Family members of three Colombian congressmen, expected to be released by the FARC shortly, have revealed that several US congressman have been influential in moderating the Colombian government's policy towards Venezuelan over the issue. The daughters of hostage, Luis Eladio Perez, highlight the efforts of a group of Democrat congressmen headed by William Delahunt. It would appear that the Colombian government has decided to pursue a policy of prudence towards Caracas to safeguard trade relations. Several weeks ago, Democrat congressman, William Delahunt met President Chavez to speak about the humanitarian exchange and relations with Colombia. The Colombian government is also interested in getting the US Congress to approve a free trade agreement between Colombia and the US that has been put on ice.
Hostages' families, currently in Caracas awaiting the arrival of the three Colombian congressmen, have called on the Colombian government to provide full guarantees to allow the three congressmen in to Venezuela flows smoothly and without any military operations in the zone in question.
US Ambassador to Colombia, William Brownfield has ruled out any military intervention in Venezuela. On Saturday, President Chavez announced that the Venezuelan Armed Force (FAN) was on alert against possible military aggression coming from Colombia. The US, Brownfield states, has no intention, plan and absolutely no expectation to invade or intervene in the affairs of any other country.
According to a US intelligence report published in broadsheet El Universal, Venezuela and its key ideological ally, Cuba are influencing the governments of Bolivia, Nicaragua and Ecuador in promoting anti-US rhetoric. All these countries, the report claims, are attempting to limit control mechanisms over presidential power, seeking long presidential periods and weakening civil and immediate liberties. The main grouse, however, is the fact that each of the above governments is developing " hardline anti-US rhetoric," relating with Iran and promoting measures which directly clash with US initiatives at home and abroad. The report also indicates that President Chavez is about to give generous campaign funds to the left-wing FMLN party in El Salvador where elections will take place in 2009.
According to one news report, a spokesperson for the Russian military industry has announced that Venezuela will purchase three diesel electric Varshavianka 636 submarines. The spokesperson says the deal could be sealed with President Chavez' signature during his next visit to Russia at the end of the month. The contract is worth $1 billion. The submarines are third-generation type with four torpedo launchers and 10 sea to air missiles.
At the end of the carnival vacation, the national civil aeronautical institute (INAC) has announced that 174,287 passengers traveled by plane during the period. Valencia airport registered a total 690 flights with 10,276 passengers, Maracaibo 397 operations with 12,957 passengers and Porlamar (Margarita) 959 fights with 24,682 passengers. At the Simon Bolivar international airport in Maiquetia, 1,825 flights operated carrying 100,081 passengers.
The Army's general inspector, General Felix Antonio Velasquez defends military operations to free the El Chiguao (Bolivar) zone of illegal and foreign diamond miners as in accordance with the Constitution and Venezuelan laws. After visiting the zone to see things for himself, following media reports of violence on the part of the army, the General has confirmed the presence of a "great number of foreign citizens ... violating the environment law," using machinery and banned chemical substances to lay waste to forest areas in the search for gold and diamonds. The operations, he argues, are part of a plan from the Presidency to safeguard water and forest resources in the Caroni River basin.
Patrick O'Donoghue
patrick.vheadline@googlemail.com
Even though the military is not the armed revolutionary people quite yet, the people's law has to be laid down inside Venezuela, ASAP -- especially as concerns the undeveloped border regions, which are open to imperialist infiltration and aggression and pillage. The pressing issue here, however, is to not make the lives of the poor miners already there, with their families, any harder than they already are.
ReplyDeleteTo be a successful undertaking, every big stick needs a nice, fat carrot to go along with it. And so all these miners and their families must at the very least have their basic human needs taken care of out of this operation. No one must be allowed to starve, or go homeless, or be without other basics of life.
So it'd sure be nice to know exactly what is going down here; and about the government's policy towards the miners.