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| Venezuela Tower of David squatters evicted | Venezuela Tower of David squatters evicted |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Venezuelan soldiers and officials have begun removing hundreds of families from a half-built 45-storey tower that dominates Caracas, | Venezuelan soldiers and officials have begun removing hundreds of families from a half-built 45-storey tower that dominates Caracas, |
| Correspondents say that the eviction of 3,000 squatters from the Tower of David is proceeding peacefully. | Correspondents say that the eviction of 3,000 squatters from the Tower of David is proceeding peacefully. |
| Those thrown out are being provided with new homes south of Caracas. | Those thrown out are being provided with new homes south of Caracas. |
| Their eviction is part of the Great Housing Mission - a flagship policy of late leader Hugo Chavez intended to help the poor. | Their eviction is part of the Great Housing Mission - a flagship policy of late leader Hugo Chavez intended to help the poor. |
| The policy was conceived to provide poorer families with better accommodation. | The policy was conceived to provide poorer families with better accommodation. |
| When it was first built, the Tower of David was meant to be a banking centre typifying the new, prosperous Venezuela. | When it was first built, the Tower of David was meant to be a banking centre typifying the new, prosperous Venezuela. |
| But it has been abandoned since 1994 and has subsequently become a home to squatters. | But it has been abandoned since 1994 and has subsequently become a home to squatters. |
| It became so notorious that it featured in a recent series of US TV series Homeland - depicted as a crime-ridden place where gangs rule and drug use is rife. | It became so notorious that it featured in a recent series of US TV series Homeland - depicted as a crime-ridden place where gangs rule and drug use is rife. |
| The first evictions began on Tuesday morning. | The first evictions began on Tuesday morning. |
| "Necessity brought me here, and the tower gave me a good home," Yuraima Parra, 27, told Reuters news agency as she, her baby daughter and all their possessions were loaded into a truck. | "Necessity brought me here, and the tower gave me a good home," Yuraima Parra, 27, told Reuters news agency as she, her baby daughter and all their possessions were loaded into a truck. |
| "I was here for seven years. I'm going to miss it, but it's time to move on." | "I was here for seven years. I'm going to miss it, but it's time to move on." |
| Ms Parra is part of an initial 160 families being moved out this week. In total more than 1,150 families will leave the tower. | Ms Parra is part of an initial 160 families being moved out this week. In total more than 1,150 families will leave the tower. |
| Correspondents say that most of the tower's occupants are being taken to the town of Cua, south of Caracas, | Correspondents say that most of the tower's occupants are being taken to the town of Cua, south of Caracas, |
| Despite its image, residents say the tower - located in the centre of Caracas and sometimes known as the vertical slum - has recently become something of a model commune, defying its crime-ridden image. | |
| Correspondents say that the inside of the tower block has beautiful views and is kept meticulously tidy by the inhabitants, with daily polished corridors, well-kept apartments, work schedules and even its own in-house rules. | Correspondents say that the inside of the tower block has beautiful views and is kept meticulously tidy by the inhabitants, with daily polished corridors, well-kept apartments, work schedules and even its own in-house rules. |
| But on the downside it had no lifts, erratic water and power supplies and was often subjected to police raids. | But on the downside it had no lifts, erratic water and power supplies and was often subjected to police raids. |