Patrick J. O'Donoghue's news and views from Venezuela -- January 14, 2009

VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports:

Accion Democratica (AD) leader, Henry Ramos Allup says his party will support a proposal launched by Christian Socialist (COPEI) party president, Luis Ignacio Planas for a new opposition unitary agreement vis-a-vis the constitutional amendment. Ramos Allup urges all opposition groups to sign the pact as part of the democratic struggle.

The former once all-powerful AD party has now become a minor player in the opposition and although Ramos Allup was mentioned as part of an opposition meeting in Puerto Rico, it is not clear whether he actually attended. The main players at the moment are: Omar Barboza of the majority Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) party, Julio Borges (Primero Justicia) and surprisingly, Planas of COPEI, which, like AD, has fallen to the role of minor player.

Opposition youth leader and Metropolitan Mayor's Office Youth Institute president, Yon Goicoechea has leaped to the defense of Globovision 24-hour news TV owner, Alberto Federico Ravell, stating that a pro-government TV interviewer showed the businessman a lack of respect by accusing Ravell of receiving money from foreign sources to distort news about Venezuela. Goicoechea has also announced that the opposition youth wing will ask the National Elections Council (CNE) to open up the electoral register, claiming that there are several hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans that have reached the voting age of 18 years and are unable to vote. The youth leader, member of Primero Justicia, claims that President Chavez is scared of the new voters. Goicoechea has convoked what he calls a "symbolic rally against violence in Caracas" on Youth Day, February 12.

An NGO calling itself the Fifth Commandment Organization has asked the Attorney General's Office to open an investigation into the now infamous trip undertaken by Globovision TV owner, Alberto Federico Ravell and opposition politicians to Puerto Rico allegedly to continue destabilization plan is against Venezuela. NGO member, Jackeline Sosa says the organization wants to find out if the trip is connected to any campaign against the legitimate government of Venezuela.

Venezuelan Agrarian Corporation (CVA) president, Riblia Rodriguez says the government guarantees domestic supply of maize flour and rice, despite the world economic crisis. Rodriguez clarifies that thanks to the agro-food security and sovereignty law, Venezuela has a strategic reserve of enough food for around four months, which means that there is no possibility of agro-industrial saboteurs repeating their performance as during the oil stoppage in 2002-2003. Commenting on declarations by Federation of Chambers of Industry & Commerce (Fedecamaras) president, Jose Manuel Gonzalez, Rodriguez rejects suggestions of food shortages this year and points to advances in producing supplies, such as seed and the necessary technological assistance that peasants are receiving to ensure good harvests. At the moment, Rodriguez maintains, there are 104 units of social production property in all areas ranging from farms producing agricultural supplies to the recovery of the national herds through international agreements. Venezuela is currently promoting a new kind of pasta based on maize and rice through a technological exchange with China.

Rendering an annual account of his administration during 2008 to the National Assembly (AN), President Chavez has highlighted extreme poverty figures in Venezuela that fell from 42% to 9.1% over the last 10 years.

• The President also presented progress in social, energy, agricultural matters and is proud of the fact that the country has improved its index of human development that measures health, education and income per capita.
• However, Chavez did admit that the government was unable to fight off inflation which closed at 30.9% in 2008 but shrugs off predictions about poor or low economic performance in 2009.
• 88.9% of the population, Chavez told parliament, has benefited from the government's flagship health scheme, Barrio Adentro ... around 24 million persons have received assistance from some of the 6,531 popular clinics distributed throughout Venezuela.
• More than 19 million citizens have received vaccinations to fight off 14 diseases.
• In education, the President points out, more than 345,189 people have received scholarships and 189,000 citizens have been incorporated into jobs after passing through government missions or social programs.
• The President contends that there are no children on the streets, stating that in 2004 there were 8,000 children registered as living on the streets.
• The public debt has been reduced to 70% in the last decade.
• The President has reiterated that the road Venezuela has taken is called Socialism, describing Venezuela as Socialist and his revolution as democratic, stating that his government practices Democratic Socialism.

Interior & Justice (MIJ) Minister, Tarek El Aissami has promised to launch an offensive against public insecurity this year. The Minister says the government has taken important steps to ensure short-term results in a matter of public security and safety. State governors and mayors, the Minister declares, must orientate their efforts to consolidate the new system by enforcing the national police law, which "breaks with the repressive model of the past." The government, the Minister states, is seeking to create a predominantly preventive police force and one that is close to the values of each Barrio and community, in other words, a police force that will "render account of its operational performance to the communities."

The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) has rejected President Chavez' constitutional amendment proposal because it states that Venezuelans have already made their opinion clear about the matter rejecting it in the December 2007 referendum. The bishops also say that if the amendment is approved, it will not resolve any of the country's problems. In the final document concluding their annual assembly, the bishops criticize the situation in hospitals that have been left without minimum equipment, schools showing poor quality of service, lack of decent housing, personal insecurity and a lack of public ethics that encourages corruption. Public insecurity is identified as the country's main problem and one of the causes, the bishops argue, is increasing loss of the value of life, "Venezuela is one of the most violent countries in the world .. and among the causes are drug trafficking and consumption, vengeance killings, the vile business of kidnapping and a rapid increase of hired assassins." The Interior & Justice (MIJ) Ministry and judicial power are branded as "inefficient."

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
patrick.vheadline@gmail.com