Venezuela Launches New Missions To Fight Poverty

President Nicolas Maduro announced Thursday that the Venezuelan State will create a network of Socialist Bases in over 500 communities to tackle extreme poverty.

The Socialist Bases will be equipped with food, healthcare and educational services and tailored serices for impoverished communities.

“The Socialist Bases have clear objectives: the bases are the places where all of the social missions will work together,” said President Maduro, during the inauguration of a base in the State of Carabobo.

Maduro announced that 1,500 such bases would open initially. He added that the People's Guards – a preventive police force – will also be part of the Socialist Bases to ensure community security.

The construction of these bases are part of Maduro's "National Campaign to Eradicate Extreme Poverty", an initiative launched on June 7. 

Extreme poverty in Venezuela stands at a 5.5 percent, one of the lowest in Latin America.

But a survey carried out by the the the government showed that such poverty was concentrated in a number of communities.

The president announced that, after building the first 1,500 bases, the aim was to double the number to  3,000.

Maduro pointed out that the lack of basic services, such as healthcare and education, are the main problem in communities affected by extreme poverty, which is why the government will prioritize these.

“A great problem of accumulated poverty is the lack of public education. There are still many children and youth outside of the public education system. Here, no one will be left out of public education, everyone, including the last kid, the last teenager and adult will access education through Mission Robinson, Mission Rivas and Mission Sucre,” said Maduro.