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.
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