A million and a half Venezuelans are now literate
Using the Robinson Mission Yo sí puedo (I can do it), the Venezuelan government was able to teach to read and write 1,484,543 Venezuelans in two years and a halfThis Friday, October 28, 2005, Venezuela was declared Illiteracy-free territory. The illiteracy rate dropped to less than 1%. According to UNESCO, a country can be declared illiteracy-free when the literacy rate stands below 4%.
In order to celebrate such social advance, Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, signed the degree that sets October 28 as the National Literacy Day. This act took place at the Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas. Among the attendees were the minister of Higher Education; Samuel Moncada, Culture; Farruco Sesto, Energy and Oil; Rafael Ramirez, Education and Sports; Aristobulo Isturiz and Interior and Justice, Jesse Chacon.
Unesco's representative, Maria Luisa Jauregui, was present at the event and she expressed the importance of not only recognizing the political will but also the technical support given by Cuba, the teachers' motivation and the active participation of Venezuela's Armed Forces. Jauregui - who is a sociologist- highlighted the human aspect and the "passion" people put in the task.
Aristobulo Isturiz, Minister of Education and Sports, read the final information and it was complemented by the testimony of five participants of this liberating mission. Finally, 5 teachers -an indigenous person, a military officer, a visually impaired person and a hearing-impaired person -talked about their experiences in the completion of this successful plan.
Ministry of Communication and Information/Translated by Néstor Sánchez Cordero
