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July 29, 2010

A RECENTLY FREED PARALYZED CUBAN POLITICAL PRISONER ARRIVES IN MIAMI

     MIAMI, FLORIDA--Ariel Sigler, 44 and paralyzed from the waist down, was released to his home in Matanzas province in June as part of a deal between Cuba's government and the island's Roman Catholic Church. He obtained a U.S. visa quickly, and subsequently was given permission to leave the island by Cuban authorities. Sigler was greeted by Cuban Americans at Miami International Airport on Wednesday. “I'm going, looking to regain my health,'' he told reporters at the Havana airport before boarding his flight.

    “When I arrive in Miami . . . they are waiting for me and will take me to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where I hope to regain my strength.'' Sigler said he eventually planned to return to Cuba  ”because this government's days are numbered.'' “This dictatorship has very little time left,'' he said, ``and I think this will be a temporary departure.'' Sigler was among 75 opposition activists rounded up in March 2003 and charged with taking money from Washington to destabilize Cuba's government.

     Those imprisoned denied that, as did U.S. officials. Sigler served more than seven years of a 25-year sentence for treason. He went to prison an athlete and boxer, but paralysis that occurred while behind bars requires him to use a wheelchair. Sigler's release came shortly before Cuba agreed on July 7 to release 52 more political prisoners, a landmark deal that, if completed, would empty island jails of all 75 Cubans arrested during the crackdown seven years ago. So far, 20 political prisoners have been released as part of the government's second agreement with the church, and all have flown into exile in Spain with their families.

US AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE TO VENEZUELA VOWS TO SUPPORT DEMOCRACY

      WASHINGTON, D.C.--Larry Palmer, the US ambassador-designate to Venezuela, disclosed in a hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the priorities of his mission in Venezuela. Palmer said that a key component of his work would include support for human rights, and democratic freedoms in Venezuela.

    "If confirmed, a key component of my work will include support for democracy, human rights, and fundamental democratic freedoms," Palmer stressed, as reported by AFP.  "There is room for improved cooperation," Palmer said in the hearing. He added that if confirmed by the Senate he would increase contacts with members of the civil society in both countries to find "common ground on which to cooperate."  "In case of nationalizations, I will work with the Venezuelan government to fulfill its obligations to provide adequate compensation for any expropriations," Palmer stressed.

     In a cautious tone, typical of US diplomats who have not yet been confirmed in their posts, Palmer referred to Colombia's claims that 1,500 leftwing rebel troops are hiding in Venezuelan territory. ""We do support the call of the OAS to dialogue." He hoped that Venezuela and Colombia can "settle their differences" peacefully.

PDVSA PREPARES CONTINGENCY PLANS ("YELLOW ALERT") RELATED TO THE US

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA--State-run oil firm Pdvsa declared a “yellow alert,” as it focuses on refining problems, which are among the most urgent issues facing the Venezuelan oil company . President (dictator) Hugo Chávez made a clear call: the Venezuelan oil industry must be prepared for contingency in case of attack against the country and must stop oil shipments to the United States.  Pdvsa sources immediately said that they were ready to respond and declared yellow alert. Nevertheless, the oil holding is actually dealing with operational failures that hit production at Venezuela's leading company. Further, the conglomerate is faced with several international lawsuits, some of them filed by US firms.

    Jesús Sánchez, the general manager of El Palito refinery, told daily newspaper El Carabobeño that his staff is on yellow alert, in accordance with the instructions issued by President Hugo Chávez.  However, beyond that, Sánchez said that Pdvsa staff is working "to repair the boiler of the fluidized catalytic cracking unit (FCC) of the refinery, which was damaged by an explosion." He added that repairs could take several days. "We will start up the plant and we will optimize fuel production" over the weekend or early next week, he said.  On July 17, a boiler that generated 600 pounds of steam exploded, as a result of an emergency shutdown that occurred after a power failure when the autotransformer of the 400 power line in Planta Centro's phase S, one of Latin America's largest thermal power plants, was damaged.

     According to daily newspaper El Carabobeño, from that date the production of fuel was halted. However, Pdvsa has said that it has sufficient inventory to meet demand.  The units that produce gasoline at three Pdvsa's refineries (El Palito, Cardón and Amuay) have been halted due to technical failures or due to maintenance work, according to Reuters. Production in two out of the three closed plants amounts to 124,000 bpd.  Simultaneously, Pdvsa is facing a billionaire international arbitration process and must meet outstanding payments due to the policy of nationalization of oil industries.  There are currently 11 pending arbitration processes against Venezuela before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (Icsid), World Bank, involving over USD 43.5 billion in compensation claims, according to Reuters.  Out of that total, the complaints of Exxon Mobil and Conoco Phillips, which were filed in 2007, amount to USD 40 billion.

July 28, 2010

FORMER CUBAN DICTATOR FIDEL CASTRO MAKES LATEST PUBLIC APPEARANCE IN CEREMONIES

     HAVANA, CUBA--former DICTATOR Fidel Castro made his latest public appearance in ceremonies on Monday marking the anniversary of the start of the Cuban revolution. Cuban television showed Castro, 83, at a somber ceremony in Havana's Revolution Square, then in a lengthy meeting with Cuban intellectuals and artists where he answered questions about a variety of topics for more than an hour. It was the latest in a string of appearances by Castro who has recently emerged from four years of seclusion that followed emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006. In the last two appearances, he has donned a military shirt, which has raised eyebrows because he wore a military uniform for most of his 49 years in power.

     But the main event was in the central city of Santa Clara, where Vice President Juan Ramon Machado Ventura spoke to 90,000 people, while President Raul Castro looked on. In a response to those pushing for faster change on the communist-led island, he said the government would move deliberately and stay loyal to revolutionary ideals. "We will proceed with a sense of responsibility, step by step, at the rhythm we determine, without improvisation or haste so as not to make mistakes," said the veteran of the revolution and longtime Castro loyalist. "We will continue the study, the analysis and the taking of decisions that lead to overcoming our deficiencies," he said. "We will not conduct ourselves by campaigns of the foreign press."

     Machado Ventura spoke in front of a monument holding the remains of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, the Argentine who helped lead the armed insurrection that began on July 26, 1953. On that day, Fidel Castro led an assault by young rebels on the Moncada military barracks in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba. While President Castro did not speak as expected at the Santa Clara ceremony, Cuban television later showed him addressing a Cuba-Venezuela summit in which the socialist allies said they had developed 139 projects on such things and energy and food production that they might do together. "This constitutes a new type of relation," Castro said at the meeting, which took place at a resort island on Cuba's coast. He also pledged to side with Venezuela against any aggression from Colombia, which Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said may attack his oil-rich country in alliance with the United States.

venezuelan dictator hugo chavez BEEFS UP BORDER TROOPS IN COLOMBIA SPAT

      CARACAS, VENEZUELA--Venezuelan dictator  Hugo Chavez broke off diplomatic ties with Colombia last week, bringing the countries' troubled relations to a new low after Bogota alleged that his government allowed leftist Colombian rebels to operate bases there. Chavez, a leftist former soldier whose popularity has been slipping ahead of legislative elections next month, called the charges a "hoax" and an excuse for Colombia to launch a U.S.-backed invasion he says would start a "100-year war." The United States on Monday said it had no intention of taking military action against Venezuela. Venezuela met with United Nations' Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to explain its position.

    About 1,000 National Guard soldiers arrived in the border region over the weekend and were reinforcing posts along the 1,375-mile (2,200-km) long frontier, said Franklin Marquez, a regional commander for the National Guard. "We have a reinforcement of 980 to 1,000 troops for the protection of the border, but there are no unusual operations; we are staying on alert," Marquez said. The border region has remained calm and most analysts believe a military clash is unlikely between the nations, which have often squabbled over border security and guerrillas. But border skirmishes are possible in a volatile region plagued by clashing ideologies and drug trafficking.

