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BASSY OF THE BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA IN THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT CONCURRENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN

N° 339

The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela presents its compliments to World Investment News, on the opportunity of informing of the following:

On the 15th of August, President Hugo Chavez Frías, presented to the Venezuelan National Assembly, a Project of a Constitutional Reform that includes 33 of the 350 articles of the National Constitution. The Proposal is directed to introduce adjustments that are indispensable for the strengthening of the Constitutional and Democratic revolution initiated in 1999.

In the face of a backdrop of erroneous interpretations and an international campaign against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, with the participation of powerful media outlets with the intent of disqualifying the constitutional reform proposed, it has become necessary to explain to the international community in a clear and precise manner its real scope, as well as highlighting the multiplicity of aspects present in it which will enrich the Venezuelan Democracy guided by the principles of solidarity and social justice, and through the democratic and protagonist participation of all Venezuelans.

In this regard, we wish to highlight, as a manner of example, the following realities, in order to contain and silence the voices of those who spread false information, in pursuit of their own interests and benefits through the deformation of the truth:

• The Constitutional Reform Project is currently being discussed and debated by the Venezuelan People with the participation of all sectors in the country until its discussion and approval by the National Assembly.

• The Constitutional Reform proposed guarantees political pluralism.

To:
Hon. World Investment News
C/O Esther Posadilla
Executive Director

• The Reform will only will only be enacted if approved by the Venezuelan People through a referendum which will be free, transparent and open to international observation.

• The Constitutional Reform Project recognizes and guarantees private property, contrary to malicious versions that pretend to convey that private property would be abolished

• The Constitutional Reform Project contemplates crucial vindications for workers, that’s had never before been considered, among them a regime of social security for non dependant workers.

• The Constitutional Reform postulates an intermediate, diversified and independent Economic Productive Model, based on humanistic values of cooperation and a preponderance of the common interest over those of individual nature.

• The Central bank of Venezuela (BCV) will continue to participate in the formulation and execution of monetary Policy of the Country, and contrary to the thesis that pretends to portray that the Venezuelan executive power pretends to assume the control of the BCV and the management of international reserves.

• The reform does not contemplate neither perpetual nor for life reelection of the president, but leaves to the will of the people to determine the continuation of the president in power, as it is the case in many countries in the world, including 17 in Europe.

• The Constitutional Reform proposed postulates the promotion of a pluripolar world and the democratization of international relations.

Additional information on the ongoing processes in this crucial phase in the citizenry and democratic live of the Venezuelan People will be circulated subsequently.

The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in thanking for the kind attention to the present information renews to World Investment News, the assurances of its highest esteem and consideration.

Cairo 12th September, 2007

A GLANCE AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROPOSED BY VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ FRIAS

On August 15th, 2007, a new historical milestone was reached in the construction of a new humanist and socialist model by the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. That is the Constitutional Reform process, led by President Hugo Chávez under the principles of solidarity and social justice, through the democratic and protagonist participation of the whole people of Venezuela.

President Hugo Chávez’ proposal aims to:

1. In view of the failure of the capitalistic development model in ensuring a just and optimal distribution of wealth among the people, promote a new economical model with an emphasis on the social and humanistic issues, with the aim of satisfying the necessities of all society with equity and justice. Economical projects must be accompanied of a social and humanist counterpart.

2. Consolidate a participative and protagonist democracy, based on the progressive transfer of power to people. For the benefit of the Venezuelan reality, invent, build and get acquainted with our original people and afro descendant teachings, as Simón Rodríguez, teacher of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, would say.

3. Create awareness of geographic territories and spaces.

For decades, the Neoliberalism ideology imposed the absence of territorial awareness, decentralization at all costs and strategic weaknesses. The Reform intends to reorganize and reconstitute geographical spaces, in order to meet security, defence and development needs, with the prevalence of a humanist view.

