Venezuela promotes the development of free operating systems to guarantee technological sovereignty

Published at: 12/03/2026 03:47 PM

The National Center for Information Technology (CNTI), attached to the Ministry of People's Power for Science and Technology (MINCYT), promotes new lines of work aimed at creating and using free operating systems in the country.

During an episode of the audiovisual series 5 Minutes of Science, broadcast on the MINCYT YouTube channel, the person responsible for the Canaima GNU/Linux project, Ángel Marrufo, explained that an operating system coordinates the physical components of a computer with the functions of the software, allowing it to execute processes and guarantee the operation of any device.

Marrufo stated that there are integrated and real-time desktop, mobile and server operating systems, differentiated mainly by their licensing models. He indicated that platforms such as Windows and MacOS are proprietary, while Linux-based alternatives —including GNU/Linux, Canaima and Android—are developed under open schemes.

The spokesperson recalled that Venezuela produces free operating systems backed by Presidential Decree 3390, which allows them to be distributed without license fees and facilitates access to the code for study and adaptation.

Canaima GNU/Linux 8.0 updates

The developer reported that version 8.0 of Canaima GNU/Linux incorporates editions aimed at different sectors. Among them, one aimed at graphic design, another linked to the National Scientific Seedbeds Program and one aimed at users interested in online games. He pointed out that Canaima GNU/Linux is a project created and maintained by Venezuelan specialists.

Use in educational institutions

The CNTI promotes the adoption of free technologies in universities and schools. Marrufo highlighted that students from different academic campuses incorporate these systems into their training activities, which contributes to their expansion and daily use.

Mazo News Team