Rachael Boothroyd Rojas

On August 23, military chief Henry Rangel Silva revealed that over 40,000 hectares of land had been recovered and 15,000 people freed from conditions of 鈥渟lavery鈥 as part of Plan Caura, the Venezuelan government鈥檚 anti-illegal mining project. Silva, chief of Venezuela鈥檚 Operational Strategic Command, is head of the anti-illegal mining initiative, formed in 2010 when the Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) were given the task of stemming Venezuela鈥檚 growing problem with illegal mining activities in the south eastern part of Bolivar state.
Venezuelan foreign affairs minister Nicolas Maduro has criticised the US government for having an 鈥渁bsurd and extremist鈥 policy with regards to Venezuela. Maduro made the comments after the publication of a report in late July that outlines the US government鈥檚 tactics for dealing with transnational criminal organisations. The document cites Venezuela as a country that promotes a 鈥減ermissive environment for narco-trafficking and terrorist organisations鈥.
More than 2000 workers marched to the National Assembly in Caracas on July 26 in support of increased workers鈥 control. Handing over a document with more than 45,000 signatures, the workers demanded that the legislative body approve the Special Law for Socialist Worker Councils and begin an immediate discussion of a 鈥渘ew and revolutionary鈥 Organic Work Law (LOT). Both demands were submitted under article 240 of the Venezuelan constitution, which allows the people the right to legislate.