4. Encourage suffrage and participation

The protagonist role of popular masses is the root of the process. The Reform intends to expand the means of people’s participation, as well as their protagonist role, by exercising their sovereignty; and for the construction of Socialism. These means constitute the following figures: election of public positions, referenda, popular consultation, mandate revocation, constitutional and constituent legislative initiatives, town meetings, citizens binding assemblies, councils of popular power. The Reform will allow enlarging the Presidential term to seven years; and establishes the President can be re-elected immediately for a new term, leaving it to the will of the People to determine the permanence of the President in power, as it is done in many countries of the world, including 17 European nations

5. Respect Social and Labour Rights

A participative people can not be abandoned. The Reform incorporates non dependent workers to the revolutionary social security for non dependent workers, through the creation of the “Fund for social stability of independent workers”. Likewise, the Reform proposes a substantial and decisive improvement in the quality of life by reducing the working day schedule to six hours.

6. State a New Economic Model

A full social life requires a socialist economy. The Reforms proposes an intermediate, diversified and independent Productive Economic Model, based on humanist values of cooperation and prevalence of common interests over individual interests. The Republic will foster and develop different types of enterprises and economic units of both direct or communal and indirect or state-owned social property; as well as enterprises and economic units of social production and/or distribution, that can be jointly owned by the State, the private sector and the communal power. This will allow creating better conditions for the collective and cooperative construction of a Socialist economy.

The Reform will emphatically forbid the creation of monopolies. Likewise, it establishes the State has the right to reserve the exploitation of natural resources or any other strategic properties of the nation; as well as the provision of vital public services.

7. Establish Public, Social, Collective and Private Properties, among others.

The development of the Socialism of the 21st century demands new types of property. The draft Reform recognizes: 1) public property, belonging to the State; 2) social property, belonging to the whole people and their future generations; 3) collective property, belonging to social groups or persons for common use and enjoyment; 4) mixed property, formed by public, social, collective and private sectors, in different combinations, to get resources or holding activities, always subject to the full respect for economic and social sovereignty of the nation; and 5) private property, owned by natural persons or corporations, it is recognized over goods of use and consumption and production means legally acquired.

8. Preserve the environment as guarantee of life in the planet

The sovereign exercise over the environment must be guaranteed. Our spaces are not a common heritage of international organizations or hegemonic powers. Environment and natural resources are heritage of all Venezuelans for their sustainable use and wellbeing of future generations.

9. Recognise and Promote multiethnic and cultural diversity

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the historical product of the mixture of several cultures. Therefore, the State recognizes the diversity of expressions, and values the indigenous, European and Afro descendant roots that originated our Great South American Nation. Popular cultures: indigenous and afro descendant, who constitute the Venezuelan culture, enjoy special attention, as intercultural views are recognized and respected, under the principle of cultures equality. The law will establish incentives and encouragements for people, institutions and communities that promote, support, develop or finance cultural plans, programmes and activities in the country, as well as the Venezuelan culture abroad.

The key themes of the Constitutional Reform on foreign and international policy aim to:

Promote pluripolarity by democratising international relations, in order to foster an approach of the socialist ethics, based on the principles of equality, solidarity, equity, justice, peace and complementarity. The challenge posed by the construction of a pluripolar world goes beyond multipolarity. The United Nations is the multilateral organization par excellence. Nevertheless, it has been proved, during the time of its functioning, that this organization lacks legitimacy. In the same way, these organizations, under the disguise of multilateralism, hide a real unipolarism view. As a result of this, the pluripolar view must transcend the multipolar view.

Promote and consolidate new forms of integration never thought from the creation of free trade areas with pre-eminence of multinational companies, but mechanisms of political and cultural integration, as the Bolivarian Alternative for The Americas (ALBA), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Petrosur, Petrocaribe, Petroandina, Bank of the South, University of the South, Telesur, Radio Sur; for the construction of a new group of institutions based on a participative democracy, the inclusion of peoples and their participation in international mechanisms.

Peace as a fundamental pillar, as well as the right to legitimate defence, will not be diminished, they will rather be set as principles of internationalisation, jointly proposed with the inclusion of the strategy of the asymmetric war as existent technique to defend the sovereignty of our country. Likewise, the Communal Organization for State Defence and Security will be an issue of the foreign and international policy.

The reform proposed is currently subject to national consultation and will only be approved by the Venezuelan people through a free, transparent referendum open to international observation.

September, 12th, 200