In the lead up to the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) meeting in Brasilia tomorrow to officially inaugurate the organisation, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe says his country would not accept the presidency of the union because of problems his government has with those of Venezuelan and Ecuador. However, Uribe has confirmed that he will travel to Brasilia to sign the constitutive agreement, even though his country will not take part in the regional security office proposed by Brazilian President Lula Da Silva. Uribe has declared that he would be satisfied, if Chile assumes the presidency. Speaking about international trade, Uribe has made it clear that the agreements with the Southern Cone Economic Zone (Mercosur) and the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) are not priorities. Top priority is a free trade agreement with the European Union whose "center of gravity is democratic balance." The struggle between Primero Justicia (PJ) and Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) over who will be the unitary opposition candidate for the Mayorship of Maracaibo continues to boil. PJ has made it a point of honor that Juan Pablo Guanipa be the opposition candidate, while Manuel Rosales, currently State Governor, has announced that he will run for the mayorship. Guanipa argues that he has greater popular support and accuses Rosales of using the structure, machinery and power of regional government to push his candidacy forward. Rosales rejects Guanipa's claims of heading a new leadership, quipping that the latter has been around a long time ... when Rosales was Mayor of Maracaibo, Guanipa was a councilor.
Commenting on the situation inside Petroleos the Venezuelan (PDVSA), former company president, Luis Giusti claims that company debt is around $18 billion and, he continues, it is impossible to find out what is really happening in PDVSA, which has become a kitty box and with oil being promised for the future, something that was anathema in the past. What we are seeing, Giusti alleges, is unlimited costs and unlimited discretion on the part of the government in selling petrol for the future, taking money out and increasing debt ... " it's something like a pawn shop." Giusti questions the government's claim that it is diversifying clientele. PDVSA, he states, used to export to the USA around 1.6 million barrels a day, almost the same amount as Canada. Venezuela was top of the list after Saudi Arabia and Mexico. Today, her moans, Venezuela is at the bottom of the list selling 1.1 million barrels a day. "The USA is the most attractive market for any exporter and Venezuela's claim of sending petrol to other countries has come to nothing." Giusti continues his criticism, declaring that many of the promises to build refineries in other countries have been put on hold, with a lot of unfulfilled promises in the petrochemical sector and management inefficiency in the Orinoco oil belt. Giusti forecasts implosion in the industry sooner rather than later.
Interior & Justice Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin has once again criticized the national press for supposedly doctoring crime statistics. The publication of crime statistics by the media, the Minister states, obeys political interests. The Minister has promised to reveal the latest crime statistics on Monday, which, he promises, are much better than what the broadsheet El Universal has published. Rodriguez Chacin says he will provide positive statistics coming from the Colombian authorities. Returning to his attack on the broadsheets, the Minister complains that however much the government manages to lower the crime rate and show results, it is clear that there are vested interests that are always ready to invent statistics.
President Chavez has welcomed 422 foreign students, who will take part in the second Community Integral Medicine Course. Among the students enrolling are: 64 from the African West African country of Gambia. In a further breakdown, there are 200 students from Bolivia, 13 from Chile, 22 from Ecuador, 12 El Salvador, 13 Mexico, 74 Nicaragua, 12 Paraguay, 11 from St Vincent and the Grenadines and 14 from Panama. The course lasts nine months and students will be working in communities supporting doctors working in the Barrio Adentro health scheme.
Since returning to Venezuela after receiving an award from the Cato Institute in the USA, opposition student leader, Yon Goicoechea has revved into action by leading a student delegation to Parliament where they were received by deputy, Ismael Garcia and his Podemos party. The students were refused entrance into the National Assembly but they were able to hand over a document of demands to Garcia. Goicoechea, accompanied by opposition lawyers, Gonzalo Himiob, Ignacio de Leon and Antonio Rosich, wants to set up a truth commission consisting of foreign and national personalities to " verify absolute transparency in the management of information surrounding the content of laptops," supposedly belonging to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) leader, Raul Reyes. Using an old argument of the opposition, Goicoechea proclaims that Venezuelan soldiers have died during the decades of struggle against the guerrilla movement and it is a "crime against Venezuela that our money is being given to the FARC."
Venezuela's (Armada) Navy is gearing up the next military exercises, which will take place in the first week of June. The recently purchased Russian Sukhoi-30 planes will take part in the exercises and President Chavez says he is ready to head the maneuvers, which will include Navy land and sea components. The first missile of the Russian planes will also be fired and Chavez has hinted that he could fire the first missile from above but he is still preparing himself for the exercises. Navy operations commander, Vice Admiral Alberto Morales Marquez points out that the operation will include verifying armament systems, a humanitarian campaign within the local population within the framework of the Socialist Navy Operation 1-2008.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue
patrick.vheadline@gmail.com
____________________________________
Venezuela is facing the most difficult period of its history with honest reporters crippled by sectarianism on top of rampant corruption within the administration and beyond, aided and abetted by criminal forces in the US and Spanish governments which cannot accept the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people to decide over their own future.
HELP US TO KEEP BRINGING YOU THE TRUTH
Please show your appreciation for this important project by making
a much-needed donation to VHeadline's Fighting Fund
you do NOT need to subscribe to PayPal to make a credit card donation
No comments:
Post a Comment