Austerity in the UK
In the UK we are told that there is no alternative to austerity and the frozen wages, cuts in local services and benefits that it brings.
In Venezuela, the government has increased spending on health, education and social housing. it reminds us of the UK after the second world war, when the response to a world economic crisis was to invest and build.
Arepa van
A government-run van selling lunch wraps. The government also runs supermarkets to give people basic goods at fair prices.
There is high inflation in Venezuela, and food businesses have hoarded supplies to take advantage of the highest prices they can profit from. The Venezuelan government says that businesses should act responsibly. They must discuss their actions with the government.
Comedor Popular
Like thousands of other dining halls scattered throughout Venezuela, it serves hot nutritious lunches and dinners at a very low price, or for free to those who can’t even afford that. For five bolivars - the equivalent of less than a dollar at the “parallel” currency exchange rate, or about $2.50 at the official rate - you get soup, a main course, rice, a salad, vegetables, yucca or plantain, natural fruit juice, and sometimes dessert. More information: http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4477
Local park
This local park also houses a nursery school, a dentist, a sports centre, a scout group, a music group, and other services for one neighbourhood.
It is one mark of the government’s investment of petrodollars for the benefit of the people.
Cable Car in Mérida
Opened in 2013, the cable car brings people free from the poorer suburb up the hill to Mérida’s centre in under 3 minutes.
It was a journey that before took over an hour and a change of bus, or a climb up steps that only the very fit would dare.
All government investments also bring between 4% and 8% of their value in social projects, which the local community decides and manages through its Community Council. In this case it included business developments at the foot of the cable car. At the top of the cable car the residents did not get organised, perhaps because they included anti-chavistas who did not want to recognise the government programme, and therefore could not receive the social investment. More information: http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/7196
Ciudad Caríbia
This new city perches on the top of hills an hour outside Caracas. It houses some of the refugees from the precarious barrios that have suffered landslides. The city has supermarkets, health centre, market gardens, social institutions, and a Community Council that negotiates with the ministries that provide services to the city. The city was one tenth built in 2013 – it will have a million residents eventually, with industries that intend to make it self-sustaining. More information: http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/6867