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Free software liberates Venezuela

The free software revolution comes to Venezuela

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The third International Forum on Free Knowledge brought together many groups and individuals interested in the development of free software worldwide to the city of Maracaibo. One reason Venezuela choose to host this event is because starting in January (2006), their new free software law, directive 3.390, comes into effect, which mandates all government agencies to migrate to free software over a two year period. I was invited to speak about Telephonia Libre: the use of free software in telecommunications.

Map of Venezuela
Map of Venezuela

Directive 3.390 mandates all government agencies to migrate to free software over a two year period

While I am invited to speak at many events and conferences worldwide, most often I reject them immediately because they’re not open to the general public. This is one of the reasons I rarely speak in the U.S.—virtually all U.S. scientific conferences in my field are for profit and are organized by groups who charge fees so high that it discourages the general public from participating, or they are organized for the benefit of commercial vendors who are trying to market themselves to potential customers. Science Fiction conventions actually would be closer to my choice of U.S. venue, although I don’t seem to get invited to those.

I accepted this invitation for several reasons; first, it was open and free to the general public. Second, it was Juan Carlos Gentile who personally asked me to attend. And finally, I have always been immensely curious about Venezuela. While there, I had the extremely lucky chance to speak with directors in many of the organizations charged with carrying out Chavez’s vision of a “Bolivarian Revolution”.

While my travel had been planned a number of weeks in advance, as with all travel I have experienced in Latin America, this turned out to be on a different concept of time. I didn’t hear back at all from Venezuela until the weekend before departure, but this is actually not that remarkable. By Monday the 21st of November, I knew I’d arrive in Maracaibo the next day, and return on the 29th. That much was confirmed to me by Ambar Rodriguez, who works for Conatel, which is their state telephone regulatory agency. I had a chance to speak with Ambar over the weekend, but I didn’t know which airport I would departing from, or even what airlines I’d be flying, until Monday morning.

To understand the blissful attitude I had taken, you have to understand this: I recall one time I was staying with a family in San Paulo, where we were scheduled to take a flight to Porto Alegre. The airport was across town, and our departure time was about half an hour away when we finally wandered out to the car. We didn’t even travel in much of a hurry. Yet, somehow, in the twisted and bizarre time warp that is Brazil, we arrived on time for our flight anyway, and I never quite figured that out either. Time often has a very different meaning in Latin America.

Many of the events and presentations at the event were, much like mine, of a rather technical nature. My presentation caused some difficulty for the translator I was given, who had no experience or understanding of the specialized technical terms I was using. This was only corrected near the end when a different person came forward to translate my speech. Some presentations were from groups who were using free software in some social setting. The event was heavily attended by many people, and particular technical directors from many key parts of the Venezuelan government, because of their migration plans for 2006.

I eventually meet up with Jeff Zucker from Perl Mongers, who traveled by bus from Caracas and the well known international free software activist, Juan Carlos Gentile, who drove all the way from Caracas along the same roads with Marko, who is also from Italy. While it is said to take ten hours to drive from Caracas to Maracaibo, as he and Marko are Italian, naturally I expected he would arrive in only five. These three, and Ana Isabel Delgato from the Debian Venezuela group, were my primary “translation team” whenever I spoke with others who didn’t speak English.

The People’s Ministry of Economics

Venezuela is blessed with not one, but two economic ministries. There is the old ministry of economics, which deals with the traditional capitalist economy. It is worth noting that capitalism continues in Venezuela and will likely continue to do so for some time. While lands are at times redistributed to landless laborers, for the most part existing industries and businesses are left alone, and left to the old ministry of economics. Instead, they have a different idea of how to transform society here, and this brings me to the second ministry.

The Ministerio Para La Economia Popular, or roughly, the People’s Economic Ministry (and for simplicity, to be referred to simply as Minep) is tasked with transforming Venezuela with a new economy. While the ministry does a number of important tasks, I believe their most interesting is to train and educate ordinary Venezuelans, who volunteer on how to run a worker co-operative. This is done by providing co-ops the tools, financing, and practical training they need to operate their new enterprises.

My interest in this aspect of Minep came in part from their interest in providing VOIP services along with the computers they are offering to their worker managed co-ops. This was a rather specific technical issue, and one they were very interested in discussing with me.

