Venezuela: officials keep lying about literacy rates
By Alek Boyd
London 14.03.07 | Venezuelan diplomats keep lying about that country's literacy rates. The latest example is Jorge Valero, Vice Minister of Foreign Relations and Multilateral Affairs, who said in Geneva during the 4th Session of the Human Rights Council yesterday that under Chavez "we have eliminated illiteracy, as established by UNESCO."
As readers of this site already know I called UNESCO's headquarters in Paris last year, following similar declarations by Mary Pili Hernandez. UNESCO officials denied having ever declared Venezuela as an illiteracy-free country, as claimed by Chavez minions. Tellingly Valero is quoted by chavista news agencies as admitting "illiteracy rates decreased to below 1% between 2003 and 2005 thanks to Mision Robinson" which is one of Chavez social programmes.
So which is it, a slip of this other liar's mind perhaps?
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