Venezuela

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

Based on long-standing ties, particularly in culture, the arts, thought and research, French cooperation helps to drive our soft diplomacy. The main focuses of our action, which is largely co-financed, are:

• strong cooperation in higher education and research: signing on 7 June 2018 of a France-Venezuela academic and scientific cooperation agreement called the “Red Marcel Roche” between five Venezuelan universities and six French higher education establishments; PCP/RU21 and ECOS Nord scientific programmes; Masters 2 and Doctoral scholarship programme with the Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Foundation (Fundayacucho) under the supervision of the Venezuelan Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation; signing of a scientific cooperation agreement between the French Research Institute for Development (IRD) and Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) in November 2012; opening of the Renault Venezuela Training Centre for Automotive Mechatronics in November 2012;
• promotion of teaching of the French language (“Le français va aux lycées” – French is going to schools – programme), assistance in publishing French authors’ works and support for the Lycée Français in Caracas (Colegio Francia), which comprises two sections: a French section and a Venezuelan section;
• a significant cultural programme, implemented with the support of sponsors and a network of Alliances Française branches (8,300 students in 2017 in nine cities: Caracas (four separate centres), Barinas, Barquisimeto, Maracaibo, Maracay, Mérida, Porlamar, Puerto La Cruz and Valencia. These cultural activities develop around key events such as the French Week (in 2018, “Francia-Venezuela compartiendo cultura”, the Francophonie Festival (Fête de la Francophonie), the French Cinema Festival (Festival du cinéma français) and the Music Festival (Fête de la musique). The French Embassy organizes events around haute-couture (the “Pasarela Moda” young designers’ competition), music (“Canta en Francés” competition) and gastronomy (“Good France”, the 2018 edition of which celebrated the children and mothers of canteens in marginalized communities).
• the promotion of debate, such as during an unprecedented debate between a representative of the government and a member of the opposition on 24 January 2018, organized as part of the “Nuit des Idées” event.