Another excerpt from a 2006 article:

Credits to enable small-scale mining

Appropriations and authorizations for the exploitation of small-scale mining areas Bizkaitarra and Lata sheet of Ciudad Bolivar, were delivered by President Chávez. Thanks to the agreement between the Bank of Economic and Social Development of Venezuela (Bandes) and the Ministry of Energy and Mines delivered 143 million 838 thousand to 24 bolivars Bizkaitarra cooperative project, which will directly benefit 525 miners and 575 thousand indirect jobs. Tin foil benefited up to 98 miners a single cooperative. The Bolivarian government funding over 2 billion bolivares.
In this way, the Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, the country announced the launch of Mission Piar, in addition to the Mission Robinson, Mission Barrio Adentro, Mercal, Sucre, Miranda and Ribas.
"The Mission Piar we have designed to meet small-scale miners, who were pursuing before, abuses and called them" illegal miners ", for us Venezuelans are employees of small-scale mining that deserve recognition and support of the revolutionary government," The president said those who recognized the suffering of the miners. (IC)

http://www.venezuela-avanza.de/cms2/...