This Friday, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared Bolivia a territory free of illiteracy.
“In this moment we are at the rate of 3.8% of illiteracy. For a country to be declared free of illiteracy you have to maintain a rate below 4%,” explained Bolivian Vice-Minister of Education, Noel Aguirre.
Bolivia joins only a handful of nations in Latin America, including Cuba and Venezuela to achieve this status.
In 2007, Bolivian President Evo Morales launched a massive adult literacy campaign utilizing the ‘Yes I Can’ method developed by Cuba. The campaign has reached more than 800,000 Bolivians throughout the country to date.
“There is also another contingent of 120,000 people, more or less, that will graduate this year,” said Aguirre.
Literacy campaigns work also provides ongoing supports, with post-literacy program beyond sixth-grade level having graduated 26,000 people.
Morales lauded the achievement and recognized the support of Venezuela and Cuba in carrying out the campaign.
“I would like to thank, in the name of the Bolivian people, of the national government, and personally, every Bolivian, Cuban and Venezuelan brother who made the effort to declare Bolivia, the third country in Latin America free of illiteracy,” said Morales.
This article was first published by TeleSur on July 18, 2014