Newsletter3

The Weekly

Ministry of People’s Bolivarian Government Power for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela Office of the Deputy Minister for Africa

Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Kenya Concurrent to Rwanda,Uganda, Tanzania and Somalia

Permanent Mission of Venezuela to the United Nations Environment programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat).

Vol. 3: Issue3, 23rd January, 2017

NEWSletter Venezuela

Place: Playa Grande Henri Pittier National Park Aragua State

Maduro ratifies importance of convening summit of Heads of State of OPEC and non-OPEC countries The president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, received the Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Mohammed Barkindo, in Miraflores this Monday with the purpose of exchanging visions on the behavior of the world market of oil.

During the meeting, in which the Chancellor Delcy Rodríguez participated; The Minister of Peoples Power for the Office and Follow-up of Government Management, Carmen Meléndez and the Minister of Peoples Power for Petroleum, Nelson Martínez, analyzed the achievements of the agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC countries, and their Positive impact in the stability and progressive recovery of oil prices.

"We have been reviewing the path we are going through and the key moments for an agreement that is historic, an agreement never seen before that has allowed us to become

partners to OPEC countries a relation that we have had since 1960 with non-OPEC producing countries of great importance, including the Russian Federation," said the Venezuelan President during a press conference at the close of the meeting. also

Maduro recalled that the alliance includes the creation of a

Inside This Issue 1. Maduro ratifies importance of convening summit of Heads of State of OPEC and non-OPEC countries

3. G77 + China reject US decision to renew unilateral sanctions against Venezuela.

4. Venezuela assumes G77 + China presidency

Committee for Monitoring and Coordination, at the ministerial level, consisting of five countries of the Organization, including the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela through the Minister of Peoples Power for Petroleum, Nelson Martínez .

At the meeting, the Venezuelan President emphasized the "urgent need" to convene a summit of OPEC and non-OPEC countries at the level of 1

5. Bolivarian energy diplomacy, strategic vision for development

6. Venezuela recognized in spain for Internationalizing tourism 7. Venezuela delivers its own housing mission

8. Promoting the

unknown about Africa

Heads of State and Government in the first quarter of 2017.

"To take the steps at the highest level of Heads of State and Government in accordance with this plan to stabilize the market with realistic and fair prices for 10, 15, 20 years to stabilize and replenish investments because there has been a lag of Investments, there have been losses for countries and public and private companies," said Maduro OPEC as an energy stability factor.

The Venezuelan head of state highlighted the role of OPEC in world energy stability. "The projections are that between oil and gas, for many years, they will occupy 50% of the world's energy consumption matrix, OPEC has been a factor of great economic, financial and energy stability in the world In the 56 years that it has existed. " In that context, he stressed that the agreement reached between the countries of the oil bloc and other major oil producers is one of the bases of the new global geopolitics for the world's energy, economic, financial and political stability.

In addition, the Bolivarian Dignitary announced the commitment of "a road map" aimed at consolidating the Committee for Monitoring and Coordination of the OPEC and non-OPEC countries, "to initiate the consultation of the pertinence, the date and the place of the OPEC historical summit and non OPEC.” For his part, the Secretary General of OPEC expressed his deep gratitude for the leadership shown by President Nicolás Maduro, without which the agreements would not have been possible.

Barkindo recalled the complexities experienced by the oil market in recent years and their repercussions on the world economy. "No OPEC and non-OPEC oil producing country can say that it has been on the sidelines and has not suffered the consequences of the situation we have experienced in these years."

In turn, he welcomed the agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC that laid the foundations "of a platform to achieve the stability of world market prices."

He also praised the creation of the OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Coordination Committee to ensure the implementation of the agreement.

In this regard, he underlined the "very broad" responsibility of Venezuela to ensure the proper functioning of the Committee, through the Minister of Petroleum, Nelson Martínez.

Members of the oil bloc agreed to cut 1.2 million barrels per day (MBD) from January 1, while countries like Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, 4,000; Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan and South Sudan pledged to reduce 558,000 barrels per day to set a global cut above 1.7 MBD in 2017.