     The United States urged Chavez, an outspoken standard-bearer for socialism and anti-U.S. sentiment in Latin America, to address Colombia's charges that 1,500 Colombian rebels are camped out in Venezuela. "We have no intention of engaging a military action against Venezuela," U.S. State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley told reporters on Monday. "Rather than posturing, it would be much more constructive for Venezuela to engage directly, answer these questions." Chavez responded on Sunday by threatening to cut off Venezuela's oil supplies to the United States if Colombia attacks. But analysts say that would be a devastating blow for Venezuela's economy, which is already shrinking and suffering from 30 percent annual inflation. Bilateral trade with Colombia, once at $7 billion annually, has plummeted since Chavez ordered a freeze on trade last year to protest a deal allowing U.S. forces to use Colombian bases.

EUROPEAN UNION, CANADA ADOPT NEW ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN

     BRUSSELS, BELGIUM--The European Union and Canada on Monday adopted new sanctions against Iran, targeting the country's foreign trade, banking and energy sectors.  The moves are the latest in a series of measures taken by the international community in an effort to halt Iran's nuclear program. The EU's measures, which leaders agreed to in principle in June, also blacklist Iran's shipping and air cargo companies. In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast denounced the EU decision.

    "Moving toward confrontational measures and supporting unilateral actions and damaging the atmosphere are not considered by us to be a good use of the opportunity," Mehmanparast said, according to the state television network's website. Iran denies that it is working on a nuclear weapon, saying its program is intended solely for peaceful purposes such as energy-generation.

     EU foreign ministers in Brussels called the restrictions a "comprehensive and robust package" focused on trade, financial services, energy, and transport, with visa bans and asset freezes for Iranian banks, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines. The ministers reaffirmed the EU's commitment to work for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue, and backed a call to Tehran to resume meaningful negotiations. The EU's new measures will come into force in the next few weeks, after they are published in the bloc's official gazette, officials said.

Y  YO SIGO SIENDO EL REY
 

July 27, 2010

FORMER CUBAN DICTATOR FIDEL CASTRO ABSENT, NEW DICTATOR RAUL CASTRO SILENT AT CUBA'S REVOLUTION DAY

     SANTA CLARA, CUBA--A B-team of socialist speakers spent Cuba's Revolution Day bashing the United States for everything from its drug consumption to the war in Iraq to its military support for Colombia, portraying Washington as the great villain in world affairs. But the day was more notable for who didn't address the crowd –  dictator Raul Castro never took the lectern, brother Fidel Castro was a no-show and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez canceled his trip to Cuba altogether. It was the first Revolution Day in memory in which neither Castro spoke, leaving some in the crowd and on Cuba's streets disappointed and perplexed. No reason was given.

     The Castro brothers often use July 26 - the most important date on Cuba's calendar - to set the agenda for the coming year and announce major changes. A spate of public appearances by the 83-year-old Fidel after years of seclusion had fueled speculation he would be onstage with his younger brother and possibly even address his compatriots.  That neither man spoke was a surprise, particularly since Cubans have much they are waiting to hear from their leaders, together in power for more than half a century. Cubans said they were disappointed that the Castros didn't speak - Raul limited himself to awarding plaques and flags to local officials and politely clapping as others took to the stage. Nobody could remember a past Revolution Day where neither man took the podium. "It is unbelievable ... something out of science fiction. They left everyone in the lurch," said Juana Perez, a 58-year-old retiree reading a newspaper in a park in Old Havana.

     Tens of thousands of people filled the plaza in the central city of Santa Clara in front of a huge bronze statue of gun-toting revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Many in the crowd wore red T-shirts bearing his likeness or other homages to the revolution. They got speeches by local party bosses interspersed with music, poetry readings and chants of "Long live the Revolution!"  Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura gave the main speech, saying Cuba must tighten its belt and make changes to the closed economy - but will not be pushed to move too quickly. "Savings, reduction of costs and the maximum rationing of energy and resources are our urgent needs in all areas," he said, adding that the country is taking a step-by-step approach to transforming its economy. "We will never accept outside pressure." Machado and others decried Washington's 48-year-old trade embargo against Cuba and accused the United States of imperialist intentions in Latin America and the world.

venezuelan dictator hugo chavez warns of us oil cutoff in colombia dispute

      CARACAS, VENEZUELA--VENEZUELAN DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ threatened on Sunday to cut off oil sales to the United States if Venezuela is attacked by its U.S.-allied neighbor Colombia in a dispute over allegations Venezuela gives haven to Colombian rebels. Chavez made his warning in an outdoor speech to thousands of supporters, saying: "If there is any armed aggression against Venezuela from Colombian territory or anywhere else supported by the Yankee empire, we ... would suspend shipments of oil to the United States!"  "We wouldn't send another drop of oil to its refineries, not a single drop more!" Chavez shouted, adding that the United States is "the big one to blame for all the tension in this part of the world."

     If actually carried out, such a threat would be titanic economic blow for Chavez's government, which depends heavily on oil sales. The U.S. is the top buyer of oil from Venezuela, which is the United States' fifth biggest foreign supplier. But Colombia has not threatened military action, and it's likely Chavez made the warning in part to put Washington and Bogota on notice that he will not stand for a more aggressive international campaign to denounce allegations that leftist Colombian rebels are finding refuge in Venezuela. Chavez cut off diplomatic relations with Colombia on Thursday after outgoing President Alvaro Uribe's government presented photos, videos and maps of what it said were Colombian rebel camps inside Venezuela. Chavez called it an attempt to smear his government and said Uribe could be trying to lay the groundwork for an armed conflict.

     In 2008, Chavez also warned of a possible war with Colombia after its military carried out a cross-border raid on a rebel camp in Ecuador that killed a guerrilla leader, Raul Reyes. Chavez on Sunday appeared to be giving a new warning that he wouldn't tolerate anything similar in Venezuelan territory. "Chavez's threat to halt oil sales if attacked by Colombia is credible in my view," said Adam Isacson, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America. While saying Chavez's threat could be intended as a deterrent against what he sees as a menace, Isacson added that it could also be a tactic to rally supporters and distract from Venezuela's problems like high inflation and crime two months ahead of key legislative elections. "Troubles with Colombia give Chavez the chance to rally his base, and get out their vote, by playing the patriotism card," Isacson said.

EUROPEAN UNION ADOPTS NEW SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN

     BRUSSELS, BELGIUM--The European Union on Monday formally adopted a package of new sanctions against Iran, targeting the country's foreign trade, banking and energy sectors. The move, which EU leaders had been agreed to in principle in June, is the latest in a series of measures taken by the international community in an effort to halt Iran's nuclear program.  In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast denounced the EU decision.  "Moving toward confrontational measures and supporting unilateral actions and damaging the atmosphere are not considered by us to be a good use of the opportunity," Mehmanparast said, according to the state television network's website.

    In Brussels, EU foreign ministers adopted a decision "on a package of restrictive measures" in the areas of trade, financial services, energy and transport, said a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity under standing rules. The new measures will come into force in the next few weeks, after they are published in the bloc's official gazette, officials said. "We have a comprehensive set of sanctions. This is something where we have all 27 countries working together," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said ahead of the meeting. According to the decision reached in June, the sanctions will target dual-use items that could be used as part of a nuclear program, and Iran's oil and gas industry - including the "prohibition of new investment, technical assistance and transfers of technologies."

