Venezuela to strengthen 'political' role of communes

CARACAS - This year the Venezuelan government plans to turn the country's budding community collectives, or communes, into self-sufficient units of production and "design a new political culture", a top official said Tuesday.

In an interview with local daily Ultimas Noticias, Minister of Communes and Social Protection Reinaldo Iturriza said that more than 500 communes were set up in 2013, and the challenge this year is to transform them into sustainable entities.

Since last year, registered collectives in the South American nation have grown from 36 to 544, in keeping with the guidelines of the National Plan, a legacy of the late former President Hugo Chavez.

"The idea is not to have communities produce everything they are going to consume, but for them to find a way to protect themselves, sustain themselves and be self-sustainable," said Iturriza.

The minister added that the Venezuelan government is also proposing that the community collectives serve as a new means of political organization based on the concept of collective action.