------Original Message------ From: [email protected] To: [email protected] ReplyTo: [email protected] Subject: Chavez, Lula Concerned about Latin America Situation Sent: Aug 1, 2009 11:56 PM
Chavez, Lula Concerned about Latin America Situation By Ivan Noel Orta MartÃn Prensa Latina July 30, 2009 http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=105356&Itemid=1 Venezuela''s President Hugo Chavez and his Brazilian peer Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shared their concern about the coup in Honduras and the threat that entails to establish military bases in Colombia. According to a communique released on Thursday by the Miraflores Palace, both presidents also talked on the telephone on Wednesday about their commitment to making progress in bilateral relations. According to a press release, Lula confirmed his attendance to the 2nd Africa-South America Summit that will be held in Venezuela in September, as well as to the quarterly meeting with Chavez to strengthen bilateral cooperation. They talked about "the need to increase international pressure on the coup leaders to guarantee President Manuel Zelaya's restitution and restoration of democracy in that sister nation." "Chavez commented on the danger and the threat that the intention to establish US military bases in Colombia represents, and explained the measures that our government has been forced to adopt to guarantee regional peace and stability," the text said. "They shared their happiness for the agreement reached between PDVSA and PETROBRAS companies, of great significance to establishing a complementary relation between our countries, to reach full energy sovereignty," the release said. Lula announced that his advisor Marco Aurelio Garcia would visit Venezuela the upcoming weekend, and Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Minister Miguel Jorge will be in this country from August 19-20, accompanied by a large Brazilian businesspeople delegation. "They ratified their commitment to continuing their quarterly meetings, leaving as a pending issue to fix the exact date for September, when they should hold the third meeting of the year, in which they are expected to continue strengthening the strategic alliance between Brazil and Venezuela," the document concluded. Brazil Opens Culture to the Masses Government announces a tax-break program By Marcelo Cajueiro Variety July 28, 2009 http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006617.html?categoryid=18&cs=1 RIO DE JANEIRO The Brazilian government has announced a tax-break program aimed at helping low-income locals enjoy more cultural pursuits, which is expected to inject some 600 million reals ($315 million) in the local entertainment industry each month. Following years of debate, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva submitted to Congress a bill creating the cultural voucher program and is pressuring legislators to speed its approval. Local companies taking part in the program will be entitled to a tax break of 1% on their revenues. Companies must use that money to buy cultural vouchers from the government, which they must sell on to employees at 10% of the face value. The program is aimed at workers earning up to $1,200 a month. The vouchers can be spent in several ways, such as renting DVDs, buying tickets to films, plays and concerts, and buying books, CDs and DVDs. Those making higher wages can also apply for the vouchers, but will have to pay more than 10% of the face value, according to a sliding scale. The program is an attempt to open up cultural events to low-income Brazilians. Theatrical tickets are relatively expensive here, and studies show that the vast majority of moviegoers are from the wealthier, upper classes. _____________________________________________ Portside aims to provide material of interest to people on the left that will help them to interpret the world and to change it. Submit via email: [email protected] Submit via the Web: portside.org/submit Frequently asked questions: portside.org/faq Subscribe: portside.org/subscribe Unsubscribe: portside.org/unsubscribe Account assistance: portside.org/contact Search the archives: portside.org/archive Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