    Iran's shipping and air cargo companies will be blacklisted and banned from operating in EU territory, and new visa bans and asset freezes will be imposed on Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The sanctions also encompass trade insurance and financial transactions. EU exports to Iran - mainly machinery, transport equipment and chemicals - amounted to euro 14.1 billion in 2008. Imports from Iran, the EU's sixth largest energy provider, amounted to euro 11.3 billion, with energy being 90 percent of the total. The new European restrictions will come on top of a fourth round of sanctions imposed last month by the U.N. Security Council to curtail Iran's nuclear program over fears it is developing weapons. The council endorsed those sanctions after Iran rebuffed a plan to suspend uranium enrichment and swap its stockpiles of low-enriched uranium for fuel rods.

July 26, 2010

RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER VLADIMIR PUTIN JOINS EXPELLED RUSSIAN SPIES IN PATRIOTIC SONGS

     MOSCOW, RUSSIA--During a recent meeting, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin provided encouragement and sang patriotic songs with 10 agents who were expelled from the United States this month after they were accused of spying, state media reported. "I am sure they will work in decent places. I am sure they will have an interesting and bright life," Putin told reporters Saturday as he described his meeting with the group, state media RIA-Novosti said.

     Putin, a former KGB officer, said that betrayal allowed the spy network to be uncovered, adding that he knew the names of those responsible, RIA-Novosti reported. Betrayers "always end up badly taking to drink or drugs, in a gutter," he said, according to the news agency. The 10 Russian agents pleaded guilty in the United States earlier this month for failing to register as foreign agents and were ordered out of the country. In Washington, Attorney General Eric Holder said none of the 10 had passed classified information and therefore none had been charged with espionage. But U.S. officials said the group had been under observation by federal authorities for more than a decade.

     White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told PBS' "NewsHour" that although the 10 agents didn't plead guilty to being spies, they "were clearly caught in the business of spying." After the pleas, the agents were ordered out of the country and the United States and Russia completed an elaborately choreographed spy swap, using chartered planes to exchange the 10 agents convicted in the U.S. with four Russians who had been imprisoned for alleged contact with Western intelligence agencies. Putin told reporters Saturday that the life of a spy is difficult. "Imagine - they have to master a foreign language as your own, think and speak it, fulfill tasks in the interests of their motherland for many years without counting on diplomatic immunity," he said.

OAS SECRETARY GENERAL URGES COLOMBIA AND VENEZUELA TO CALM DOWN AND FIND A SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS

      WASHINGTON, D.C.--José Miguel Insulza, Secretary-General, Organization of American States (OAS), made an appeal to the governments of Venezuela and Colombia to "calm down" and find a way to overcome their crisis and restore bilateral relations as soon as possible.

     "I am making an appeal to calm down and find a way" to compromise and settle, the OAS Secretary-General said. He recommended Venezuela and Colombia remembering that they "have common goals" and that both of them and the whole region have overcome previous crises.  "We succeeded in overcoming serious crises some years ago. I hope they can make it now as well, but the steps should be taken by Venezuela and Colombia, and I expect they can come to terms over the next months," Insulza reasoned.

     The Secretary-General replied in this way during an extraordinary meeting of the OAS Council to the announcement made by Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chávez on breaking relations with Colombia. The decision came after the Colombian government reported on the presence of guerrillas in Venezuelan territory.  "Should you need OAS cooperation, we will always willing to do it," the Chilean diplomat added.

ECUADOR ALLEGES THAT OAS SECRETARY GENERAL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COLOMBIA-VENEZUELA CRISIS

     QUITO, ECUADOR--Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, reprimanded the secretary general of the OAS, Jose Miguel Insulza, by holding a meeting of the Permanent Council of the organization that led to the severance of diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Colombia, and considered which has responsibility in this crisis.  "Do not try irresponsibly an issue that could jeopardize the maintenance of peace in the region," said Patino and faulted Insulza has been shielded by the rules of the Organization of American States (OAS) to avoid delaying the meeting, prior to consultations with member countries. Patino said Ecuador asked "repeatedly" the international official to delay the meeting, which reviewed allegations of Colombia about the alleged presence of guerrillas in Venezuelan territory.

     "We warn you," repeated the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Insulza reiterated that spoke repeatedly about the risk embodied convene the meeting of the OAS, before consultations to members of the body.  "Between Monday and Tuesday I talked by phone more than three or four times to warn him of acting responsibly," said the chancellor, with the Inter-American Charter in hand, Insulza said he would have breached the mandate given.  The OAS document "does not say" the secretary general must "comply with the regulations distorted, no. Dice (to be) to strengthen peace and security on the continent," he said Patiño.

     He also said that the Ecuadorian government, on 20 June, Insulza sent a letter in which he requested "a review of the call, and postpone it ... We never said that it is not ... that meets it postponed. "  That request sought, said Patino, who made "consultations with other member countries of the region to discuss the current political moment that could affect the level of relations between countries" of Latin America.  This is an issue that Insulza "he was absolutely great," scolded Patino and said wryly that the secretary of the OAS, covered in the regulations, "burned the region."  For Patino, the diplomatic row between Caracas and Bogota and can not be solved within the framework of the OAS and therefore said he would consult with the American president, Rafael Correa, to search for outlets in the framework of the Union of South American Nations ( UNASUR).

THE SHOW MUST GO ON...

July 25, 2010

SEVEN SENATORS URGE US GOVERNMENT TO FILE COMPLAINT AGAINST VENEZUELAN DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--A group of Senators (six Republicans  and one Independent) asked on Wednesday the US government to file a complaint against Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez in the Organization of American States on the "deepening deterioration" of human rights and democracy in the South American country.

    "We ask that you work with other democracies in the region to assess the viability of invoking the Democratic Charter at the OAS in regard to the government of Venezuela's violations," said the letter sent to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, signed by Senators George LeMieux (R-Fl), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Tom Coburn (R-OK), James Inhofe (R-OK), John Ensign (R-NV),  senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and James E. Risch (R-ID).

    The US Senators cited examples of "the determined efforts by dictator Chávez to gain absolute control of his country's branches of government and Venezuelan civil society." Among them, they cited the judicial harassment of Guillermo Zuloaga, CEO and main shareholder of Globovisión and Nelson Mezerhane, a minor shareholder and director of the private TV news channel.

UN SECRETARY GENERAL OFFERS AID TO VENEZUELA AND COLOMBIA

      UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK--United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday reminded Colombia and Venezuela, which are going through a diplomatic crisis, that dialogue is the best tool to solve any differences "between neighbors."  "I am aware that there are tensions between the two countries. But all the tensions or differences of opinion should be resolved first of all through dialogue, in a peaceful manner, as good neighbors," Ban said after attending the inauguration of third World Assembly of Presidents of Parliament, Efe reported. The secretary general made available to the two countries "all technical assistance" of the United Nations to settle the current dispute. 

     The diplomatic tensions between Colombia and Venezuela have worsened following Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's threats to "cut ties" in a formal way with the neighboring nation in "the coming hours."

     Chavez's warning will become true if his Colombian counterpart Álvaro Uribe "continues with his groundless attacks," as Chávez called the Colombian president's announcement that he has "strong evidence" that Colombian guerrilla leaders are hiding in Venezuela.  Hours before Chavez's announcement of a possible formal severance of bilateral relations, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro announced that Caracas recalled the ambassador to Bogotá, Gustavo Márquez, for consultations.

US OFFERS REFUGEE STATUS TO CUBAN DISSIDENT PRISONERS

     HAVANA, CUBA--Families of Cuban dissidents wishing to emigrate to the United States began discussing their options with US officials on Tuesday, as Cuba prepared for the release of more political prisoners. AFP - The United States has offered refugee status to all freed Cuban dissidents and their families, opposition activists said after meeting with officials at the US Interests Section in Havana. "They explained that all who want to register with the refugee program can do so. It's a good choice because some of us don't want to travel to Spain," Ladies in White opposition group leader Bertha Soler told AFP.

