Sociologist and psychiatrist Nelson Moreno Ceballos was sworn in as the new president of the Academy of Sciences replacing Mario Bonetti who had been reelected on countless occasions. His term is until 2007. The new board members in addition to Ceballos are Milciades Mejia, Jose Silie Gaton, Antonio Thomen, Jose Silie Ruiz, Venecia Alvarez, Moises Alvarez and Rafael Gonzalez Tirado. Moreno said he will work to strengthen the institution. As reported in Hoy newspaper, Deputy Minister of Superior Education, Science and Technology, Victor Hugo Delancer said that his department would back the Academy and would help make it one of the leading assets for the development of sciences and technology in the country.