Brasília, February 4, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Countries in Africa, such as Angola and Mozambique, and South America will avail themselves of the Brazilian experience and install the Ministry of Sports' Path to Freedom ("Pintando Liberdade") program. The Minister of Sports, Agnelo Queiroz, said today that Brazilian technicians will travel to these countries this month in order to transfer the technology, install sports equipment factories, and train personnel. The program, which helps in the resocialization of prison inmates and generates jobs and income, is administered in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice.

According to Queiroz, a partnership with Petrobras will practically allow the number of factories to be doubled. 30 new factories will be installed this year in Brazil, and pilot units will also be implanted soon in Uruguay and Paraguay.

The Minister explained that in Brazil the project employs the direct labor of 12,700 inmates (8.5% of the prison population), in 53 penitenciaries around the country. Each factory, according to the Minister, creates 300 direct jobs. (DAS)