VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports:
President Chavez has opened a maize-processing plant in Barinas. This is the third maize factory the government has set up during its term in office ... five others are currently in construction. The government plan is to build 10 throughout the country. The new plant in Barinas can receive and process 72 tonnes of maize a day to produce 46.8 tonnes of pre-cooked maize flour. The plant itself is near President Chavez' birthplace in Sabaneta and was set up in a joint collaboration between the Communal Economy Ministry and an Iranian company.
Pro-government officials at the Metropolitan Mayor's Office are organizing in a job defense committee, accusing opposition Metropolitan Mayor, Antonio Ledezma of discrimination. According to the committee deputy president, Gabriel Rosal, 5,980 workers contracted by the Mayor's Office have already been dismissed. Rosal says the workers were involved in administrative and social program activities and the committee is fighting to have them reinstated under the current government decree of job security.
The wife of Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Ivan Simonovis, Mari del Pilar continues to demand a resolution to the trial, which her husband and 10 other PM officers are undergoing for alleged responsibility in the fatal events of April 11, 2002 (11A) during the coup d'etat against President Chavez. The lawyer says she is asking the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) and the public ministry to be able to attend the conclusions of the hearings where she can prove conclusively that her husband and the others had no responsibility in what happened on 11 A. The hearings against the former police officers have been postponed several times and defense lawyers calls the tactic an "excuse" to avoid reaching an outcome in the trial because of lack of evidence.
Christian Socialist (COPEI) leaders say gas canisters were thrown into their national HQ in Caracas yesterday morning. The pro-government La Piedrita group has claimed responsibility for the incident by leaving flyers at the scene. COPEI general secretary, Luis Carlos Solorzano accuses the government of being behind the attack, stating that the group responsible is financed and receives instructions from government sources. Solorzano points to the diligence shown by the Public Ministry in opening an investigation into accusations launched by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) that its members were physically attacked by supporters of the new opposition State Governor of Tachira, Cesar Perez Vivas. COPEI, Solorzano emphasizes, wants to see the same reaction to the tear gas incident.
The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) is currently celebrating its ordinary annual assembly. CEV president and Archbishop of Maracaibo, Monsignor Ubaldo Santana has admitted that Venezuela has gone through important transformations over the last few years, highlighting the fact that poorer sectors of society have had more direct access to the benefits of oil income through government's distributive social policies, which have favored social inclusion and people's purchasing power. However, the Archbishop comments that people have not been prepared to confront scarcity. A major topic during the week-long meeting will be the current state of insecurity and violence in Venezuela. Santana states that there is no perception that national and regional authorities, social and educational institutions, intelligence and security organs are dealing with the problem with the urgency required. The bishops, Santana declares, are also concerned that both government and the opposition seem more concerned about extending their quotas of power than attending the very serious problems affecting society.
The Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) has announced that inflation reached 30.9% during 2008, while the consumer price index (CPI) in December ended in 2.6%. In Caracas, the inflation rate registered 31.9%, while in Maturin (Monagas), it shot up to 32%. According to the bank, the level of product scarcity on the market in December was around 11%, the lowest in the last 24 months. The economy grew 4.9% in 2008, 8.4% in 2007, 10.3% in 2006, 9.4 percent in 2005 and 17.9% in 2004.
The National Elections Council (CNE) has decided to use the electoral register that was approved on December 11, 2008 as the basis of voter participation in the upcoming constitutional amendment referendum. Any objection to the ruling must be presented within five working days during which voters will have the possibility of reviewing their data and request modifications.
According to Economy & Finance Minister, Ali Rodriguez Araque, Venezuela is in the best position in South America to confront the dire economic situation affecting every country. Speaking on State television, the Minister says the government has taken measures to defend the economy against the collapse of the North American capitalist model. Several scenarios have been set up to confront a situation, which he characterizes as "undefined" and according to the development of the scenarios, respective measures will be taken. During its 10 years in power, Rodriguez Araque insists, the government has bolstered Venezuela's economic sector after recovering oil sovereignty and imposing tax sovereignty.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue
patrick.vheadline@gmail.com
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