The Ojo Electoral (electoral watch) organisation has called on the National Elections Council (CNE) to be strict in applying penalties to government and opposition candidates using public resources in their campaigns. The organisation starts its communique welcoming the work of the CNE in completing preparations for next November's regional elections and the interest shown by political parties in observing the rules. Ojo Electoral repeats its disagreement with the disqualification ban slapped on an important number of citizens and continues to regard the decision as "illegal," "illegitimate" and "violating constitutional norms." The organisation expresses concern that many opposition and government candidates are starting to make inappropriate use of public resources, even though the campaign has not been officially opened. The biggest perpetrator, the organisation contends, is President Chavez, who is taking part directly, openly and constantly, supporting candidates of his preference. 120 workers belonging to the El Golfo intermediary or contractor company have been dismissed without reason from work at the Fextun tuna products factory in Sucre State. The tuna factory employs 500 persons, of which only 80 are on the payroll. The rest of the workers are contracted from four intermediary companies. The local Sucre Federation of Workers has lodged an official complaint at the Labor Inspectorate, claiming that those dismissed are workers, who have been in the company for three to four years, rotating every three months among contracting companies to avoid being paid normal benefits. The union also alleges that many of the workers are not enrolled in the social security service and do not receive food tickets for overtime.
Executive Vice President, Ramon Carrizalez has announced that agents belonging to the National Anti-Drugs Office (ONA) will receive chemical kits to help them detect drugs. Speaking from the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) drugs administrative office, the Vice President points out that kits consist of three phials containing chemical substances to detect cocaine, heroin and amphetamines. Formerly, the government had acquired the product through a US company but sales had to be authorized by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). According to Venezuelan authorities, the DEA insisted that Venezuela could have the product, if it renewed the rescinded anti-drugs agreement with the USA. The government has been working three months on setting up its own kits at the GNB laboratory. ONA director, Nestor Reverol recalls that a single kit purchased in the USA cost $7 and was used only once, whereas the new national kit has three phials, and each can be used 70 or 80 times. The national kit costs Bs.F 50 bolivares.
President Chavez is on a state visit to South Africa where he is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding for political consultations, as well as discuss several agreements, of which three could be signed before he returns to Venezuela. Venezuelan Foreign Minister for Africa, Reinaldo Bolivar reports that South Africa is important for the African continent because of its development and struggle against apartheid. Venezuelan is particularly interested, he reveals, in South African technology in desalinating sea water into drinking water, which could help Venezuelan islands such as Margarita and Los Roques. Another matter of interest to Venezuela is the development of medicine to combat Aids and other diseases.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue
patrick.vheadline@gmail.com
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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.
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