    Her husband Angel Moya was released from a 20-year prison sentence on July 7 as part of a group of 52 dissidents jailed since a 2003 crackdown who are set to be freed. So far, 12 released prisoners have traveled to Spain -- the last one left on Tuesday -- and eight others are expected to join them later this week. Around 15 to 20 ex-prisoners do not want to leave Cuba or want to go to the United States, where the Cuban diaspora numbers some 1.5 million people. Some of the people interviewed by the US Interests Section (USINT) were banking on a faster way out. "I was hoping for something better, a faster way" of getting to the United States, said Teresa Galvan, whose brother Miguel was serving a 26-year prison sentence.

    "It's as if the US government has opened a door for me. They told me that they'll make things easier, and simplify the process," said Clara Prieto, the sister of Fabio Prieto -- a 47-year-old journalist sentenced to 20 years in jail. "They told me the process will get underway," added Alejandrina Garcia, whose husband Diosdalo Gonzalez was sentenced to 20 years, and who was refused refugee status by USINT in 2000. US officials studied each case separately and explained immigration options and procedures for going to the United States, a USINT spokeswoman told AFP. Cuban dissidents say that another 115 political prisoners will remain behind bars in Cuba even after the release of the 52. "We want to see all political prisoners released in Cuba, but how far and how fast the Cuban government will go is a major question," US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in Washington on Tuesday.

July 24, 2010

UNITED STATES CONCERNED OVER PRESENCE OF FARC LEADERS IN VENEZUELA

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--The US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said that Venezuela is obliged to “prevent terrorist. The United States studies the allegations made by the Colombian government according to which there are guerrilla leaders in Venezuela.

     Washington has been concerned "for a long time" about the possible presence of Colombian rebels in Venezuela, the US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said. The United States is studying the allegations made by Colombia according to which guerrilla leaders are hiding in Venezuela.

    "We are studying these reports. Some of this is not new, since there has been concern for some time about cross-border activities or involvement in rebel activities," Crowley told reporters. The Colombian government said on Thursday that it has evidence that leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) are hiding in Venezuela. Venezuela is obliged to "prevent terrorist groups from operating in its territory," Crowley said.

COLOMBIA TO DENOUNCE VENEZUELA AT INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT OF THE HAGUE

      BOGOTA, COLOMBIA--Colombia's General Prosecutor Guillermo Mendoza said Thursday that Colombia would denounce Venezuela at the International Court of Justice because it allowed Colombia's rebel chiefs to hide in the country and commit criminal activities. Mendoza said that  he could let the law to determine whether  the  rebels have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.  "These attacks are criminal activities that can be brought to the International Court of Justice," Colombia's Acting General Prosecutor, Guillermo Mendoza told journalists.

    "If this behavior is considered war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Prosecutor General's Office will assess the possibility of establishing a link between these attacks and the support that some Venezuelan people and authorities might be giving to them," Mendoza said. The Colombian official made the remarks after the Colombian government presented to the Organization of American States (OAS) new evidence of the allegedly presence of Colombia guerilla chiefs in Venezuela, where they ordered to carry out criminal activities in Colombia.

     Luis Alfonso Hoyo, Colombia's ambassador to the OAS, presented on Thursday at an OAS extraordinary meeting videos, tapes and photos to show the Venezuelan authorities' support to the Colombia's rebel groups. According to Mendoza, the new evidence showed how the Colombia's rebel groups in Venezuela remote-controlled at least 60 military attacks in the border areas with Venezuela in recent days. Colombia and Venezuela share a 2,200-km-long border line which is considered as a "paradise" for Colombian paramilitaries, guerrillas and drug-traffickers to carry out all kinds of criminal activities.

VENEZUELAN DEFENSE COUNCIL SUGGESTS ACTIONS TO COUNTER COLOMBIA'S "ONSLAUGHT" 

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA--Venezuela's National Defense Council held an emergency meeting late on Thursday at the request of President (dictator) Hugo Chávez to Colombia's allegations that Colombian guerrilla leaders are allegedly hiding in Venezuela and the subsequent Venezuela's decision to cut diplomatic ties with Colombia.  During the meeting, which was led by Executive Vice President Elías Jaua, the Council produced a document with a series of recommendations to be submitted to Venezuela's Head of State. The proposals are intended to strengthen the response to what they termed a verbal assault from Colombia.

     "The National Defense Council has discussed a series of actions to be submitted to President Chávez, in order to strengthen our categorical response and consolidate the measures required to ensure that the current government of Colombia understands that it must respect the legitimate government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," Jaua said.  Now, President Chávez is to decide what proposals will be implemented.   The recommendations were not disclosed publicly. However, Jaua said that the National Defense Council fully supported the presidential decision to severe ties with Colombia.  "We must act with much firmness against what we consider an onslaught that comes amidst a plan of political meddling in Venezuela's internal affairs ahead of the electoral process in Venezuela," Jaua stressed.

    He added that he expects that opposition groups do not support this new aggression against Venezuela.  For her part, Luisa Estela Morales, the president of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, said that the recommendations made by the Council will define the strategy that, from the national and international legal point of view, the Venezuelan government can adopt.  "We discussed in this meeting the causes and statements that in the diplomatic world represent an aggression against the government of Venezuela," Morales said.   The president of the TSJ added that the country has been the victim of Colombia's domestic conflict, which has been transferred to Venezuela, maybe with the intention that Colombian authorities avoid their responsibility.

July 23, 2010

colombia ACCUSES VENEZUELA OF HARBORING 1,500 FARC REBELS

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--A Colombian diplomat said officials have proof that Venezuela is allowing about 1,500 left-wing rebels to roam freely on its soil.  The allegations against Venezuela were announced at an Organizations of American States meeting in Washington D.C. on Thursday.  Colombia's ambassador at the OAS, Luis Alfonso Hoyos asked the Venezuelan government to stop hiding the wanted rebels. He also warned that there will be a third international party meant to corroborate the locations identified by former rebels.

    "We are hoping that Venezuela will cooperate and that they will comply with international and national rules. The presence of such illicit groups should not be allowed in any state," said Hoyos.  During the meeting, Colombian diplomats planned to present overwhelming evidence -- including photos, coordinates, video and testimonials -- showing that there are rebels operating from Venezuela.  "At this time, there are several camps that are being strengthened in Venezuela, where they are launching attacks against Venezuelan territory, as well as Colombian territory, and in turn hurting the Venezuelan people," said Hoyos.

     Venezuela's ambassador at the OAS, Roy Chaderton Matos, said that if there are any Colombian left-wing rebels in his country it is due to the inaction and inability of the Colombian government to solve their problems.  "We have said it a thousand times, we do not accept the presence of any irregulars, nor do we accept any violations by Colombian forces in our territory," said Matos.

COLOMBIAN DIPLOMATS HAVE 72 HOURS TO LEAVE VENEZUELA

      CARACAS, VENEZUELA--The Venezuelan government has set a 72-hour deadline for Colombian diplomats to leave the country, shortly after Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez severed ties with Colombia, Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolás Maduro reported on Thursday. "We have sent a diplomatic note to the chargé d'affaires of the Republic of Colombia in Caracas for them to shut their embassy down within 72 hours and leave the country," Maduro said. The Venezuelan Head of State ordered Venezuelan troops on the Colombian border to keep alert and prepare in the event of raid.

