Venezuela supports the UNESCO Open Science Initiative

The Minister of People’s Power for Science and Technology, Gabriela Jiménez, expressed Venezuela’s support for the concept of open science promoted by UNESCO on Friday, after stating that the Bolivarian Revolution championed this comprehensive vision.

The issue of harnessing science for the benefit of man and the planet without marginalizing the most vulnerable is one of the priorities of UNESCO at its 41st General Conference, at which the young scientist heads the Venezuelan delegation.

Since the beginning of the Bolivarian Revolution in 1999 led by leader Hugo Chávez, we have taken steps in this direction, based on decisions such as the creation of the Ministries of Science and Technology and University Education, and the municipalization of higher education. .

According to the official, other actions in line with the goal of making science accessible, transparent and useful to all are the legal identification of famous farmers and innovators and the deployment of hundreds of people throughout the Venezuelan geography, with the aim of promoting technological literacy.

All this means, he said, that we already have policies in the country, a legal framework and institutions committed to preventing the privatization of knowledge.

Jiménez insisted that the principles of open science had always been clear to the Bolivarian Revolution, given its commitment to preventing the generalization of gaps and inequalities with scientific development and the emergence of new technologies.

Venezuela’s approach to open science goes beyond science.

As the indigenous people of Venezuela said, we must recognize and appreciate patterns of knowledge other than science, which can mean an important means of survival. pic.twitter.com/JpSTaDJK6g

– Gabriela Jimenez (@Gabrielasjr) November 12, 2021

For the Secretary, it is important to endorse the complaint about the impact of unilateral coercive measures, such as the US blockade of Venezuela, on universal access to the benefits of science.

He noted that in our case we find the obstacle of the inability to purchase equipment aimed at modernizing the technological infrastructure, among many other effects.

On behalf of Venezuela, he reiterated the call to end the so-called sanctions imposed on about thirty countries and defended the right of peoples to determine their own destiny.