Many of these worker co-ops are composed of very small startups that typically have 10 people or less. Minep offers training and support, as well as financing, to allow co-ops to purchase computing systems for their business needs. These systems are now offered entirely with free software, starting with the Debian GNU/Linux operating system, along with Open Office for general business use, and web hosting under Apache. Co-ops that go through the Minep program also have the ability to host web sites with their own content, and these usually feature the products or services a given co-op wishes to offer. Co-ops are also trained in the use of the free software they receive and in how to maintain their own IT infrastructure.

The Minep co-op training program was piloted in 2004, with some 3000 such worker managed co-ops formed. During this year (2005) they have formed over 45,000 such co-ops nationwide, and are expecting to train over 700,000 Venezuelans in how to form and be part of a new economy. This suggests to me that perhaps 40% of those that go through the Minep program eventually do form a commercial enterprise.

The use of free software and offering of computer systems for business use as part of the co-op program is actually relatively new. I believe, if I understood correctly, the full version of free software training program is a 6 month course, and so is rather comprehensive. This year (2005), they’ve only trained people from at most a few thousand of the co-ops on the use of free software through the initial pilot program. In 2006, however, that program, and free software training should be available to all interested.

The Ministry of Intellectual Prosperity

SAPI, the Independent Service ministry of Propiedad Intellectual, is the ministry that used to define Venezuela’s so called “Intellectual Property” laws. I understand SAPI also at one time concerned itself with the issue of what was called “Piracy”. I would have thought, however, that controlling murderous gangs of anarco-capitalist “gentlemen of fortune” who raid ships, would be the job of the navy, or perhaps the interior ministry.

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Biography

David Sugar: David Sugar is an active maintainer for a number of packages that are part of the GNU project, including GNU Bayonne. He has served as the voluntary chairman of the FSF’s DotGNU steering committee, as a founder and CTO for Open Source Telecomm Corporation, and currently owns and operates Tycho Softworks.

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Comments from the old system

Submitted by admin on Thu, 2006-03-30 14:41.

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From: Hp
Url:
Date: 2006-01-17
Subject: About something in the page 3

Hello, I believe that you did not understand well what they meant to you, in the 2003 sabotage went to our oil industry [1], thanks

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Ch%C3%A1vez#2002:_Coup_and_worker_strike

pd:

in a personal thought, the ministry of science and tech (cnti)

has to watch more close this migration process, they are taking too slow and given permission to other goverment dep to dont obbey the free software lineament.

From: gbob
Url:
Date: 2006-02-08
Subject: Typical

I started reading this article because I thought it would have mostly technical info, but then I got to the "co-operative" section. Communism again - sigh.

It's really too bad that people still try this failed method over and over and over... It really ruined this article for me. This was abut the free software revolution, not the people's republic revolution. How is communism about freedom?

From: Mike
Url:
Date: 2006-02-09
Subject: Down Hill Slide

I also started out reading with high hopes. I am a UNIX admin with a strong desire to see Linux and free software in general succeed. I also used to live in Venezuela.

Once the article started telling us how great communism is, the article was on the downhill slide. Venezuela itself is on a slippery slope as well. While I in no way condone corruption, capitalism and freedom is what makes great nations great.

I believe that software should be shared and given away because we are good people and just want to be nice, not because we have some moral obligation. I also believe that people have the right to make a buck or two from their work.

It is very good to see the Venezuelan people being educated and if nothing else, at least some good is coming from this mad man named Chavez.

One last point - I have no doubt that Hugo Chavez wants the very best for his people and that he has good intentions for them. However, I think he is a power hungry individual with a healthy dose of paranoia.

From: Dave Guard (SUBSCRIBER!)
Url: this one
Date: 2006-02-10
Subject: No communism here?!?!

Hi,

There is no mention of communism in this article.

The article talks about how great it is that the government of Venezeula is implementing free software. Whether the goverment there is faulted in other ways really bares no relation to this fact.

Even if someone is wrong most of the time, it doesn't mean the things they do right are any less right.

It is fantastic that free software provides an affordable, secure, stable and sustainable way to run the country and educate its people. And it will mean they don't have to fork out their hard earned money to MS through the purchase of licenses. They will also no longer be restricted by MS's formats, patents, licenses, range of products... etc. Nor will they need to continuously upgrade software (to stay supported), hardware (to keep up with the software) or virus protection.

I also think it is fantastic that their oil industry is now in the hands of the people rather than a few wealthy exploiters who were/are in cahoots with a variety of powerful, unsavoury types who mainly happen to reside in the US.

