President Chavez has dropped the intelligence and counterintelligence law and announced that the National Assembly (AN) will draw up a legal instrument articulating intelligence agencies in Venezuela. The President says the decision comes after criticism from several opposition sectors and internal consultation among pro-government forces. On Sunday, the President had stated that the law would be reviewed because of inconsistencies regarding the defense of human rights in the law itself. Chavez has called on the private sector of the economy to open up strategic alliances with the government in what he calls "downstream" sectors, such as the development of factories rather than with traditional sectors. Today, the President is expected to announce new measures to boost the economy.
United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) vice president, General Alberto Muller Rojas says the fact that President Chavez has rescinded the intelligence and counterintelligence law is not a sign of weakness as some sectors and media sources are suggesting. With more than 2.5 million people voting in the party's internal primaries, the General counters, it is hardly a sign of a weak government. Furthermore, Muller Rojas points out, all domestic polls place the President holding 60% of popular support and international surveys indicate that Venezuela's economy is in full growth. Continuing his defense, the General states that the Armed Force (FAV) has been giving a demonstration of its expertise in the use of new military defense instruments. All the above, Muller Rojas concludes, are hardly signs of weakness. Regarding the law itself, the General insists that there are thousands of alternatives but the law is necessary because it deals with the nation's security and that recommendations have been handed in to the executive for consideration.
Regarding the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Muller Rojas says the Venezuelan government has no relations with the FARC different from those authorized by the Colombian government. "We have no operational relation with the FARC neither before nor now, except on the occasions when the Colombian government requested Venezuela's intervention."
The Venezuelan Medical Federation (FMV) has started what it calls a 30- day medical conflict. FMV deputy president, Dianela Parra maintains that the conflict is in protest at what s he calls a serious problem facing the official medical profession in Venezuela. The Federation has lodged a complaint at the International Labor Organisation (ILO) in Geneva that President Chavez has refused to discuss a collective-bargaining process for more than six years. Attending the ILO annual assembly, FMV president, Dr. Douglas Leon Natera denounces what he calls the lack of adequate conditions for health workers to do their job properly and the setting up of a parallel medical education program, which, the Federation alleges, does not fulfill minimum career requirements.
The Metropolitan Police (PM) says it has dismantled 14 criminal gangs operating in Caracas. PM general director, Commissioner Wilmer Flores Trosel reports that one of the gangs concentrated on robbing and siphoning off products from the government food distribution program (Mercal). Other groups were involved in mugging passengers on public transport in Petare, while others dealt in drug distribution on their home turf. The dismantling of the gangs is part of the government's Caracas Segura 2008 public safety plan. During the week in question, the PM director reports that 7,534 wrappings of different kinds of drugs were seized.
President Chavez has announced the incorporation of workers from the contracting sector into the payroll of Sidor iron and steel company. During a ceremony to welcome the new workers, President Chavez says that the word " contractors" should be buried just like capitalism and neoliberalism and that there should be equality for all people working in Sidor, which has now been nationalised. The original aim was to put 890 workers on the payroll but yesterday 358 security technicians were added to the list, bringing the final total to 1,248. Chavez has promised to eliminate intermediaries, gang-masters and private contractor companies in favor of cooperatives acting as social companies. The President has told the new workers and unions that he wants to give the same impulse to Sidor as it gave to the telecommunications sector and wants to see an increase in production.
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