Dear VHeadline colleagues and contributors...

I was woken up at 3.20am this morning by a telephone call from a tried and trusted friend who has told me that VHeadline is officially "blacked" by powerful elements within the Venezuelan government despite our many years efforts to promote Venezuela's democracy, constitutionality and the rule of law.

I have no reason to doubt the veracity or sincerity of my friend's information especially considering that, of late, many others among us have been very much concerned over the influence of corrupt individuals and power groupings both outside and within the Chavez administration who are making every effort to enrich themselves and to attempt to destroy what President Chavez has indeed achieved over the last nine years of his administration.

Earlier, I had received a number of emails alerting to the fact that the Bolivarian Revolution is in clear and imminent danger from 5th columnists who are either in the pay of the United States of America or violently radical members of the Venezuelan opposition -- or indeed both!

It has now been confirmed to me that as an editorially independent e-publication, VHeadline is seen as a danger to the designs of those 5th columnists and traitors within the administration since they are unable to control our output and are generally worried by our enthusiasm for democracy over any fanatical belief in the ideals of either the opposition or Chavismo per se. We are labeled Chavista by the opposition and escualidos by the Chavistas while what we seek to do is to carve a middle path for democracy and the Venezuelan people irrespective of who may or may not be elected President at this point in time or history.

I have also had it confirmed that the funding of Danny Glover's movie on a little known Haitian freedom fighter (to the tune of $30 million) was excessive by any movie industry standards and is most probably indicative of pay-offs to manipulators who have facilitated the funding through the good offices of the National Assembly.

I am also troubled by the fact that foreign investors in North America (especially with regard to the gold mining sector) are growing more and more impatient about incessant and inexplicable delays in the awarding of permits to begin mining operations that would contribute thousands of jobs in the most depressed regions of Venezuela while government officials seem to be travelling hither and thither effectively doing nothing to achieve much-needed progress for the Venezuelan people. It is equally obvious that certain individuals have pocketed large sums of money that should otherwise have been dedicated to the Venezuelan people.

In this respect I venture to say that Venezuelan democracy is in mortal danger and that something needs to be done about it (like yesterday!) before it is too late.

Naturally, the impetus for a cleansing of the administration, and opposition sectors working against the legitimate government of Venezuela, needs to come from the grassroots people of Venezuela and it is refreshing to see that there is already a plethora of movements beginning to exert the influence of the Venezuelan people from the bottom up as was (hopefully is!) President Chavez' declared thesis on how the Venezuela of our aspirations should be governed.

It is alarming to see how corrupt individuals have taken over the essential
political functions of embassies and consulates internationally and are working
against the better interests of the Venezuelan people, often as a result of
infiltration by local security services such as MI5 and the CIA.

It is therefore that I feel that, although all of us involved with VHeadline are driven by a deeper affection for the country and the people of Venezuela, we cannot simply be blind to the deviations and distortions that come from within the administration while highlighting the over-kill of deviations and distortions perpetrated by the United States, Spain and other foreign govenrments which seek to subjugate and plunder the Venezuelan people of what by sovereign right is theirs.

We cannot do it alone! WE have to do it with the support of the Venezuelan people ... the true patriotic grasroots Venezuelan people who are presently unaware of the dirty dealings going on behind their backs otherwise they would most probably take immediate remedial action just the same as they did to demand and require the return of President Hugo Chavez Frias in the aftermath of the April 2002 coup d'etat by US-funded traitors in the political and commercial opposition.

I therefore ask your advice as a colleague and contributor to VHeadline, individually and confidentially to let me know what you feel that we, collectively, should do to ensure that VHeadline can continue to fight for Venezuela's democracy, constitutionality and the rule of law.

I am assured that the answer lies in the hands of the Venezuelan people and that they, sooner or later, will make their feelings known through the ballot box. Their next opportunity is in the November elections but with current trends of infiltration and sabotage within the administration itself, I am fearful that Venezuela's democracy will never reach that opportunity or that the democratic will of the Venezuelan people will not be accepted in such circumstance.

Ergo the urgency of the question: What to do?

Should we fight on with vigor or simply fold up our tents and go away?

I think you know my own particular stance in this matter -- please don't hesitate to let me know yours,

regards
Roy S. Carson
roy.s.carson@gmail.com