This report is based on a survey of 1,400 people affected by conflict and displacement in eight countries, and more detailed surveys and needs assessment in a total of 14 countries. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) research found that these communities have suffered widespread loss of income since the pandemic …
Bolivian President Evo Morales recently signed a pact with the heads of Cuba and Venezuela in Havana to endorse a trade alternative to the us- backed free trade. Bolivia joined the group
Indians from western Venezuela demanded a halt to coal mining in their region and called government efforts to formalize their ownership of ancestral lands a "fraud'. The protesters said three mines were set to go into production despite a pledge by President Hugo Chavez to revoke mining concessions which damage …
The residents of La Sierra de Perija, in the oil producing state of Zulia in west Venezuela, recently launched a strong protest opposing coal mining in the area. The Bar
Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez has made a momentous move towards justice and prosperity for the country's rural poor. He recently signed a new rule on land reform that aims to do away with giant estates controlled by a handful of rich people. Labelling the pattern of land ownership in the …
In a recent recall referendum the people of Venezuela reaffirmed their faith in President Hugo Chavez. As a token of gratitude Chavez vowed to step up certain agricultural reforms. However, the "revolutionary' social policy, like many others before it, promises to generate more controversy than good. The government plans to …
• Argentina's education ministry has kicked off a unique project called "When You Read, You Always Win'. Organised with the support of the Argentine Football Association, local football clubs, publishing houses and the print media, the initiative is designed to encourage people to read, and to curb violence in stadiums. …
South America's largest freshwater turtle, the Arrau, is facing extinction. To ensure survival of the species, Venezuelan activists have resorted to raising hatchlings in captivity before liberating them in the wild. The numbers of the Arrau turtle (Podocnemis expansa) have been facing a steep decline as they have been hounded …
It might sound bizarre, but is true. Venezuela's electric clocks are ticking slowly due to power shortage. The sluggish timepieces miss every midnight by 150 seconds. "The computers are not affected. The televisions function normally. No other devices, but the clocks are affected,' said Miguel Lara, general manager of the …
biopiracy by commercial enterprises in recent years has robbed the indigenous Venezuelan communities in the Amazonian forests of their traditional medicinal resources. To counter this imminent threat faced by these communities, the Venezuelan authorities have devised a unique scheme. Titled the BioZulua project, the scheme will document data about medicinal …
Hundreds of people are suffering from a lethal form of dengue fever in Venezuela. According to officials, more than 24,364 cases of the disease have been reported this year
Lake Maracaibo, South America's largest lake, has been severely polluted because of careless discharge of sewage and chemicals. "The toxic level is incalculable and practically irreversible,' says Jos
An indefinite strike by 7,000 public sector doctors is causing immense distress to the Venezuelan people who have already been facing the brunt of declining health care services for the last decade. The most affected are the poor, who depend on subsidised medical services provided in the government-run hospitals. The …
The Worldwide Fund for Nature (wwf) has identified Venezuela's Canaima National Park as part of its innovative Global 200 system. Global 200 initiative aims to encourage a more holistic view of environmental challenges. Canaima forms part of the Guyanan highlands forest and freshwater ecosystems, which spread into Brazil and Guyana …
Malaria cases in Venezuela are poised to jump by more than a third next year. Researchers studying statistics covering nearly half a century say that a steep rise in malaria cases always follows after an El Ni
The Venezuelan government has decided against granting new mining concessions in the disputed Imataca forest reserve, one of the prime gold and diamond mining areas in the country. It will now await the decision of the Supreme Court in this regard. "It is a temporary and a precautionary measure,' said …
An earthquake that struck the north-eastern coast of Venezuela on July 10 left at least 46 people dead, 162 injured, and more than 500 families homeless. Most of the deaths occurred in the small coastal town of Cariaco, about 470 km east of Caracas, where two school buildings collapsed killing …
OIL exploration by foreign companies in the Orinoco river's delta has invited criticism from environmentalists and native Indians. The natives are concerned that these activities will ' damage their fishing and hunting grounds. Foreign oil companies, including Enron, British Petroleum (BP) and Conoco, have tied up with the state-owned Petroleos …
