Venezuela became the first Latin American donor for projects in Africa, under the FAO/governments program and in accordance with national programs for food security, said the director general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Jacques Diouf, according to a press release published by the Venezuelan Ministry of Communication and Information.

In a communiqué sent to the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Italia, it was disclosed that Venezuela is funding with USD 3.9 million two projects benefiting people in Burkina Faso and Mali, in collaboration with FAO.

FAO director Jacques Diouf thanked "President Hugo Chávez' move, which amounts to a very significant step in international cooperation for development and the fight against poverty and food insecurity."