     The announcement marked a fresh spike in tensions between the South American neighbours, which went to the brink of war in 2008 over a Colombian military raid into Ecuador to destroy a cross-border rebel camp. Colombia, Washington's staunchest military ally in the region, and Venezuela, a Cuban ally that has accumulated an arsenal of modern Russian warplanes and weapons, have frequently quarrelled over the past few years. The putative help Chavez is accused of giving Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas has fuelled much of the ill-will. Diplomatic relations have been fragile after past downgrades.

     Colombia and Venezuela froze diplomatic ties last year after Bogota and Washington inked a military cooperation agreement Chavez considered a threat to regional security. A mutual loathing between Chavez and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe - who steps down August 7 to be succeeded by his former defence minister Juan Manuel Santos - has also aggravated the situation. Chavez's decision to break ties came in response to Uribe's charge that rebels from the FARC and the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN) insurgency group were using Venezuela as a rear base. Showing graphic photos of victims of attacks he said were carried out by Venezuelan-based guerrillas, Hoyos said Caracas must "accept its obligation" to bar the rebels from its territory.

VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER REPORTS THAT INVESTIGATION INTO ROTTEN FOOD WAS DISMISSED

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA--Julio Borges, the national coordinator of Venezuela's opposition party Primero Justicia (Justice First, PJ) and candidate to the National Assembly (AN) for the state of Miranda, reported on Wednesday the closure of the case by the Institute for the Defense of People in the Access to Goods and Services (Indepabis) following a complaint made by PJ last June 8 on the discovery of containers with spoiled food of the state-run food distribution network Pdval.

   He told the Venezuelan radio station Unión Radio that after bringing new evidence to the case, they found that the file had a sheet with a stamp of the Institute for the Defense of People in the Access to Goods and Services (Indepabis) authorizing the closure of the case.

     Borges said that the suspension of the investigation by Indepabis means that the case will be shelved and there will be no penalty imposed by the Venezuelan consumer's agency despite the fact the scandal has been considered "a serious issue, affecting millions of Venezuelans."

July 22, 2010

us deploys the massive aircraft carrier the uss george washington to south korea

     SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA--U.S. is sending the massive aircraft carrier the USS George Washington to South Korea this week, the military announced Monday. The deployment is considered a show of force in the wake of the sinking of a South Korean warship last March that killed 46 sailors. South Korea and an international team of investigators have blamed North Korea for the attack. The carrier was expected to be in South Korea's port of Busan by Wednesday and could participate in an upcoming military exercise.  The nuclear powered carrier, one of the world's largest warships, will be accompanied by three destroyers - the McCampbell, the John S. McCain and the Lassen.

    Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton were expected to announce more details this week about the upcoming joint military exercise. Gates and Clinton were visiting Seoul to meet with their South Korean counterparts. The military exercise and deployment of the George Washington has been under discussion since shortly after the March attack on the South Korean navy vessel, the Cheonan.

    The Cheonan's sinking was considered South Korea's worst military disaster since the Korean War, which ended in a cease-fire in 1953. No formal peace treaty was ever signed, and more than 28,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in the south with a vow to protect its critical ally. The deployment of the aircraft carrier could be seen by North Korea as a particularly aggressive move by the United States because of the ship's sheer size. According to a Navy website, the George Washington is 244 feet high from keel to mast and can accommodate some 6,250 crew members.

venezuelan dictATOR HUGO CHAVEZ TO NAME MEMBER FOR GLOBOVISION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

      CARACAS, VENEZUELA--Venezuela’s DICTATORT Hugo Chávez is sure that the administrative board of Banco Federal should appoint a representative in the board of directors of private news TV channel Globovisión. He recommended his staunchest allies Mario Silva and Alberto Nolia

     Chávez reported on Tuesday that in the upcoming days the administrative board of Banco Federal must appoint a representative in the board of directors of private news TV channel Globovisión. He claimed that the government now has a 25.8-percent stake in the TV channel.  

    "(Nelson) Mezerhane has a business which has been seized, which holds 20 percent of shares in Globovisión, and another business which holds 5.8 percent; taken together, this makes 25.8 percent (…) Now, then, over the next few days, the administrative board of Banco Federal should, want it or not, appoint a representative in the board of directors of Globovisión, because we now own 25.8 percent of the stocks and this gives us the right to name a representative in the board of directors," Chávez reasoned.  "I am thinking about the nominee," said Chávez. "Mario Silva, the first candidate; he is a candidate." He also mentioned Alberto Nolia.  "We are not expropriating, but entering the business," he added.

NGO REFUSES "ABUSE AND UNLAWFULNESS" OF THE GLOBOVISION ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY DICTATOR CHAVEZ

     MIAMI, FLORIDA--Miami-based Foundation Venezuela Awareness Foundation categorically rejected the "abusive and unlawful way" of President Hugo Chávez when reporting on taking up the shares of private news TV channel Globovisión, which belonged to Nelson Mezerhane, after taking over the companies of the Federal Group.

    The group of Venezuelan residents in Miami considered that the government action tries to "silence the only independent TV channel, which endangers freedom of press and speech in a country which claims to be democratic." This, in their opinion, would ratify that the judiciary is unconstitutionally used in Venezuela.

    They also regretted that the Head of State nominated Mario Silva and Alberto Nolia as the potential representatives of 25 percent of the interest of the Federal Group in the TV channel, "because both of them are persons who solicit hatred, calumny and everything related to human rights abuses. In this way, the Venezuelan government unveils its true nature and ideals."

July 21, 2010

u.s., south korea to hold major military drills 

     SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA--The United States and South Korea will conduct major joint military exercises starting Sunday just off the Korean peninsula, the U.S. military announced Tuesday. The exercise, dubbed "Invincible Spirit," will involve about 8,000 Army, Air Force and Navy personnel, 20 ships and 200 aircraft, the military said. The purpose of the training is to improve readiness against a "range of threats" facing South Korea, the military said in a statement. The four-day exercise will be the first in a series planned in the Sea of Japan.

    U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who Tuesday visited troops stationed at Camp Casey, just north of Seoul, said the upcoming exercises should send a signal to communist North Korea. He and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plan to visit the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea on Wednesday. He said the United States wanted to make "a gesture of solidarity with our Korean allies and [show] recognition that the issues of missile and nuclear proliferation in the North continue to be serious challenges for us and for our allies and we intend to take them seriously." The exercises come amid months of heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula after the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March. A multinational investigation found North Korea responsible for the torpedo attack that killed 46 South Korean sailors.

     North Korea has denied any connection with the attack and said it is the victim of an international conspiracy. Earlier this month, the United Nations formally denounced the Cheonan's sinking, but did not specifically mention North Korea. "We stand fully prepared to respond militarily to any further North Korean provocation," said Gen. Han Min-koo, chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of Combined Forces Command, said U.S. support for "South Korea's defense is unequivocal."  The United States is sending the aircraft carrier USS George Washington and three U.S. destroyers to South Korea to participate in the drill.  Pyongyang over the weekend said such a U.S. presence would be a "reckless provocation," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. It said the United States and South Korea were trying to save face after suffering a "diplomatic defeat" in the United Nations.

IRNIAN LAWMAKERS AUTHORIZE RETALIATION FOR INTERNATIONAL INSPECTIONS OF AIR, SEA CARGO

      TEHRAN, IRAN--Iran's parliament authorized the government Tuesday to retaliate against countries that inspect cargo on Iranian ships and aircraft as part of new U.N. sanctions over its nuclear program. Lawmakers, hoping to discourage compliance with a fourth round of Security Council penalties, passed a bill allowing the government to respond in kind, with cargo inspections of its own. Last month's Security Council resolution calls on, but does not require, all countries to cooperate in cargo inspections if there are "reasonable grounds" to believe the items could contribute to the Iranian nuclear program, and any inspection must receive the consent of the ship's flag state.