The production cut-off agreement, which came into effect on 1 January and will be extendable for six months, represents the second reduction of pumping applied by OPEC in the last eight years. www.avn.info.ve 2

G77+ China reject US decision to renew unilateral sanctions against Venezuela.

Statement by the group of 77+China in rejection of the recent decision of the Government of the United States to renew their unilateral penalties against the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela The Group of 77 and China reiterates its rejection to the latest decision of the Government of the United States of America to renew its unilateral sanctions against the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on January 13th 2017, under the Executive Order signed by President Barack Obama, which declares "a national emergency with respects to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in Venezuela".

We reaffirm, at the same time, the Declaration adopted at the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Group of 77 held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra that firmly rejects the imposition of laws and regulations with extraterritorial impact and all other forms of coercive economic measures, including unilateral sanctions, against developing countries.

The Group of 77 and China deplores these measures and reiterates its firm support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In this regard, the Group of 77 and China emphasizes the need to respect international law, including the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration of Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

The G-77 and China underlines the positive contribution of Venezuela to the strengthening of South-South Cooperation, solidarity and friendship among all peoples and nations, with a view to promoting peace and development.

The Group of 77 and China conveys its solidarity and support to the Venezuelan Government affected by these measures which do not contribute, in any way, to the spirit of political and economic dialogue and understanding among countries. To the same extent, we urge the international community to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures against any State, in particular, developing countries.

The G-77 and China calls upon the Government of the United States to evaluate and implement alternatives for a dialogue with the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, under the principle of respect to sovereignty and self-determination of the peoples. Therefore, it urges to repeal the aforementioned Executive Order.

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www.mre.gov.ve

Venezuela takes over G77 + China Presidency at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela took over the Presidency of the G77+China at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in Rome on January the 18th, 2017.

wounds of the world, In order to seek healing, which is what I am sure we all want. " He also recalled the potential of the G77+China in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, which accounts for more than 70% of the world population and 72% of the population in Age of work.

At the opening ceremony, FAO Director-General for Programs Daniel Gustafson thanked Venezuela for assuming responsibility for a group that was characterized by the solidarity of its members and the joint work with the organization.

The official ceremony culminated in the exchange of certificates and the handing over of the plaque by the Venezuelan Ambassador to the outgoing President of G77+China, the representative of Bangladesh, Mr. Mafizur Rahmad. The G77+ China is a group of 134 developing countries that reaffirm their common purposes for the unity, solidarity, equity and self-determination of peoples.

ElĂ­as Eljuri, Venezuela's ambassador to FAO , said that our country will remain committed to the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, because still 793 million people are at a disadvantage with respect to the amount of energy worldwide. He also reaffirmed that Venezuela remains committed to the common challenges of the South.

Eljuri recalled the validity and pertinence of President Hugo ChĂĄvez's speech on the occasion of the presidency of the G77+China in 2002; He said that "there is talk of peace and attacks against innocent people, talk of development and sinking millions in misery. I think it is time to speak without fear of the truths of the world, the pains of the world and the

Currently, Venezuela also holds the presidency of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries (NAM), consolidating it and placing it in a leading position in the international sphere. www.mre.gob.ve

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The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela energy diplomacy, strategic vision for development The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez Gómez called the Venezuelan oil management an "indissoluble" strategy that has been the focus of imperial centers to use as a political weapon.

producers, never before had an agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC countries, have a very important historical dimension," said Rodríguez .

She said that "without a doubt, the action of the Foreign Ministry is linked to energy diplomacy, which is to accompany the actions of the Head of State in direct actions for the recovery of oil prices."

To protect this historic agreement and ensure its implementation, the Venezuelan diplomat announced that a new campaign is under way that will safeguard the agreement before the pretensions of "political, economic and financial enemies."

"Oil is in all the geopolitical action of the energy markets and the world economy."

