Jim McIlroy
& Coral Wynter, Caracas
Opening the new Line 4 of the Caracas Metro system on July 18, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declared a vision for a "new Caracas", with major developments in the rail, road and urban planning areas. Chavez was addressing a meeting of several hundred at the new Zona Rental metro station, part of a new rail line designed to carry up to half a million passengers a day, and to take substantial pressure off the drastically overcrowded Line 1 in the central metropolitan area. Green Left Weekly was invited to attend the launch.
After driving one of the new trains to the launch, Chavez told the crowd: "We are going to modernise Caracas. We are going to rescue this city, to make it one of the most beautiful in the world." He discussed the new hospital at Montalban for treating children from all over Latin America who have heart diseases, and an additional hospital for adults to be built nearby. He also spoke about a much-needed project to thoroughly reorganise the rubbish collection process in Caracas. This will include implementing recycling methods, which will be particularly aimed at cleaning up the barrios (poor neighbourhoods).
Chavez spoke about building additional telefericos (cable cars) from Parque Centrale and Gato Negro up into the hillside barrios to improve access to poor areas. He also discussed cleaning up the Guaire and Tuy Rivers, which flow through Caracas and are currently little more than polluted drains.
The Line 4 Metro extension took more than five years to build and cost US$860 million. It is six kilometres long and includes four new stations. It is based on the latest transport technology, and has facilities for people with physical disabilities — including lifts for wheelchairs, and a braille system for the sight impaired. The project generated 7000 jobs.
Chavez also announced that on October 15, an extension of Line 3 from El Valle to La Rinconada will be inaugurated. He emphasised the further development of the rail system, with a new Metro line to Los Teques (a rapidly growing city outside Caracas), a further rail line to the outlying western suburb of Tuy, and a metro extension to San Antonio. He announced that the government will soon sign an agreement for the extension of Line 4 to the east, ending at Parque del Este. He also mentioned the projects for Metro systems in the important regional cities of Maracaibo and Valencia.
Chavez stressed that these projects were part of the Bolivarian vision for "socialism of the 21st century", and would operate according to socialist, not capitalist principles. Metro travel for senior citizens over 60 years of age will be free. State subsidies for the rail network will ensure that ticket prices are kept low. Chavez pointed out that if the system operated on a capitalist basis, ticket prices would have to increase because of the high cost of running and maintaining the rail system.
From Green Left Weekly, July 26, 2006.
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