This sets a great example for the rest of the world.

From: Victor
Url:
Date: 2006-02-08
Subject: Congratulations

This is a very good article, telling people what a government is doing to make things better, with a vision other than "Psycho revolutionary making another dictatorship in latin america", whitch is what rich people from that country and "foreign governments" interested in what is under the ground there tries to tell to everybody worldwide.

It could be a nice example to other nations if doesn't occur any type of sabotage.

Thank you for the article!

From: Venezolano
Url:
Date: 2006-02-09
Subject: Free software don't mean free people

Free software revolution is good

But in Venezuela the cost is our fredoom. Most of the managament of the Chavez goverment are military. Would you like that your country were ruled for a bunch of the soldiers. I don't think soo

This guys, before Chevez goberment was the most conservative military in south America, and now, "they're the new socialism"

When they are generals? and when the are captains or mayor their fight againts the guerila at the 60's and 70's.

For me the cost of Linux is the higest cost ever pay.

From: Joao Da Silva
Url:
Date: 2006-02-09
Subject: Chavez support for FLOSS is terrible!

(Edited for swear words by Tony Mobily)

We *don't* need Chavez to support FLOSS, thank you very much. Chavez is a man that comes from the ranks of the military, who undermines freedom of speech and who is downright demagogical and hypocritical. How can you guys be so enamored of Free Software that you don't even take into consideration supporting an undemocratic character like him?

Now, I've seen *that* movie (government support of FLOSS) before. I've seen in Brazil. NOTHING HAPPENED, except deployment of some FLOSS workstations, much to the financial happiness of system administrators that had contacts with Labor Party members in the government. Yeah, I saw people quit their jobs and make GOOD money...******* liars...Just read the press: Lula's leftist government is awash in corruption and ethical violations scandals! ****! DO YOU EVEN READ ABOUT THE COUNTRIES YOU VISIT ?!!! (PS: Oh, let me just add that I have *first hand* experience here, i.e., I KNOW THE PEOPLE I'M TALKING ABOUT).

Name *one* important project that got support from the Brazilian government (please don't name the Mono *Visual Basic* (!!!) compiler, or little tiny Lua - I said *important*, as in "kernel", "OpenOffice", etc).

Venezuela is *way* worst than Brazil when it comes to tecnhology and academics. Brazil is a ******* powerhouse. Venezuela is a "Banana Republic", except the banana is black and liquid. Let's see what the Great Chavez will do for the Linux kernel. Let's see how much *money* he throws into practical projects, how much $support$ he pitches in for OpenOffice, GNU, BSDs, etc. Sorry, I think this is just talk, and talk is cheap.

This is a load of bullcrap that will result in *nothing*. These people have not the discipline and the stamina for the kind of effort that is required. When it comes to FLOSS, Venezuela will be Brazil all over again, except much, much worse. That boat will sink...you bet on it!

Characterizing FLOSS with this leftist shit is the worst thing that could happen in terms of our image. FLOSS is not communism, FLOSS is 21st century new economy, and Chavez can't even grasp 20th century economics, much less complex issues like FLOSS.

We will see...Let's see if we get *loads* of kernel patches from Venezuelan projects...Did we see any of that from Brazil ? Nah, it's the United States that keeps rowing the boat...These are the facts.

From: Tony Mobily (SUBSCRIBER!)
Url: http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com
Date: 2006-02-10
Subject: A couple of points...

Hello,

I don't know enough about politics to write an informed comment. I believe only very, very few people can indeed write informed comments.

I don't know much about the MONO VB project. However, I would like to remind you of two things:

* Free Software is not just Linux. It's not even just GNU/Linux. If everybody only worked on the kernel, and JUST the kernel, free software would not be as widespread.

* You write "Nah, it's the United States that keeps rowing the boat". Is it? Do you know that Samba is an Australian project, develped in Camberra? Do they not "row the boat" as well? Do a bit of research: a _lot_ of crucial free software is not made in the US. Alan Cox (who's played a MAJOR role in the kernel) is English. I guess he was "rowing" too, while writing code.

This is what I know. I don't know much about politics, and therefore I won't make comments.

I wish more people followed my example.

Merc.