She recalled the differences that have existed between the United States and allied countries such as Russia, Iran and Venezuela, which do not bow to the interests and pretensions of imperial policies that seek to destabilize the development of the people.

President Nicolas Maduro called for a Summit of Heads of State of OPEC and non-OPEC to discuss "the new formula for protecting oil prices aimed at strengthening the stability of the energy market and the world economy."

Faced with this situation, the Chancellor highlighted the fundamental role of the political actions of the Government of Venezuela. On December 10th, with the support of the (OPEC) and non-OPEC member countries, signed an agreement to protect, stabilize and defend the operability and commercialization of oil in the world.

"without a doubt, the

www.mre.gov.ve

action of the Foreign Ministry is linked to energy diplomacy, which is to accompany the actions of the Head of State in direct actions for the recovery of oil prices.

"President Chávez was already looking for this, an agreement between the major oil

"

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VENEZUELA IS RECOGNIZED IN SPAIN FOR INTERNATIONALIZING TOURISM The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was recognized in Spain and was merited with a Tourism Medal for achieving internationalization of tourism. Marleny Contreras, the minister of this portfolio, said through her profile on Twitter during the 20th Ibero-American Conference of Ministers and Entrepreneurs of Tourism, which takes place in Madrid until January 22nd. ‘‘On behalf of Venezuela, it is an honor to receive this medal of recognition for the internationalization of tourism,’’ the minister said, along with a video showing the moment when she received the award.

The Medal of Merit of Tourism is the highest recognition awarded in Spain to tourism professionals, institutions, companies and individuals, national or foreign, who carry out outstanding work in the area of innovation, promotion or internationalization to enhance the sector.

Only in 2016, Venezuela inaugurated the Mukumbarí Cable Car System, in Mérida State, which is the longest and highest in the world; In addition to opening the doors of the University of Tourism, in the State of Anzoátegui, and develop the Ecotourism Boulevard El Agua, in Nuevor Esparta.

Venezuela has also made 11 editions of the International Tourism Fair in Venezuela (FITVEN), which has made it possible to focus on the efforts that position the country as a multidiverse destination. www.avn.info.ve 6

Venezuela manages to deliver houses to 1.4 million families As part of the housing policy of the Bolivarian Government to defend access to housing, the President also announced the increase of the maximum amounts of loans for the acquisition and improvement of housing, through the Fund for Housing Economics of the country Workers.

President Nicolás Maduro said that the Bolivarian Revolution will redouble its work with the power of the people to strengthen the social protection of the people against unconventional attacks by sectors of the Right in recent years.That is why this Thursday the Head of State led a day of delivery of new housing of the Great Housing Mission of Venezuela (GMVV) and announced new actions that favor Venezuelans.

"People have housing because they have a revolutionary government and do not depend on anyone to have housing. They are policies that complement the way of life and the housing policy that is part of the Great Housing Mission Venezuela," he said.

"We are going to heal together the social wounds that the economic war has left; only the Revolution can do it. We have to work very hard," said Maduro during the ceremony of delivery of 256 apartments in Ciudad Bicentenaria, located in Santa Teresa Del Tuy Miranda State.

He also reported that GMVV plans to build a total of 27,000 homes this year to teachers in the country. "I approved, talking to the Minister of Education Elías Jaua, a plan for the teaching sector. This year we will directly build 27,000 homes for teachers, as a basic goal," he said.

In this town planning project 1,400,000 GMVV housing was delivered. The housing program that was initiated and created

by Commander Hugo Chavez in 2011 has as a goal to deliver 640,000 new homes this year.

Maduro also announced a new phase of the Homeless Mission, which will begin in Los Valles del Tuy, Miranda state, starting next week, with the aim of continuing to serve Venezuelan families.

"Despite the guarimbas and the economic war, nothing or nobody has stopped us or anything and nobody will stop me in this path of Revolution," he stressed.