    The new sanctions, which also include financial penalties, were imposed because of Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment, a technology the United States and other world powers suspect Tehran is seeking to master as a possible pathway to nuclear weapons. Iran says it is only after nuclear power. In Geneva, Iran's parliament Speaker Ari Larijani said his country's new law should serve notice that it accepts only the conditions in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which grants signatories the right to develop peaceful nuclear energy as long as they do not acquire atomic weapons. "There should be a balance between the obligations and the rights within the framework of the NPT," he told journalists through an interpreter. "If they ignore our rights, then they could expect us to ignore some of our obligations." "If they want to act illegally and inspect Iran's ships, then we will retaliate," he said.

    The Iranian bill also requires the government to maintain its limited level of cooperation with United Nations nuclear safeguards agreements. Iran, for example, refuses to allow surprise visits by U.N. nuclear inspectors. Iran's uranium enrichment program is at the center of international concerns about its nuclear work because of the possibility it could be used to make weapons. At lower levels of processing, enriched uranium is suitable for making fuel for power plants. Iran recently increased its enrichment to a level of 20 percent, which it says is needed for a medical research reactor. That development, however, puts it much closer to being able to advance toward the 90 percent level needed in weapons production. The bill adopted Tuesday presses the government to continue enriching uranium to 20 percent levels and to pursue self-sufficiency in nuclear fuel production.

UN WATCH REQUESTS VENEZUELAN DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ TO ACCEPT VISIT OF SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR 

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--UN Watch, a non-governmental organization based in Geneva whose mandate is to monitor the performance of the United Nations, considers that the international community should request Venezuela to accept the visit of Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression.

    Through a letter sent to the editor of the Washington Post, the executive director of UN Watch, Hillel C. Neuer, expressed his support to Frank La Rue, the UN free-speech monitor, who stood against the persecution of Venezuelan media owner Guillermo Zuloaga, CEO of the private TV news network Globovisión, and requested the Venezuelan government to allow the visit of the UN Rapporteur to "assess in-depth and on-site the situation of freedom of speech and free press."

   Neuer considers that the United States and the European Union "must embolden the few UN voices willing to defy" Hugo Chávez's "authoritarianism." "As the space for free expression shrinks at alarming speed, unflinching solidarity with Venezuela's courageous dissidents is crucial," said the UN Watch's executive director after criticizing the silence of the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council in this case.

July 20, 2010

CARDINAL UROSA SAVINO DECLINES TO ATTEND HEARING AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, SUGGESTS "PEACEFUL AND RESPECTFUL DIALOGUE"

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA--Jorge Cardinal Urosa Savino issued a statement on Monday declining to attend a hearing at the National Assembly in order to explain the grounds for his disagreements with the government of President Hugo Chávez.

     The Cardinal had been subpoenaed by the National Assembly to express his arguments and ideas about the actions of the Venezuelan government.

     "The heated debate that took place during the session held on July 13, as well as an eventual disturbance of public order that could occur near the seat of the Parliament, as has happened in other opportunities, do not guarantee at this time the peace and respect required for an enlightening and helpful dialogue in the country," the statement read.  The Venezuelan Cardinal invited the members of the National Assembly to hold "respectful and peaceful" talks with the bishops at a time and place agreed by both parties.

MONSIGNOR ROBERTO LUCKERT CALLS DICTATOR CHAVEZ "RECKLESS"

      CARACAS, VENEZUELA--Monsignor Roberto Luckert, the second Vice President of the Venezuelan Bishop's Conference (CEV), accused on Monday President Hugo Chávez of being reckless, as the Venezuelan ruler has claimed that the Venezuelan bishops are involved in alleged coup plans.

     Luckert rejected Chávez's statements and said that the Venezuelan president "will not manage to start a fight" with the Catholic hierarchy, whose members, according to the Archbishop of the city of Coro, are "used to put up with his insults."  The mission of the bishops "is to support and help. It is a reckless act to talk about a conspiracy." But "it takes two to fight; therefore, he will fight alone," Monsignor Luckert said in an interview with Venezuelan radio station Unión Radio, as reported by Efe.

     "The Venezuelan Bishops' Conference (CEV) is not going to respond to his (Chávez's) statements. It is evident that Jorge Cardinal Urosa Savino is not going to respond to insults and offenses," Monsignor Luckert said. "The president's attitude of insulting the Church is not new. We have been listening to the same thing for 11 years," the Archbishop of Coro stressed.  Both the CEV and Cardinal Urosa have said that Chávez seeks to establish a "Marxist, totalitarian and communist regime," Luckert insisted.  Chávez said on Sunday that he would devote his life to criticize Cardinal Urosa, after saying that behind Urosa's attitude "there is a coup d'état."
 

COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT ALVARO URIBE URGES VENEZUELA TO CLOSE THE DOORS TO INSURGENT GROUPS

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--VENEZUELA is always open to dialogue, but it needs real cooperation from Venezuela in closing the doors to drug trafficking and rebel groups, said on Monday Luis Alfonso Hoyos, the Colombian ambassador to the Organization of American States.

    Hoyos stressed that the Colombian delegation wants the session of the OAS Permanent Council to be held next Thursday in Washington on Colombia-Venezuela tensions to be public. The session was convened to address the issue of Colombia's complaints about the alleged presence of Colombian guerrilla leaders in Venezuela, AP reported.  "Colombia has always been open to dialogue," Hoyos said.

    "However, in this case, we need a real cooperation," the diplomat told reporters after a meeting in the Colombian Ministry of Defense with officials of the ministry and with police officers. They were preparing the presentation that Colombia will take to the OAS on Thursday.  "We expect that Venezuela undertakes to cooperate, that is to say, that it closes the doors to drug traffic, terrorism and kidnappers," he said.  Last Friday, Colombia asked the OAS to hold a special session on the issue.

July 19, 2010

COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT ALVARO URIBE SEEKS OAS ACTION IN REBELS DISPUTE WITH VENEZUELAN DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA--Colombia PRESIDENT ALVARO URIBE has asked the Organization of American States to hold a meeting of its permanent council to address Bogota's accusation that leftist guerrillas are hiding in neighboring Venezuela. Colombian officials made the request Friday, after Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Bogota to protest the allegations.   

     The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, in rejecting Bogota's claims, called them a new attempt by President Uribe to destroy relations between the two countries. The ministry accused Colombia of "lies, aggression and disrespect" against Venezuela, and said Venezuela will take "firm" political and diplomatic measures if the situation continues. Mr. Uribe's office said Thursday it had proof that four leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and one leader from the National Liberation Army (or ELN) were in Venezuela.  FARC leader Ivan Marquez was among those named.

    The dispute comes as President Uribe prepares to step down next month after two terms in office.  Mr. Uribe has had tense relations with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for years, but his elected successor, Juan Manuel Santos, has recently sought to improve relations with neighboring countries. In 2008, Venezuela and Ecuador broke diplomatic relations with Colombia after Colombian troops raided a FARC rebel camp in Ecuador, killing FARC commander Raul Reyes and at least 20 other people. Colombia previously has accused Venezuela of financing and supporting the FARC, a charge Venezuela denies.

IAPA REPORTS ON "CRIMINAL PERSECUTION" AGAINST GUILLERMO ZULOAGA, THE CEO OF TV CHANNEL GLOBOVISION

      WASHINGTON, D.C.--According to Gonzalo Marroquín, the Vice-President of the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA), the CEO of news TV channel Globovisión, Guillermo Zuloaga, wanted by Venezuelan courts, is the victim of "criminal persecution."

