On 21-24 June, I participated in the Continental Encounter of Movements and Associations of the Department of the Laity of the Latin American Bishops Conference DELAI-CELAM, in Caracas, Venezuela. I represented Vida Humana Internacional (VHI), the Hispanic Division of HLI. The encounter took place at the Christianity Cursillos Center, where more than 120 bishops and laity met. The meeting was presided by Card. Ignacio A. Velasco García, from Venezuela; Msgr. Mauro Montagnoli, President of DELAI-CELAM; Msgr. Mario del Valle Moronta, from DELAI-CELAM in Venezuela; and Msgr. Francisco J. Cox, from Lay Ministries, among others.

Laity from different episcopal territories and international catholic organizations (OIC's) discussed the mission and spirituality of each of our organizations. The bishops talked about the spirit of communion; christian leadership and globalization; the protagonism of the laity in the world, lay ministries and the creation of a joined pastoral and an OIC's coordination platform in Latin America.

During my presentation at DELAI-CELAM I spoke about the challenge that the culture of death presents to the Church in Latin America, I exposed the antilife activities of such organizations like IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation), UN, UNESCO, UNPFA (United Nations Population Fund) and UNICEF. I mentioned the strategies to build the culture of life, and how VHI uses it resources to accomplish effectively this mission: the website (more than 926,000 hits during May), its Spanish bulletin "Choose Life" (with 800 subscribers), its electronic news (being sent to more than 1600 news agencies, dioceses and others), its radio programs (with a potential audience of millions of people), its TV programs ("For love of life" in Spanish EWTN), its international, regional and local conferences; the promotion of services (counseling; the Aid to Women Network with the Centers of Aid CAM; the post abortion program, etc); and prayer and sacramental life. During that encounter I gave a report to the bishops about the hedonistic sexual education now taught in Latin America, and distributed VHI's educational materials to the participants.

On Monday June 25th, I participated in the "Pro Life/Family Interstate Encounter, that took place in La Guaira's Chamber of Commerce, in State of Vargas. I talked about the culture of death in Latin America: ideology, expansion, promotors; the hedonistic sexual educaction; and how to promote the culture of life that John Paul II exhorts us to live in Evangelium Vitae. I explained them how to organize effectively the prolife movement and activities in Venezuela. VHI and its collaborators, Volunteers for Life, as well as the Life and Family Alliance of the State of Vargas, summoned this encounter, with more than 50 attendees: teachers, seminarians, parents, venezuelan por life leaders like Ana Maria Fons and Jose Galavís from Provive; ministers of family pastoral and others. An informative package about VHI's free services and educational materials was given to every attendant. I invited all to attend to the courses being organized by Fr. Argenis and "Volunteers for Life" about humna sexuality, STD and AIDS, abortion, the Culture of life, and integral education for love, for young people.

Fr. Argenis made an appointment for us to meet with Msgr. Francisco de Guruceaga, Bishop of Guaira, to inform him of VHI's activities and the urgency to promote the culture of life and the family. Msgr. Guruceaga has been especially dedicated to rebuild the parishes and re-establish diocesan services, being the main promoter of the local seminary and vocations. I handed on to him Magaly Llaguno's (Director of VHI) letter, and the informative package we prepared for the bishosps with some of VHI's materials. He told us that he will soon retire, and letting us know that the next bishop will continue the life/family pastoral that was affected by the recent catastrofic landslide that left more than 50,000 victims in the State of Vargas.

I visited Saint Peter the Apostle Seminary, in State Vargas, and Fr. Rafael Troconi, its rector.Few dozens of seminarians study there now. VHI bulletin "Escoge la vida" and HLI Reports are being received at the seminary. Fr. Argenis read Magaly's article about sexual education in Latin America while studying at the seminary, and knew better about the challenge that the culture of death presents in Latin America, as well as VHI's mission to build the culture of life. Recently he was visited by two UNICEF employees that proposed him a "mutual cooperation" that consisted in being their allied in sexual education: they wanted him to present abstinence as another option among "other alternatives", like the condom. Fr. Argenis denied to collaborate with them, it was against sane ethics and christian moral, that considers abstinence and chastity as the true option. Promoters of hedonistic sexual education take advantage of human susceptibility of adolescents, poverty and natural disasters like the great landslide of the Cordillera of La Costa, to introduce such programs together with economic help. Vargas is an experimental territory of UNICEF, where it has distributed its "charter number 11" among children and teenagers: "Lets learn to talk about sexuality" (translated), with AVESA (Venezuelan Association of "Alternative" Sexual Education) subsidiary of IPPF. Such charter or booklet is an open invitation to promiscuity and sexual immorality. AVESA is promoting it in public schools and in few private schools, as well as in places where there is youth.

VHI gave Fr. Argenis a grant, and to some "Volunteers for Life" to receive prolife training for their mission. It took place last February in Miami; Adolfo Castaneda, VHI's education director, taught it. In May, Fr. Argenis was invited by VHI to attend a CAM training for Centers of Aid to Women; some "Volunteers for Life" participated too, they manage a center of aid to women and human life, and for young women at risk, in Maiquetia, State of Vargas, Venezuela. Other venezuelan pro life groups contacted me through the "Volunteers" and during the CELAM-DELAI encounter; their leaders want to mutually collaborate in the pro life/family movement in Venezuela.

VHI wants to thank Fr. Argenis, the "Volunteers for Life" and the leaders of Life and Family Alliance of the State of Vargas, that made possible the above mentioned mini-conference.