Brasília, 8 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - When president Fernando Henrique Cardoso launched the "Luz no Campo" (Light in the Countryside) Program in December 1999, a bold goal was announced: electricity for alll Brazilian citizens.

Today, two and a half years later, the program, which is part of Avança Brasil, has connected 418,000 rural properties to the electricity grid, benefitting around 2 million people. That is almost as much as was done over the last 15 years.

"This is an extraordinary step towards removing poverty in Brazil," says Fernando Pertusier,
who manages the program, explaining that together with electricity, rural areas also get health centers, schools and other needed infrastructure. (AB)