    "There is, in his case, persecution, not a legal action, as it has been pretended inside Venezuela," Marroquín told reporters on Thursday as he headed an IAPA commission which met in Washington with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).  Zuloaga and his son have been subject to a bench warrant in Venezuela since June for the alleged crime of usury and conspiracy to commit a crime. In the opinion of Marroquín, he is chased for being "somebody who has kept one of the few spaces of freedom of the press remaining in Venezuela."

     The CEO of Globovisión, a TV channel critical of the government of President Hugo Chávez, showed up last week in Washington, for the first time since a bench warrant was issued against him. He went to the IACHR to "ask for justice," which according to him, has been denied in Venezuela, AFP reported.

IAPA: VENEZUELA IS WHERE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS MOST ENDANGERED

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--Cases like the case of TV tycoon Guillermo Zuloaga show that “Venezuela is among the countries where freedom of expression is most endangered,” according to IAPA President Alejandro Aguirre. The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) expressed concern on Friday over a trend to totalitarianism and restriction of freedom of expression in Latin America, where the most glaring example would be Venezuela.

    Democratically elected governments "are acting day after day as authoritarian governments and use governance, judicial and legal mechanisms" to rail on the press, IAPA President Alejandro Aguirre said in a press conference in Washington, where the IAPA board met on Friday.

     "Venezuela perhaps is the country which illustrates the best the case of originally democratic countries, with a democratically elected president, but acting, in our view, in an arbitrary, authoritarian manner," he added. According to Aguirre, cases like the case of Guillermo Zuloaga, the president of news TV channel Globovisión, clearly show that "Venezuela is among the countries where freedom of expression is most endangered."

ADIVINA, ADIVINADOR
 

July 18, 2010

VENEZUELAN DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ WARNS COLOMBIA HE COULD BREAK OFF RELATIONS

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA--Venezuelan DICTATOR Hugo Chavez said Friday he won't attend the inauguration of Colombia's president-elect, and warned he could break off ties if the country's outgoing leader persists in accusations that Colombian rebel leaders are taking refuge in Venezuela. Chavez called the accusations "madness" and said in a televised speech he won't attend the inauguration of President-elect Juan Manuel Santos. Chavez denied the allegations by outgoing President Alvaro Uribe's government, saying, "We don't hide anyone here." He said if those in Uribe's government "continue with their madness, I'm going to break relations with Colombia in the coming hours."

     He also said, however, that the situation poses a test for Santos and that "if there is respect," Venezuela will be willing to take up positive relations again. Chavez called his ambassador home from Bogota for consultations in protest. Colombian officials have long complained, mostly in private, that Chavez has harbored leaders of its two main rebel groups. But on Thursday, the Colombian Defense Ministry showed video, photographs and satellite images to Colombian journalists that it said proved the presence of rebel leaders in neighboring Venezuela.

      Uribe leaves office on Aug. 7. The hard-line president has been widely credited for seriously weakening Colombia's leftist insurgencies, one of which killed his father in a botched 1983 kidnapping. Because Uribe has frequently feuded with the Venezuelan president, many Colombians believe the renewed accusations show his dissatisfaction with the olive branch that Santos has extended to Chavez. Trade between Venezuela and Colombia has fallen 70 percent since Chavez froze relations over the past year in response to Colombia's decision to grant Washington expanded access to its military bases. If the situation with Colombia continues like this, Chavez said, trade will decline further and "we won't buy anything, nothing at all from Colombia." Chavez called Uribe a "mafioso" but said he is adopting a wait-and-see approach to Santos.

UNITED STATES CONCERNED OVER PRESENCE OF FARC LEADERS IN VENEZUELA

      WASHINGTON, D.C.--The United States studies the allegations made by the Colombian government according to which there are guerrilla leaders in Venezuela. Washington has been concerned "for a long time" about the possible presence of Colombian rebels in Venezuela, the US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.

    The United States is studying the allegations made by Colombia according to which guerrilla leaders are hiding in Venezuela.

     "We are studying these reports. Some of this is not new, since there has been concern for some time about cross-border activities or involvement in rebel activities," Crowley told reporters. The Colombian government said on Thursday that it has evidence that leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) are hiding in Venezuela. Venezuela is obliged to "prevent terrorist groups from operating in its territory," Crowley said.

FABRICIO CORREA, THE OLDER BROTHER OF PRESIDENT RAFAEL CORREA, IS CERTAIN THAT ECUADOR  IS LED BY DICTATOR CHAVEZ 

     QUITO, ECUADOR--Fabricio Correa, the older brother of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, said on Thursday in the United States that his country is "managed" by Venezuela, in an attempt at imposing "a political model" countered by most Ecuadorians.

    "A comedy sketch was mounted; now everybody rebels; students, indigenous people, professors, against a Venezuelan project that nobody wants in Ecuador. A totalitarian model is intended to be established," Fabricio Correa told news agency Efe in Miami during an interview.

    The businessman regards himself as chased by his brother's government, for having denounced "his government's incompetence and rampant corruption." He voiced his intention to create a political movement, but termed "premature" the possibility of running for president in 2012.  "Everything going on (in Ecuador) is of a political nuance based on the guidelines of the ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America), a transnational, Latin American project, intended to impose a fascist model like that of (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chávez."

July 17, 2010

the new york times: scores of cuban political prisoners to go

     NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK--The president (dictator) of Cuba, Raúl Castro, has said he would free 43 more prisoners. But Cuba is believed to be holding dozens or possibly hundreds of others whose only crime is that they dared to challenge their government’s repression. When Mr. Castro took the reins from Fidel, his ailing brother, in 2006, there was hope that things might change. Too little has. We are not sure why Raúl Castro decided to free these prisoners now, but he may be trying to improve his government’s standing abroad.

    Spain, which has been pressing the European Union to ease its policy of linking economic aid to Cuba with human rights progress, helped broker the release. The Roman Catholic Church, which has begun speaking out on issues of political conscience, also played a role.  Mr. Castro moved only after one courageous prisoner, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, starved himself to death in February to protest prison conditions. Another prisoner, Guillermo Farinas, then began his own hunger strike. Mr. Farinas, who was in poor condition, began eating again after the prisoner release was announced.

    The Ladies in White, wives and mothers of the imprisoned dissidents, also have impressed the world — and shamed their government — with their peaceful Sunday protests and their courage in the face of attacks by government-backed mobs.  We have long called for an end to the Cuban embargo that has given the Castro governments all too convenient an excuse for their failures — and ensured that the United States has little influence there. The people of Cuba have been trapped in a cold war nightmare. The United States needs to join with Europe and come up with a strategy to finally end that nightmare.

COLOMBIA REVEALS VENEZUELA LOCATION OF FARC LEADERS

      BOGOTA, COLOMBIA--The Colombian government reveals evidence of the exact locations of top FARC and ELN guerrilla commanders hiding-out in camps based in neighboring country Venezuela, W Radio reports. In a press meeting held on Thursday, Colombia's Defense Minister Gabriel Silva revealed the exact geographic location of FARC leader "Ivan Marquez." According to the minister, a combination of information gathered from demobilized guerrillas and "technical intelligence" positions the FARC commander at North 10° 40' 42" West 72° 32' 03," close to the Colombian border city of Villa del Rosario. Allegedly the camp, in which the government planted hidden cameras, is used to hold meetings between Ivan Marquez and members of the regional leftist group "Coordinadora Continental Bolivariana." To arrive at the camp, government informants reportedly travelled several hours out of a Venezuelan city before completing the journey by mule.

