Venezuelan agent before the Inter American Human Rights System, German Saltron says he will fight charges introduced by workers and journalists belonging to Venezuelan 24-hour news outlet, Globovision against the Venezuelan government for alleged harassment while reporting. The charge dates from 2001 and Saltron argues that the accusations against the government revolve around pro-government citizens shouting and calling news crews names, such as "fascists," "squalid" etc. The lawyer says he will tell the court in a preliminary hearing that those lodging the complaints have not identified anybody in particular and that Attorney General's Office had opened 19 investigations against people attacking Globovision. Saltron is convinced that the human rights commission is biased and bases his assertion on its performance during the coup against the Venezuelan government in April 2002. The oral audience has already began with judges questioning experts and today the charges will be heard in detail.
Communication & Information (Minci) Minister, Andres Izarra has dismissed the fuss that Globovision is kicking up at the Inter American Human Rights Commission as another show.
Speaking at the food sovereignty & security summit in Nicaragua, Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro says the summit has demonstrated the disposability and capacity of Latin American governments to generate answers to regional problems. The summit itself, he claims, is a rapid response to problems in the region without any foreign input. The summit had been called to listen to proposals aimed at helping countries overcome the current food crisis and guarantee sustainability. The Minister has also announced a meeting of regional petroleum producing countries to confront accusations linking the food crisis to high oil prices.
Proposals suggested by Venezuela at the presidential food sovereignty & security summit in Managua have been accepted. Among the proposals accepted in the final declaration is a special plan within the framework of the Petrocaribe agreement to finance agricultural production and facilitate gas at reasonable prices. Ministers of agriculture, economy and trade have made a commitment to draw up a program of solidarity in the field and to present a plan for immediate action in June. The countries present at the meeting have given their support to a plan of action adopted at the UN conference on climate change in Bali, December 2007 aimed at reaching a new agreement on global warming before 2009. The issue of food sovereignty and security will be raised at the fifth summit of Latin American and European Union heads of state and governments in Lima on May 16 and at the 63rd UN general assembly. The declaration also condemns the practice of agricultural subsidies and internal aid undertaken by industrialized countries that have a negative affect on the agriculture of poorer countries and of giving priority to growing crops to produce oil for cars. However, the countries did agree to subsidize national agricultural production in their own countries through small producers, who have no access to credit in the private banking or state banking system. The private banking sector in participating countries are encouraged to set aside at least 10% of their portfolio to finance agricultural production in each country.
Socialists in Venezuela are commemorating the anniversary of the massacre of 9 young people in Yumare (Yaracuy) in May 1986. One of the survivors, Luis Machado has welcomed efforts by the Attorney General's Office to bring to justice people involved in the execution of nine people killed during an attack on their camp by the security forces. It would appear from historical sources that the group assembled to organize a united left-wing revolutionary front was set up by infiltrators inside the Bandera Roja (BR) guerrilla group. According to Machado, at least four of the 15 later joined the State Political & Security (DISIP) Police. In fact, he continues, the four members organized the meeting dividing participants into two groups. Machado was with the group that remained below. Those that went up the hillside were wiped out by a DISIP special unit. The official version is that the DISIP held a shoot out with a violent guerrilla group Two years ago, the Attorney General's Office pushed for court proceedings in Yaracuy State and the sixth control court has charged 29 persons for the massacre, including former President Jaime Luisinchi and DISIP commissioner, Henry Lopez Sisco.
In the latest update, the National Elections Council (CNE) reports a total of 16,294,251 citizens enrolled in the electoral register, which breaks down into 16,136,227 Venezuelans and 157, 924 foreigners. In the last three months there have been 72, 823 movements in the register, covering new enrolments, change of address, updates, and reporting of deaths.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue
vheadline.patrick@gmail.com
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