Military Operations Begin on Venezuela’s Western Border to Fight Drug Trafficking

Venezuela has announced the expansion of military operations along its western border in order to fight drug trafficking and protect a recently discovered reserve of coltan from illegal mining. In what is titled Operation Blue Gold, 15,000 Air Force,...

Venezuela’s National Statistics Institute Reports That Poverty in Venezuela has Reduced By 22.6% Since President Chavez Took Office

The president of Venezuela’s National Statistics Institute (INE), Elias Eljuri, has announced that poverty in Venezuela has been reduced by 22.6% since President Hugo Chavez took office. “Poverty has been dropping in an important manner over...

Venezuelan Government to Shore Up Ailing Aluminum Industry

Venezuela’s minister of basic industries and mining, Rodolfo Sanz, announced last week that the state will inject more than 213 million bolivars (nearly US $100 million) into four majority state-owned aluminum companies in the southeastern state...

Venezuela’s Education Minister Clarifies New Education Law

In response to a Venezuelan opposition-led media campaign to convince people that the Education Law under discussion in the Venezuelan National Assembly will permit the government to arbitrarily take custody of children, Education Minister Hector Navarro...

Venezuelan Government to Nationalize Country’s Largest Gold Mine Las Cristinas

By 2009, the Venezuelan government plans to nationalize the Las Cristinas gold mine, which is estimated to have the largest gold deposits in the country and is currently conceded to the Canadian company Crystallex, the Minister of Basic Industries and...