The National Anti-Drugs Office (ONA) and Police Detective Branch (CICPC) have met to analyze their record in the war on drugs and to set up control mechanisms for agents involved in handling seized drugs. ONA president, Nestor Reverol points out that one of the main points to clarify was monitoring and control of seized drugs. The meeting comes after a number of embarrassing arrests of anti-drugs agents discovered pilfering seized drugs. Reverol insists that Venezuela is advancing in the war on drugs and is purchasing more high-technology, such as radars and intercept planes to stop illegal flights over Venezuelan territory. Another initiative is to build special incinerators for burning drugs. Speaking at a meeting of intellectuals and artists in defense of humanity, President Chavez claims that Venezuela is defeating Capitalism, while building a Socialist alternative. Venezuela, Chavez illustrates, is creating communal banks providing financial resources to hundreds of people belonging to communal councils. The President says that in 10 years in office the government has made efforts to defeat Capitalism politically through a process of transition by stages, which has generated a sequence of situations and battles of ideas. Chavez proclaims that the specter of Socialism is haunting Latin America and his government has opted to speed up some of the actions within the context of the transition process. During the 20th century, he argues, there were many efforts in South America aiming towards Socialism and only the Cuban revolution managed to survive in the fight against Capitalism.
Commenting on the current economic and financial crisis, President Chavez insists that Venezuela will not sink. While many people in Venezuela would like to see oil prices to continue to fall, Venezuela will not sink, Chavez contends, because the country has a consolidated system and even though there is no country that can say it will not be affected by the economic disorder, the threat that some sectors want to see in Venezuela will not happen. Chavez highlights the benefits of the China-Venezuela development fund signed by both countries and of which $6 million have already been invested in social works, infrastructure, housing, petrochemical activities and credits. President Chavez has called on fellow presidents of Latin America to set up a similar fund that will benefit all their peoples.
Three Venezuelans and one Cuban have been arrested after attempting to defraud the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) of $25 million. The Cuban citizen holding a US passport is said to be the owner of a private investigation company in Miami. The Attorney General's Office received a warrant to search the hotel room where the Cuban was saying staying, impounding a laptop. According to sources, this is the fourth case of people trying to take out money on bond titles this month.
National Urban Transport Foundation (Fontur) president, Victor Matute Lopez says his office is implementing mechanisms to fight mafias that illegally sell student bus tickets, especially in Zulia State. At the end of the year, Matute Lopez states, a special chip card will be handed to students which will eliminate large queues and trafficking. However, the card will be introduced progressively because it involves placing technology on the buses. Matute Lopez reveals that Fontur has attempted to close down the ticket office at the University of Zulia (LUZ) without success and that inspectors from Caracas have been threatened and kidnapped.
Interior & Justice (MIJ) Minister, Tarek El Aissami has declared a general alarm because of heavy rains. In a statement yesterday, the Minister says 9,185 persons have been affected by heavy rains and floods, that is to say 1,932 families and 1,844 dwellings. The Infrastructure ministry has also announced restrictions on sailing especially for smaller vessels and Margarita Island and the Los Roques have been placed on alert until hurricane Omar passes the region. Although Venezuela will not be hit directly by the hurricane, it has been feeling the effects of the hurricane's passage through the Caribbean.
VTV State television director, Yuri Pimentel has been defending his role at a meeting with the National Electoral Council (CNE) president, Tibisay Lucena and Attorney General, Luisa Ortega Diaz. Pimentel denies using state and public resources to promote the electoral campaign of the pro-government United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Transmissions of campaign events are backed by "strict informative criteria," the lame-duck media mandarin insists, and he claims that the coverage of the President Chavez' activities as head of the PSUV is based on a great quantity of people attending events, while the opposition has fewer people attending theirs. Furthermore, Pimentel alleges that private media sources do not report on pro-government electoral activities. Any imbalance in reporting campaign activities is clearly on the side of the private media, Pimentel proclaims, since the private media dominate the spectrum and attack the government 24/7. After the meeting, Pimentel did reveal to reporters that he has made a commitment to give greater coverage to candidates "not in favor of the government."
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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