Regions During the event, 144 houses were delivered in the municipality of Palavecinos, Lara state, with the objective of delivering 53,913 dignified ceilings in this entity. While in the municipality of San Francisco, Zulia state, 20 families received the keys to their homes, and a total of 30 new houses were delivered on Thursday to the same number of families in the community of Guanaguana, Piar municipality of Monagas state.

He pointed out that the National Government released the milestone 1.4 million homes despite the economic war on the right and the situation caused by the 87% deficit of foreign exchange earnings, due to the sale of oil.

"The fall of international oil prices forced us to do more with less, to do much with little," he said, adding that with 87% fewer resources the Bolivarian Revolution has built double the number of houses in the history of Venezuela."

Likewise, the Head of State approved a total of 9,500 million bolivars for the State of Miranda to advance projects of water supply to the inhabitants of Cristóbal Rojas, Independencia, Paz Castillo, Simón Bolívar and Tomás Lander.Among the projects, Maduro said, is completion of the construction of eight shallow basins, continued drilling of new wells and rehabilitation of existing ones, replacement of 400 meters of 20-inch steel pipes, among others.

He also ratified that despite all the destabilizing and coup attempts of sectors of the right, the National Government continues to protect the population through social policies such as the GMVV. "No one will turn the house into merchandise," President Maduro said, referring to the law of privatization that the majority of the opposition tried to implement in Parliament last year.

www.avn.info.ve

Decent families In the act, President Maduro said that only the state of Miranda managed to raise the social program to more than 164 thousand decent homes and also announced that the Government plans to build and repair a total of 170,983 homes.

Likewise, he announced that the Great Mission Barrio Nuevo, Barrio Tricolor established as goal for this 2017 to rehabilitate 650,000 houses throughout the national territory.

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KENYA:

RWANDA:

PROMOTING THE UNKNOWN ABOUT AFRICA

UGANDA: TANZANIA: SOMALIA:

Developing Uganda’s first car manufacturing plant

Grad student aims to use education in Ugandan electric car project

which aims to transform the country to a middle-income country by that year. KMC is set to start production in 2018, attempting to produce about 60,000 cars and create more than 2,000 jobs in Uganda each year.

“You walk up to a dealership and buy a car, (but) there is no automotive manufacturing plant (in Uganda),” Kibalama said. “That is the emerging market that KMC is looking to capture.”

Dennis Kibalama poses with a car at Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research. An Ohio State engineering student is striving to create a brighter future for his home country by helping develop Uganda’s first car manufacturing plant.

Dennis Kibalama, a second-year graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, is working on clean energy vehicle projects for Ugandan startup Kiira Motors Corporation.

“My personal goal would be to see a vehicle on the road and make sure that vehicle is not just functional, but also state of the art,” Kibalama said.

“Just seeing something you created on the road is like you give birth and then you have a baby grow up.”

Established in 2014, KMC is taking part in a presidential economic initiative in Uganda, Vision 2040,

KMC is designed the first manufacturer for electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and solar-powered busses not only in Uganda, but also Africa as a whole. KMC’s product line will include pickup trucks, SUVs, sedans and buses. Kibalama said KMC is not only a car-production company, but also a mechanism to connect the Ugandan government with the people to stimulate domestic demand and boost the local economy.

The Kiira Motors Corporation developed from the Kiira EV, a student-based vehicle design project. Kibalama joined the Kiira EV as an undergraduate in Uganda. He then came to OSU, where he found the opportunity to work with OSU’s Center for Automotive Research on the EcoCAR program, a national green technology competition.

“In the EcoCAR team, they are very much doing the same thing that Kiira is trying to do,” said Shawn Midlam-Mohler, an associate professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering and faculty adviser for the EcoCAR team. “(Kibalama) was on the front line of the whole process, working with the team of 30 to 40 people.”

Kibalama said he is looking forward to taking what he’s learned at OSU and applying it in Uganda. “Even though (KMC) is not in production right now, 10 years down the road there will be something that you are researching right now that needs to be applied in the future,” Kibalama said. www.thelantern.com 8