mess of plastic strands that looks like the underside of a yellow jellyfish, you’ve probably heard about Jesús Soto. He is Venezuela’s most famous modern artist.
Venture further into inland Venezuela, and you can visit the Museo de Arte Moderno Jesús Soto in Ciudad Bolivar, the capital of Soto’s home state of Bolivar.
Kinetic art — art that moves — is Soto’s forte. Installations like the one in Caracas are called “penetrables.” Visitors can walk through them, getting lost in a mesmerizing sea of cords that hang from above. Rather than disorienting, the experience is peaceful and fun. Some of the “penetrables” look like solid spheres hanging in the air, but when approached are similarly airy.
Jesús Soto’s legacy in Venezuela is huge. He found a way to interpret the styles and principles of modernism in a way that is uniquely Venezuelan. Find out more on his website.
Posted in Society & Politics, The Region, tagged agriculture, environment, food, food crisis, food security, food supply, politics, rice, venezuela, venezuelan government on June 13, 2008|
Venezuela is upping investments in agriculture in response to concerns about food supplies that are part of a rising global crisis.
Agriculture Minister Elias Jaua announced plans on Tuesday for a 20% increase in the production of food crops including cereals, rice, corn, and sorghum. The transformation is dramatic in the area of soy farming: while Venezuela produced barely any soy in the past, today it is planting nearly 100,000 acres.
Subsidies in all areas of agriculture are set to rise. This policy was announced Wednesday, and is expected to give farmers a boost. The state has also recently purchased dairy farms in order to ensure that local and affordable supplies are available to communities. Want to see for yourself? Check out this “reality tour” by Global Exchange.
You may already know that food security is at the top of the regional agenda these days. When leaders met last month, Venezuela began a $100 million fund to offset shortages in the poorest countries.
Posted in Society & Politics, tagged alvaro uribe, Colombia, colombia captives, colombia hostages, Colombian border, Farc, hostage release, Hugo Chavez, peace, peace in colombia, politics, President Chavez, venezuela on June 12, 2008|
After Venezuela’s President Chavez said last Sunday during a weekly televised address that Colombia’s FARC guerrillas should lay down their arms and release all hostages, positive reactions are being heard from around the globe.
French Foreign Minister Pascale Andréani said that Chavez’s words may help restart the humanitarian effort in which Venezuela has been a key player. That initiative led to the negotiated release of six captives earlier this year (pictured above).
In Colombia, President Uribe also welcomed Chavez’s message of peace, as did Cesar Gaviria, a former president who attempted to broker a peace agreement between the FARC, paramilitaries, and the military.
Representatives in the U.S. also approved of the statements. Some call them a “reversal,” but others point out that Chavez’s call for the end of armed conflict in Colombia is not new. Read more here about his consistent calls for peace.
Posted in Arts & Culture, The Region, tagged cinema city, film, hollywood, naomi campbell, roman chalbaud, sean penn, tim robbins, venezuela, venezuelan directors, Venezuelan film, Venezuelan movies, villa del cine on June 11, 2008|
Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Naomi Campbell… Hollywood just cannot resist the charms of Venezuela!
The Academy Award- winning U.S. actor and director Tim Robbins visited yesterday, scouting a location for a film.
Robbins was particularly interested in seeing Coro, the desert-like peninsula that juts out into the ocean from the northern state of Falcón.
He also made the requisite visit to Cinema City (la Vllla del Cine) to see Venezuela’s government-funded, state-of-the-art movie facilities. In addition to watching sneak previews of some of the films that are currently in production at Cinema City, Robbins met Venezuelan directors Román Chalbaud, Carlos Caridad-Montero, Alfredo Hueck, and Laura Vásquez.
Venezuela World 