    These informants were fitted with satellite locators which were then delivered to the Colombian armed forces. The Colombian military are confident that the camp is a permanent installation because it has cement floors, sleeping facilities and a bust of the notorious late FARC leader Manuel Marulanda, alias "Tirofijo." A video filmed in June 2010 allegedly shows Ivan Marquez at the site. Silva said there is more audiovisual evidence from previous years, which was obtained in Venezuela. In one of them Ivan Marquez can be heard saying "Maduro," which according to the Colombian government could be a reference to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro. The evidence also allegedly depicts the guerilla commander with his two dogs and a box of Cuban cigars, which he is known to smoke.

    The Colombian government claims that close to the main camp is another FARC site, where guerrilla leaders "Rodrigo Granda" and "Santrich Jesus" provide recruits with ideological education. The defense minister said the videos and photos of the camps could not be released because they could endanger the people who obtained them. The information was made public at the request of outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who said he wanted to ensure the presence of guerrillas in Venezuela would be taken into account in the context of future diplomatic relations between the two countries. Intelligence gathered on the ELN allegedly indicates that guerrilla leader "Pablito" is hiding out in the Venezuelan state Apure, close to the Colombian frontier. The director of Colombian security agency DAS Felipe Muñoz also said that there are sources which indicate that some regional Venezuelan authorities are supporting the guerrillas.

former cuban dictator fidel castro railed against west on his last tv appearance

     HAVANA, CUBA--Former Cuban dictator  Fidel Castro is again showing up in public after mostly remaining out of sight since falling ill four years ago and ceding power to his brother, Raul. He appeared on Cuban television last week, after showing up in photos reportedly taken the previous  Wednesday.  Castro appeared relaxed and talkative as he answered questions on the Cuban television current affairs program Mesa Redonda or Round Table.  He warned that the West's pressure on Iran and  North Korea over their nuclear programs could lead to a full-blown war with both nations.  "They keep going and going," said Castro. "That doesn't stop. I have said it will be a sea of fire, a sea of flames. That's not the problem now. The problem now, I think it's that it [a war]  will be let loose there,"

    Until the past week, the 83-year-old former leader has avoided the spotlight since undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in 2006. So why is he showing up now?  Peter DeShazo of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington thinks he knows why.  "I think his motivation is first is to show that he's around," said Peter DeShazo. "That he is capable of making decisions or participating in debate on policy."  DeShazo also believes the appearance was timed to coincide with Cuba's release of the first of 52 political prisoners it has promised to set free in the coming months. Seven of those prisoners and their families were flown to exile in Madrid July 13.  DeShazo says Fidel Castro's TV appearance could be a "trade off," or compromise, with his brother, current President Raul Castro, to appease different factions within the Cuban regime.  

    "A sense that a step is made to release prisoners, and the government is trying to build some bridges in certain areas,  but at the same time, the revolutionary side is given its moment in which Fidel Castro is able to excoriate the United States and to continue to lay out the revolutionary credentials, or Cuba's role as a leader of the Third World," he said.  Peter DeShazo says regardless of whether Fidel or Raul Castro has the greater influence in Cuban affairs,  one thing is certain.  "I think what the Cuban people really want, in the short term, and within the realm of reason, is to live better," he said. "They want to be able to make money, they want to be able to put food on the table, they want to be able to have better lives, they want more freedom to be economic citizens."  DeShazo says those frustration will put greater pressure on the Cuban government in the months ahead.

EL REGRESO DE TERMINADOR
 

July 16, 2010

CIA PAID SHAHRAM AMIRI, IRAN NUKE SCIENTIST deserter, $5 MILLION FOR TOP SECRET INFORMATION

     WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Iranian nuclear scientist DESERTER who claims to have been abducted by the CIA was paid more than $5 million to provide intelligence on Iran's nuclear program, according to a published report. The scientist, Shahram Amiri, returned to Iran early Thursday where he was given a hero's welcome after claiming he was abducted by U.S. agents and then offered $50 million to stay in the U.S. The Washington Post reported in its online edition late Wednesday that Amiri worked for the CIA for more than a year before abruptly asking to return home this week. The Post said he was paid $5 million out of a secret program aimed at inducing scientists and others with information on Iran's nuclear program to defect. The U.S. says he was a willing defector who changed his mind and decided to board a plane home from Washington.

    Amiri is not obligated to return the money, the newspaper reported, however he may be unable to access the funds after breaking off "significant cooperation" with the U.S. "Anything he got is now beyond his reach, thanks to the financial sanctions on Iran," a U.S. official told the Post. "He's gone, but his money's not. We have his information, and the Iranians have him." The payment of millions of dollars to Amiri appears to bolster the U.S. government's assertion that he was neither abducted nor brought to the country against his will, the Post said. The size of the payment could be a gauge of how valuable the information gleaned from him was to the CIA. Amiri claimed Thursday he suffered extreme mental and physical torture at the hands of U.S. interrogators after disappearing last year, adding to Tehran's allegations he was abducted by American agents.

    Iran has portrayed the return of Amiri as a blow to American intelligence services that were desperate for information on Iran's nuclear program. Iran has sought maximum propaganda value -- allowing journalists to cover Amiri's return and having a top envoy from Iran's Foreign Ministry on hand to greet him. Washington described the 32-year-old Amiri as someone who reached out to U.S. officials, but have offered few other details. Speaking to journalists after a flight via Qatar, Amiri repeated his earlier claims that he was snatched while on a pilgrimage last year in the Saudi holy city of Medina and carried off to the United States. He claimed he was under intense pressures during the first few months after his alleged kidnapping. "I was under the harshest mental and physical torture," he said at Tehran's international airport, with his young son sitting on his lap. He also alleged that Israeli agents were present during the interrogations and that CIA agents offered him $50 million to remain in America. He gave no further details to back up the claims or shed any new light on his time in the United States, but promised to reveal more later.

COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS IT HAS EVIDENCE OF FARC'S PRESENCE IN VENEZUELA

      BOGOTA, COLOMBIA--The Colombian government said that it has "recently found evidence" of the presence of several leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Venezuela, including Luciano Marín Arango aka "Iván Márquez" and the so-called FARC's foreign minister Rodrigo Granda, Colombian radio station Caracol Radio reported on Thursday.

    The radio station quoted a top Colombian government source, and said that, according the Executive Office, there is "incontrovertible" evidence, including pictures and videos, that will be released in the coming hours.  Colombian President Álvaro Uribe said last week that Iván Márquez, one of the most important FARC leaders, "is hidden" abroad.  "He is hidden and we know where he is. We have determined his whereabouts," Uribe declared without providing further details. The Colombian president and other members of his government have repeatedly said that the rebel leader is hiding in Venezuela.

     As for Granda, he was released in June 2007 by Uribe's decision. The Colombian ruler agreed to release Granda following a request from French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in order to attain the release of former Colombian presidential candidate and French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt, who then was a hostage of the FARC.  After his release, Granda traveled to Cuba and later he moved, apparently, to Venezuela, where he was arrested in December 2004 in a Colombian sting operation that spurred protests from Venezuela's dictator Hugo Chávez.

venezuelan congress subpoenas cardinal urosa savino 

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA-The National Assembly (AN) publicly urged Jorge Cardinal Urosa Savino to appear in the AN Coordinating Committee in order to express his opinion on the government of dictator Hugo Chávez and produce evidence of the charges made against the Head of State.

    The AN chair, Deputy Cilia Flores, subpoenaed the Caracas archbishop for next Tuesday, July 20, at 11:00 a.m., to appear at the Federal Legislative Palace before the Coordinating Committee, state-run news agency AVN reported.

    The Committee is composed of the Parliament board of directors, including the president, two vice-presidents and the chairs and deputy chairs of each standing committees. It is headed by Deputy Cilia Flores.  Urosa Savino recently said that "trespassing on the National Constitution, the president and his government wish to take the country on the way to Marxist socialism, which fills all spaces, is totalitarian and leads to dictatorship."

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