Alfredo Catalán Schick
Encyclopedia
Alfredo Catalán Schick (November 12, 1968), is the current mayor of El Hatillo Municipality in Venezuela
. He is affiliated with Project Venezuela
. He was first elected mayor of El Hatillo in 2000. In 2004 he was reelected for a second term.
According to the municipality website, Catalán's government has made improvements to the educational facilities
of the area, including the repair of five state-owned schools that support 1,400 students. Special programs have been implemented for students, such as drug prevention, water conservation, the Francisco de Miranda Project, which suggests the use of technology
to improve children's education, and other programs that also benefit the municipality by getting citizens more involved in the community activities. As of 2008 public schools conditions are worse than they were before the arrival of Catalan to the office. Also, crime and heavy traffic problems caused by an irresponsible residential policy implemented by Catalan are impacting negatively in a municipality that was once considered "the safest municipality of Caracas". Catalan's approval ratings are worse than ever and most of the inhabitants of El Hatillo blame him for the problems of the municipality.
, have criticized Catalán's administration regarding the municipality's insecurity. Bocaranda himself was a victim of death threats after criticizing Catalán's government in his radio emission Los Run Runes de Nelson. According to the IFEX
, the mayor's father Norberto Catalán, went to Bocaranda's office in La Lagunita with his bodyguard. Bocaranda was not in his office at the time, but his secretary was told that Norberto was armed and he would shoot the journalist if he did not take his comments back within 24 hours. The mayor's father also left threatening notes. A security video camera recorded the incident.
Catalan has dedicated his second term to the issuing of residential construction permits all over the municipality without stopping to consider how this would affect the traffic of El Hatillo. There are few avenues and roads that connect el Hatillo to the rest of Caracas and, during Catalan's government, there has been an impressive amount of new residential developments in the zone that have resulted in the collapse of El Hatillo infrastructure such as roads and public services.
500,000 between budget
and treasury
.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. He is affiliated with Project Venezuela
Project Venezuela
Project Venezuela is a political party in Venezuela.At the legislative elections, 30 July 2000, the party won 7 out of 165 seats in the National Assembly of Venezuela. The legislative elections of 2006 were boycotted by the party...
. He was first elected mayor of El Hatillo in 2000. In 2004 he was reelected for a second term.
Career as a mayor
In 2001 the mayor stated that his main goal for the municipality was to promote it as a touristic destination. In fact, Catalán's first year in office was focused on improving the appearance of the municipality, and the El Hatillo Independent Institute of Tourism and Recreation was created. Operation Joy (Spanish: Operación Alegría), a project that attempts to make the municipality cleaner and nicer, has been in action during Catalán's government.According to the municipality website, Catalán's government has made improvements to the educational facilities
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
of the area, including the repair of five state-owned schools that support 1,400 students. Special programs have been implemented for students, such as drug prevention, water conservation, the Francisco de Miranda Project, which suggests the use of technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
to improve children's education, and other programs that also benefit the municipality by getting citizens more involved in the community activities. As of 2008 public schools conditions are worse than they were before the arrival of Catalan to the office. Also, crime and heavy traffic problems caused by an irresponsible residential policy implemented by Catalan are impacting negatively in a municipality that was once considered "the safest municipality of Caracas". Catalan's approval ratings are worse than ever and most of the inhabitants of El Hatillo blame him for the problems of the municipality.
Criticism
Some individuals, such as the journalist Nelson BocarandaNelson Bocaranda
Nelson Bocaranda Sardi , is a Venezuelan television commentator and investigative journalist.Bocaranda Sardi began studying journalism in 1962 at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas and started working for television station RCTV in the early 1980s, then worked for television station...
, have criticized Catalán's administration regarding the municipality's insecurity. Bocaranda himself was a victim of death threats after criticizing Catalán's government in his radio emission Los Run Runes de Nelson. According to the IFEX
International Freedom of Expression Exchange
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
, the mayor's father Norberto Catalán, went to Bocaranda's office in La Lagunita with his bodyguard. Bocaranda was not in his office at the time, but his secretary was told that Norberto was armed and he would shoot the journalist if he did not take his comments back within 24 hours. The mayor's father also left threatening notes. A security video camera recorded the incident.
Catalan has dedicated his second term to the issuing of residential construction permits all over the municipality without stopping to consider how this would affect the traffic of El Hatillo. There are few avenues and roads that connect el Hatillo to the rest of Caracas and, during Catalan's government, there has been an impressive amount of new residential developments in the zone that have resulted in the collapse of El Hatillo infrastructure such as roads and public services.
Government bankruptcy
In 2001, Alfredo Catalán mentioned in several occasions that the municipality was bankrupted. He said to the media that a lot had been done for El Hatillo for a first year in office, and since the beginning of his first term, Catalán had given priority to tourism. Between the five municipalities of Caracas, El Hatillo receives the least income from taxes, but he believed that Operation Joy would give the residents trust in the mayor, and more investments have been done in culture and tourism than in a new local government headquarters for example. Catalán denounced that Flora Aranguren, the previous mayor, had left a deficit of almost US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
500,000 between budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
and treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
.