Mineros de Bolivar receive humanitarian aid in July
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
More than 200 special old-age pensions were awarded to miners for older persons in Ciudad Bolivar and La Paragua by the Venezuelan Institute of Social Security

Carli Barreto Noriega
Photo: Richard Vera

Alfredo Villanueva "11 thousand miners working in the various mines of Bolivar state finally receive humanitarian aid offered for two years by the first national representative, after adhere to the process of converting mining," said Alfredo Villanueva, representative miner. The achievement obtained by Guyanese miners emerged after months of fighting and a lot of discussion with the relevant authorities on the subject of conversion socioproductiva. Final approval of payment was approved at a meeting held last Friday June 6 with representatives of the National Assembly and the Mibam in Caracas. "Not only succeeded in engaging the bodies referred to expedite this process, but also raise the need to increase the amount of money approved for that purpose," said Villanueva.


The increase requested by the miners is 5 bolivars thousand strong, implying that the national government compensate the 10,799 workers registered by 15 thousand strong bolivars. Coupled with this, are asking them some credit approved to become smaller and medium-sized businesses in areas where the benefit they see fit.

Delivery gradual

The money will be received from July 1 this year and will be the payment for the loss of machinery or for having left without any exercise lucrative work for their upkeep. "His delivery is so gradual, as the authorities checked the benefit of census data, thus ensuring that the real miners are receiving aid and not unscrupulous people who want to take advantage of the situation," said Alfredo Villanueva.

Likewise, reported to be carried out in cadastres new mining areas in the region with the aim of including those miners who lost their machines and has not been benefited by the conversion socioproductiva.

More visitors

Among the scheduled visits is that the commission will conduct a Mibam next week to the sector of La Paragua. It will be headed by Joseph Khan and will conduct a series of ads, including "Concerning the increase in line oriented to achieve debt repayment not only economic but moral with the small mining sector," pointed out.