[LUAU] Linux for the People

[Jim Thompson]

http://www.technologyreview.com/TR-WireStory/wtr_16647,323,p1.html

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- President Hugo Chavez has long been  
critical of big transnational companies, and now his government is  
promoting free open-source software as an alternative to market- 
dominating Microsoft Corp.

Venezuela's science and technology ministry on Friday began the Latin  
American Free Software Installation Fair, an event promoting the use  
of the open-source Linux operating system and other nonproprietary  
programs over Windows by Microsoft.

Groups of Linux users are holding similar events simultaneously in  
countries from Argentina to Colombia, and the Venezuelan government  
has signed on as a promoter.

The technology ministry said in a statement that the fair, which ends  
Saturday, is part Venezuela's move toward ''technological  
sovereignty, and taking advantage of knowledge for building national  
scientific independence.'' The gathering began with seminars by  
experts on the subject, and also was to include sessions for  
Venezuelans pick up and install copies of Linux software.

[...]