The Spanish News Agency, EFE, has just published this story, driving another nail into the lies and manipulations of the radical anti-chavez and anti-Venezuelans sections of the private mass media.

Critical poverty falls 6.4% to 10.4% in Venezuela

Critical poverty has fallen by 6.4% in Venezuela in the last year and currently affects 10.4% of the population, according the National Statistics Institute (INE)

Levels of non-critical poverty also fell from 42.9% to 33.9% according the INE, compared to 55.9% in 2003 after the fascist organized civil strike and oil industry sabotage which cost Venezuela around US$30 billion in lost oil and industrial production, as well as producing 700,000 job losses in two months.

The INE specified that in the chapter on critical poverty people are included whose income does not cover the cost of the basic food basket, and in the part covering poverty in general, those people whose incomes do not cover the combined cost of the food basket and basic services.

Elías Eljuri, INE president, confirmed that the methodology used to measure poverty levels is the same as the one used in the rest of the countries in the region.

Eljuri also pointed out that at the beginning of Chavez’ mandate in February 1999, critical poverty affected 21% of the population and non-critical poverty 43.9%

He also emphasized that the measures used do not include the positive impact of government social programs improving the quality of life of the poor.

In this context he quoted that the Bolivarian schools provide meals for more than one million children, and that the food kitchens attend 900,000 persons on a daily basis. In addition, the Barrio Adentro health mission gives free health care to approximately 15 million Venezuelans.

http://www.unionradio.net/Noticias/Noticia.aspx?noticiaid=180352

Despite ongoing media campaigns ignoring such news both in the US and Venezuela, these results are an example of how social programs can work and bring spectacular results in just three years. This depends on the political will of the government to channel much needed funds into the historically excluded sections of society.

Politically these results will reinforce Chavez’ bid for reelection in December and most certainly strengthen the Comando Miranda’s door to door campaign to the detriment of the other 22 candidates postulated for the elections.

Andy Goodall - VSC Coordinator