Saw this on another forum and thought I'd share: Venezuela Inaugurates First Socialist City

[white_wolf]

"The Venezuelan government, together with the private sector and international partners, is finding creative solutions to the nation’s housing deficit, including the construction of new, communal-oriented cities.Pushing forward with its large-scale public housing program that seeks to construct two million new homes in the next 6 years, the Venezuelan government opened the doors of 602 apartments to needy families in the socialist city of Caribia last weekend.
The delivery represents part of Mission Housing Venezuela, a social program launched earlier this year with the explicit goal of eliminating the Caribbean nation’s housing deficit, estimated at 1.5 million.
“In the future, there will not be a single family that doesn’t have dignified housing like the ones being handed over today in Caribia City”, President Hugo Chavez said during the inauguration ceremony on Saturday."


"Caribia City, a socialist megaproject first conceptualized by Chavez in 2006, is envisioned as a planned, holistic community, complete with schools, health clinics and employment opportunities for its residents.
With the recent birth of Mission Housing Venezuela, the city’s development has been accelerated as the social program incorporates the work of various ministries and building strategies to boost housing availability.
The government is planning a total of 1,400 new homes, totally furnished, to be delivered to residents of the city this year and a total of 20 thousand to be provided in the urban center by 2018."

"“The government’s investment has been 2.9 billion bolivars <$674 million> up to this point and we’re approving another important allocation in order to accelerate the work”, Chavez said of his administration’s financial commitment to the project.
Officials report that each 3 bedroom apartment has a cost of 290 thousand bolivars <$67,000> and is being constructed by a Venezuelan-Cuban enterprise formed under the auspices of the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americans (ALBA) regional block.
Nearly 2,000 Venezuelans have been employed by the project."

More at link: http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/6460

[JanMichael]

1. I applaud the effort!

If only...

[hifiguy]

2. The ALBA is a serious force to be reckoned with

in South America and the Caribbean. It's discussed in "The Shock Doctrine" and Klein points out that it was created to free SA countries from the tyranny of the World Bank and the IMF. Sounds like they're doing good work.

[bvar22]

5. Gaddafi does that for Africa too!

Well, he USED to do that for Africa,
before all the Freedom Bombs.

” For all his dictatorial megalomania, Gaddafi is a committed pan-African - a fierce defender of African unity. Libya was not in debt to international bankers. It did not borrow cash from the International Monetary Fund for any "structural adjustment". It used oil money for social services - including the Great Man Made River project, and investment/aid to sub-Saharan countries. Its independent central bank was not manipulated by the Western financial system. All in all a very bad example for the developing world.”

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MD27Ak01.html

VIVA "Real" Democracy!
I pray we get some here soon!


Solidarity!


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[Mnemosyne]

3. How could this be allowed under such a brutal dictator?!

:sarcasm:

[white_wolf]

4. I expect that particular smear to be spread even more if this is a success.

The right can't tolerate any success of socialism.

[arcane1]

6. What sort of shit is this from that damned "strongman"??

:sarcasm:


The more I've learned and read over time, the more I conclude that South America is decades ahead of us when it comes to the whole democracy thing. I suspect it's because we haven't spent the past few centuries being completely fucked over by other countries. We spent that time on our lazy asses enjoying the benefits of the fucking-over.

[white_wolf]

7. Pretty much.