VENEZUELA: President Hugo Chavez invites 25 families of flood victims left homeless to stay with him in his presidential palace

Record ID: 1540609

  • Title: VENEZUELA: President Hugo Chavez invites 25 families of flood victims left homeless to stay with him in his presidential palace
  • Date: 2nd December 2010
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (DECEMBER 01, 2010) (REUTERS) SHELTER FOR LANDSLIDE VICTIMS VARIOUS OF VICTIMS SITTING IN THE SHELTER A VICTIM LOOKING AT A MACAW THAT MADE ITS WAY INTO THE SHELTER VICTIMS SITTING ON COTS IN THE SHELTER VICTIMS COOKING OUTSIDE THE SHELTER VICTIM WASHING CLOTHING BY HAND OUTSIDE THE SHELTER SOLDIERS ARRIVING TO THE SHELTER VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE OUTSIDE THE SHELTER
  • Embargoed: 17th December 2010 15:15
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
  • Country: Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA655DCVIKP7YMPQIEAMR2KEQDD
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has invited 25 families made homeless by recent torrential rains to stay temporarily at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.
    On Wednesday (December 1), Chavez said on state TV that he hopes the families will stay until they are able to return to their "permanent homes."
    More than a dozen people have died and thousands have been forced from their houses after weeks of downpours in Venezuela that have caused flooding and mudslides.
    Relief shelters, already in bad shape, have grown overcrowded and community leaders like Marbella Pimental say they need more help.
    "Disabled people, pregnant women and the elderly and sick children have been sent to hotels organized by the community and business leaders, and business owners have made room," said Pimental.
    Chavez, who is criticized for failing to provide more new housing during his 11 years in office but blames the problem on his free-market predecessors, said earlier in the week that he would open his spacious, whitewashed palace in downtown Caracas to some of the victims.
    "A group is going to move to Miraflores [the presidential palace]. I don't know how many families. Maybe five, eight or ten," said the socialist leader.
    In fact, twenty-five families made their way to the presidential palace and Chavez elaborated that security staff would give up some of their quarters including what he called a "huge kitchen" and he would give up one of his three offices.
    Following their president's lead, National Assembly officials said space in parliament could also be temporarily used as a refuge for victims of the rains chaos.
    "We have put together a place where they can stay. They can stay and I hope they stay with us and live here. They will have everything they need to live and we will stick with them and it will get better everyday, right? So the kids can go to school. Gentlemen, I see a lot of youngsters here, some really young ones are here. They can study, eat well and in addition, as I said before, what I want is that when you leave from here, from the palace, you go to your apartments, to your permanent homes," Chavez said on state television on Wednesday.
    Supporters praise Chavez as the first leader in Venezuela to care for the poor. But critics scoff at him as a populist seeking votes with gimmicky measures that fail to address the South American country's underlying problems.
    Chavez berated Venezuela's private entrepreneurs over the weekend for worsening the nation's housing problem by seeking profit before the general good in construction projects.
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