From: cybermalandro
Url:
Date: 2006-02-10
Subject: Thanks for the article

David,

I am a Venezuela living in the U.S. I am not with or against Chavez. I just happened to have moved here about 18 years a go. I do want to make a comment. Thanks to your article I dig more the idea of Open Source Software. It is really inpiring. I wish more Open Source Software leaders would write this type of articles because in the end the idea of OSS is to share knowledge and not let anyone behind, we all benefit from knowledge.

Your article has inspire me to help more the Open Source Community in whatever I can. I appreciate the time you took to write this and the time you took to help out the people of Venezuela.

From: Alfredomarquezp
Url:
Date: 2006-02-14
Subject: I canŽt believe somebody wrote this

ItŽs incredible sad to see how somebody write this without any idea about what itŽs really happening in my country.

I have used and developed OSS for 15 years and I can tell you that this article is an insult to the intelligence of those who know about software and to those who are really proud of using Open Source as part of our choices to develop software.

How can you say that the problem in PDVSA was due to the use of any kind of software ? and let me tell you, because I know that very well: there was not any Microsoft software in the core businesss of PDVSA, Microsoft software is not ready for that league yet.

Additionally, spend some seconds to think about this:

If some workers in your company (whatever it would be) quit and you find yourself alone with no idea about how to operate a piece of hardware and software and there is not any contingency plan, any documentation about how to operate anything. Do you really think that the problem is in the SOFTWARE MODEL ??????? ItŽs as crazy as it sounds.

Did somebody really believe that if the software is open source, you can solve the problem by reviewing millions of lines of code in order to know how to operate an oil refinery ???? PLEASE !!!!!! itŽs not a matter of using UNIX or Linux or Windows or whatever you want. ItŽs a matter of doing the things well when you deploy and manage a project of this size.

I love Open Source software but these kind of articles are the worst thing for our communities. I have seen some guys facing discussions with weak arguments like those in this article and I see why in Venezuela we were not CONVINCED about the use of Open source and we have to be FORCED to use it by law. IŽve seen some people proud about this. IŽM NOT.

ItŽs crazy to see how in the name of the Open Source Software some people are talking about freedom forcing the companies to use just one choice by law instead of the value and benefits of the open source software itself, talking about "SOBERANIA" destroying thousands of venezuelean companies who developed and distribute software and services for the public sector in Venezuela.

Additionaly to this, you can see the public sector companies completely out of focus thinking on crazy migration processes, expending at least two years for migrations(theoretically), expending money and energy to do the same they do today instead of being better and more efficient.

I really hope you take some time to think about this and donŽt keep damaging the image of the open source software by saying things like those in this article

Alfredom

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Don't like revolutions? Tough. Bite IT.

Submitted by Anonymous visitor on Sun, 2007-01-21 21:44.

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What a bunch of libertarian whiners. Even when the bolivarians bend over backwards to give you chumps every chance possible to adapt, you just bite the hand that's being extended. Typical selfish petit-bourgeois... Too bad for you Big Brother in the U.S. can't back your selfish asses up this time.

When the day comes that you have to make the Big Choices you won't be able to dodge -- remember that you had all the lead-time and support you needed. Not that this would register with ideologically-blinkered types like yourselves.

Did I say you were a bunch of over-privileged whiners?

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Alfredomarquezp is right

Submitted by Anonymous visitor on Mon, 2007-02-19 04:48.

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Alfredomarquezp is right about one of the arguments being weak: the IT sabotage clearly could still have happened even if they had been using open source software. However, the idea that the Venezuelan government is _wrong_ to save money by switching to open source since this will hurt companies that sell software to the government is ridiculous, especially if you have any shred of libertarian principles (is this what free capitalism means? the right to make money by securing gov't contracts?). The long-term benefits to the country of switching to Linux and open source software would far outweigh any short-term pain.

As for the part about the change being "forced" (and remember, private companies and citizens are still free to fork over to micro$oft to their hearts' content), anyone who's worked in a large institution (in the U.S. or anywhere) knows that O.S. and software changes are _always_ forced, in the sense that they're decided at an institutional level and aren't up to each individual's free choice. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it's the universal norm, not some horrible new thing you can blame on Hugo Chavez.

As for the politics, I like to think we techies - to the extent that we care - should be capable of seeking out real information and applying the same kind of intelligent analysis that we apply to our work, instead of going in for dogmatic knee-jerk diatribes or taking media reports as fact (we know how wrong they get it about technology - why think they're any better when it comes to latin america?). Anyway, that's all I wanted to say.


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