The presence of Cuban people in Venezuela is increasing by the day. Ever since the two countries initialed a cooperation agreement in October 2000, the number of people from the Caribbean island living and working in Venezuela has skyrocketed.

In April 2003, the first Cuban doctors arrived in Libertador municipality, Caracas, to work in a social healthcare program called Barrio Adentro. According to Venezuelan official data, there are more than 30,000 Cuban doctors across the country.

Apart from the physicians working in Barrio Adentro medical centers, there were 6,525 Cuban doctors helping train medical practitioners and health technicians in Venezuela in 2006, according to the web site of the Venezuelan Embassy in Havana.

The same source said that there were 395 Cubans "contributing to boost development of educational missions" in Venezuela in 2006.

On the other hand, Barrio Adentro Deportivo, a social sports program, was established in April 2003. Its goal is "to spread sports and physical education across the country, and contribute to the development of competitive sport."

In 2006, there were 4,544 Cuban sport trainers in Venezuela.

Luis Alfonso Dávila, who was the Minister of the Interior during the first months of Hugo Chávez's government, said that there are more than 60,000 Cubans in Venezuela. According to other sources close to Havana, there are 65,000 people from the Caribbean island in Venezuela.

In several areas
Although most of the Cuban people living in Venezuela under the Venezuela-Cuba cooperation agreement are working in the health and education sectors, the Venezuelan government has requested Cuba's assistance in many strategic areas related to the development of the country.

A significant number of Cuban staff is working in the area of identification and registration. The two countries signed an agreement in 2005 for the automation of personal identification in Venezuela.

Cuba provides technical assistance in the sugar industry, where the island has a great experience, "to contribute to the recovery, modernization and development of the sugar production system and the production of byproducts."

In the tourism sector, Cuban experts train Venezuelan staff to manage hotels and other tourism facilities. They also have advised government officials in the drafting of the National Plan for a comprehensive development of tourism and the promotion and marketing of tourism destinations and services.

Cubans are also providing assistance in transportation (railway and subway systems), food industry, construction and shipbuilding.

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas