The human remains of Federal War Generals, Zoilo Medrano, Jose de Jesus Gonzalez and Donato Rodriguez have been placed in the national pantheon in Caracas. The three generals took part in the five-year Federal War, which started in 1859 with a revolt against the government of Jose Tadeo Monagas. The most famous of the Federal generals was Ezequiel Zamora, who led the revolt against absent landed estate owners. Historian and General (ret.) Jacinto Perez Arcay, member of the presidential military command, made the main speech at the ceremony. The transfer of the remains is seen as highly symbolical but unlike other historical rectifications, it was decidedly low key in the sense that pro-government media sources did not elaborate on the motivations behind the induction into the national pantheon. President Chavez held his Sunday radio address at the El Cedral cattle ranch situated in Munoz municipality (Apure). The hacienda has 56,000 hectares of land and the government has announced that it will create socialist agricultural companies on the farm and the nearby El Frio ranch, which has 78,000 hectares. President Chavez says the government will help with an irrigation plan and maintain current projects of eco-tourism. The agreement to take over the farms was achieved in a friendly manner and projects on the farms will be undertaken in conjunction with former owners, whose work on the El Cedral hacienda has been recognized, especially in breeding new strains of cattle.
President Chavez has hit out against opposition attacks on the 26 laws he passed through the enabling law packet. The President particularly targeted the charge that he was introducing by stealth concepts rejected at the constitutional referendum. Stating that the President of the Republic has the right to introduce laws and pass them on to the National Assembly for debate and approval, Chavez maintains that all the contents of the new laws are contained in and based on the Bolivarian Constitution. The opposition's aim, Chavez maintains, is to frighten people by telling lies about the role of the communal councils.
Some pro-government politicians, such as candidate to the Metropolitan Mayor's Office, Aristobulo Isturiz, claim that hard-line opposition sectors pushing for another coup d'etat are gaining ground inside the opposition because of a growing realization that the opposition will not return to power by elections. There is a general consensus that while the opposition in some states and municipalities have managed to reach an agreement, there is a general impression that personal appetites prevail over any consensus to select unitary candidates in key areas. Whereas the government has managed to run a tight ship regarding acceptance of candidates, the opposition still has to reach unitary agreements in some key states such as Miranda, Lara and Caracas.
President Chavez has proposed to set up a law of communal cities, which, he announces, will become a structural part of the State. Replying to charges from the opposition that the 26 laws passed via the legal figure of the Enabling law are unconstitutional, the President argues that the opposition contradicts itself. There are two different levels, he says, the Constitution and the new laws. "I proposed to the people to incorporate in the Constitution the specific figure of the missions but that does not mean that the missions cannot be incorporated in any law or packet of laws ... nobody can deny the people the power to create popular power." The contradiction, Chavez insists, lies in the fact that the opposition after rejecting the missions now say that they will improve the missions, if they reach power.
The government has announced the capture of Colombian narco-trafficking king, Marcos Orozco Wilches, who is wanted by Interpol and the US Drugs Enforcement Agency (DEA). The capture took place in Zulia State near the border with Colombia and was the result of joint intelligence work by the National Anti-Drugs Office (ONA) and Interpol. In the last two years Venezuela has captured four wanted narco-trafficking capos. Last week, the father of a former Colombian Foreign Minister, Alvaro Araujo Noguera was captured in Zulia State and his extradition to Colombia is expected to be completed shortly. Araujo Noguera faces criminal charges and relations with paramilitaries.
President Chavez has announced that proposed naval and air exercises with Russia are still in the preparatory stage. Speculation is already ripe, the President quips, that a Russian base will be built in Venezuela to install at atomic bombs. Chavez insists that Russian planes traveling the world on strategic actions need to land at some moment, just like any other world powers such as the United States and it is normal that they land or dock in the territory of countries that are strategic allies. The President reiterates that Venezuela is a strategic ally of Russia, and the Russians will be welcomed in Venezuela without any problem. The exercises could take place in November or December.
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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