Restoration work of the Caracas Metro system is now fully underway, not only for maintenance of parts and equipment for trains, but also in restarting the works for Line 5, thanks to Venezuelan labor and engineering. This was informed by Hipólito Abreu, Venezuelan minister for Transport, via his social media accounts.
In Minister Abreu’s words, the restarting of the metro works represents ”an act of sovereignty that is only possible when a people is determined to be free.” He also stressed that these tasks are being carried out by Venezuelan engineers ”in the midst of an atrocious blockade and without the tutelage of pro-imperial transnationals.”
La reactivación de las obras en línea 5 de @metro_caracas, hecha por la clase trabajadora con ingeniería nacional en medio de un atroz bloqueo y sin tutelaje de trasnacionales pro-imperiales, es un acto de soberanía, solo posible, cuando un pueblo está decidido a ser LIBRE. pic.twitter.com/0a4Z9CRlI2
— Antonio Abreu (@HAbreuMRT) July 15, 2021
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In February, President Nicolás Maduro approved allocation of state resources for the continuation of the Line 5 restoration works. So far, only one station has been constructed in said metro line: Bello Monte, and works for Las Mercedes, Tamanaco, Chuao, Bello Campo and Parque del Este II stations are pending.
In May, Minister Abreu pointed out that, despite the US-imposed blockade, which prevents the Venezuelan State from purchasing spare parts from abroad and contracting foreign companies for maintenance services, “various transport systems have been kept operational.”
Furthermore, Abreu described the engineering that has gone into the recovery and renovation of the transport systems as a novelty. ”Not everything can be done overnight,” he stressed. ”We have a blockade; but we have achieved over 90% operating capacity of the State Railways System, with 22 out of its 24 trains running. The Valencia Metro has attained 75% functioning of its fleet, and as for the Caracas Metro, we [the Transport Ministry] are executing a plan to regain its 100% operability.”
Featured image: Construction works underway at Caracas Metro Line 5. Photo: Twitter / @AHbreuMRT
(RedRadioVE) by Daniela Jiménez
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/GMS/SC
