Industrial unrest continues in Puerto Ordaz (Bolivar) where steel workers trade union (Sutiss) has organized protests on the street to highlight their labor petitions. Labor Minister, Jose Ramon Rivero says the partial closing down of the city by the protest is a mistake and the only way to solve the conflict is through arbitration. Collective bargaining discussions between the Orinoco steel company (Sidor) and Sutiss has reached deadlock. Sutiss, the Minister comments, is repeating the same mistake it made in 2004 when it went on strike for 21 days and failed to reach its objectives. Rivero insists that the government wants to see an improvement in Sidor workers salaries and benefits but the way forward is through arbitration.
Sucre State Governor and president of the Podemos Party, Ramon Martinez has launched another attack on President Chavez for his economic policies. The former government ally argues that the President has taken the economy towards Statism and inefficiency. Speaking on Unionradio, Martinez calls on Chavez to review and rectify energy and economic policies. One of the mechanisms that comes under the governor's attack is the exchange rate control, which, he claims, has produced immoral situations. "The President should open up the State and drop price controls gradually." The State Governor also wants to see a space created within the framework of the Federal Council of Government for talks with businessmen and political sectors.
The Barquisimeto Mayor's Office has introduced a second phase of its fight against dengue, consisting of donating more than 15,000 water barrels to ensure covered storage of water and eliminate open barrels that are usually used in the popular sectors. Mayor Henry Falcon says open barrels are the main source of dengue because the white-legged mosquito lays its eggs in them. Another part of the anti-dengue operation is fumigation, cleaning of streams and gullies and vaccinations. Falcon highlights part of the program he has adopted to eliminate contamination, namely to exchange waste for food to encourage people to get rid of their garbage. Communities can request fumigation through their communal councils.
The war of words continues between the Colombian and Venezuelan governments with Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace, Luis Carlos Restrepo accusing the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) of changing their tactics and freeing hostages to strengthen the image of President Chavez. According to Restrepo, the policy change is neutralizing the role of Spain and the Colombian Catholic Church in the humanitarian agreement. What the FARC has done would have been impossible before, Restrepo complains, and the aim is exclusively to strengthen the image of President Chavez as a key person in the humanitarian agreement and to group around him a number of countries to influence President Uribe to accept Chavez' mediation again. However, it must be remembered that most countries, especially France, have always considered Chavez a key player in negotiations.
President Chavez has accused members of the Colombian Armed Forces of preparing and training paramilitaries to destabilize Venezuela. The Venezuelan President calls Colombian government declarations of de-mobilization of paramilitaries a farce. "Paramilitary presence has increased in border areas and has also been detected in Caracas employing a policy of committing crimes to create insecurity and instability." Once again, Chavez insists that the latest wave of paramilitaries in cities like Caracas is engaged on a plan to sell cheap cocaine to win over local gangs in the barrios and create disorder. "The Colombian government accuses us of supporting the guerrillas, which is a lie because we want peace, while they are supporting paramilitaries."
Venezuelan Medical Federation deputy president, Daniela Parra has reinforced opposition claims that public health has collapsed because of the state of hospitals. Furthermore, she alleges, President Chavez is well aware of the problem. Parra has also rejected what s he calls a parallel system of health aimed at the primary health attention and setting up Centers of Integral Diagnosis. "The President has been badly advised and when people say that the health system has collapsed or is in coma, it is because that is the way the hospitals are and Chavez knows it." The comments come after Chavez criticized a headline in Las Ultimas Noticias, stating that public health was in coma. The parallel system, Parra insists, has led to the downfall of the existing hospital network. "The President should visit hospitals, emergency areas and maternities is to see the state of much of the equipment and available structures.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue
patrick.vheadline@gmail.com
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