Yahoo! April 2, 2001
Chavez's Education Reforms Protested
By Alexandra Olson, Associated Press Writer.
CARACAS, Venezuela 31 (AP) - In the largest protest to date against
President Hugo Chavez's government, thousands of parents, students and teachers
demonstrated against education reforms they say aim to introduce leftist
indoctrination into schools.
Chanting "liberty of education'' and waving banners and Venezuelan
flags, more than 10,000 people gathered in a Caracas plaza Saturday to protest
an agreement with Cuba that brings teachers from the communist island to
train Venezuelan educators. The teachers then work with students until they
reach college age.
The protesters also oppose a plan to send inspectors - hand-picked by top
government officials - to both public and private schools with the power of
recommending the dismissal of teachers and administrators. Critics fear the
government will use the decree to dismiss educators who resist teaching Chavez's
anti-imperialist, anti-corruption, anti-elitist ideology.
The government wants to introduce a course titled "Bolivarian
Ideology,'' a patchwork of vaguely leftist ideals loosely based on the thoughts
of South American independence hero Simon Bolivar.
"Our educators ... are not soldiers who follow the orders of a military
commander. Our teachers are proud owners of their conscience and desire
respectful treatment from the state,'' protest organizer Leonardo Carvajal told
the cheering crowd from a podium.
Protesters carried signs reading "Chavez don't mess with my children''
and "Let us study in freedom.'' One woman's sign read, "I fled Cuba
with my children, will I have to leave Venezuela?''
Similar rallies took place in 20 cities across Venezuela, organizers said.
"We want to preserve the right to choose what values we inculcate in
our children. We cannot accept that the government imposes a doctrine on our
children,'' said Maria Auxiliadora Caraballo, a mother of three.
Chavez denies that he wants to indoctrinate students and argues his reforms
aim to make education more accessible to poor children. Chavez eliminated
registration fees in public schools, allowing thousands more students to attend
class.
He also created 500 pilot programs called "Bolivarian schools'' that
provide public school children with free meals, medical care and eight hours of
classes a day.
Opponents have challenged the decree about inspectors in the Supreme Court.
Chavez has responded to detractors of the education reforms by branding them
"oligarchs.''
A former paratrooper who led a failed coup in 1992, Chavez has radically
reformed Venezuela's politics, replacing the constitution, congress and the
supreme court through democratic elections and referendums.
His so-called "social revolution'' has earned him fanatical adoration
from Venezuela's poor majority, which was fed up with decades of corruption and
economic mismanagement.
But his reformist zeal has seeded deep resentment among the middle and upper
classes, who accuse Chavez of trying to impose authoritarian rule.
Cuban Defector Headed for Bullpen
HOUSTON, 31 (AP) - Danys Baez has been told by the Cleveland Indians that
his future with the organization is in the bullpen.
Baez, 23, will start the season in a relief role at Triple-A Buffalo after a
spring training in which he hit 96 mph several times but had a high ERA.
General manager John Hart said the club has always built its bullpens with
power arms.
"We think he can come real fast in the bullpen,'' Hart said. "His
stuff plays really big in the pen. This could be a quick path for Danys.''
Baez signed a $14.5 million, four-year contract before last season after
defecting from Cuba during the Pan American Games. The Indians outbid several
teams, including the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves for Baez, a star
pitcher on Cuba's national team.
But the 6-foot-3 right-hander has yet to pitch higher than Double-A and
struggled last year.
Silicon valley executives launch Sonrisa Foundation
New Technology Charity Will 'Bridge the Digital Divide in Latin America'
Monday April 2, 7:05 am Eastern Time. Press Release.
SOURCE: Sonrisa Foundation
LOS GATOS, Calif., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonrisa Foundation was launched
today by a group of Silicon Valley executives to provide charitable transfer of
Information Technology to Latin America and the Caribbean. Dedicated to bridging
the "digital divide'' in Latin America, the non-profit corporation partners
with businesses and other charitable organizations to bring technology products,
services and education to economically disadvantaged people. By doing so,
Sonrisa Foundation serve to improve lives, create jobs and foster global trade
"Latin America has an expanding population of more than 435 million
people, and its leaders are aware that the region's 21st century economic growth
is tied to rapid adoption of Internet Business,'' says Dr. Timothy Ashby,
Sonrisa Foundation's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The biggest
barriers to development are low income, poor training, lack of hardware and
software, prohibitive Internet access costs, and unreliable delivery systems.
Sonrisa Foundation's mission is to help overcome these barriers.''
In addition to helping to make the world better through economic
development, companies can realize substantial benefits for contributing
products, services and cash to. Such benefits include significant tax
deductions, reduction of inventory carrying costs and public recognition for
donors interested in opening new markets for their products and services in
Latin America. Sonrisa Foundation is the only charity focused specifically on
Information Technology transfer to the developing world.
"Sonrisa's goal is to help people and communities and not be enmeshed
in politics,'' says Donald Davis, Director of Worldwide Business Development for
Ricoh Silicon Valley. "The foundation is therefore building technology
bridges to deserving people and organizations in Cuba as well as nations
such as Mexico, Argentina and Venezuela.''
"We may provide computers to schools in the poorest regions of Mexico
or technical training to women in Haiti,'' says Sonrisa Foundation's Vice
President Elizabeth Bourget, "giving deserving people a chance to learn
skills that could mean the difference between lifelong poverty and
self-sufficiency. We also work with companies and organizations to organize
educational exchanges and placement of volunteers in communities and schools.''
Sonrisa Foundation is a registered 510 (c)(3) U.S. nonprofit organization
established to provide charitable transfer of technology to Latin America and
the Caribbean. Based in Los Gatos, California, the foundation's web site address
is www.sonrisafoundation.org.
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