Venezuela News Archive:
12/02
7/02-11/02
to 6/02

AfroVenezuela

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Aporrea Enlaces
gracias por su enlace a AfroCubaWeb

Miranda: Venezuelan government, Miranda Province

South/Latin American Media

La Jornada , Mexico

News Agency New Colombia

NarcoNews

Trinicenter , Trinidad: Venezuela news

Cuban Media

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (Esp)

AIN (Eng)

Centro de Información para la Prensa

CubaWeb

Granma (Esp, in Cuba)

Granma (English)

Granma (Español)

Juventud Rebelde

La Jiribilla

Notinet

Prensa Latina

Radio Havana (Eng)

Radio Havana (Esp)

Trabajadores

US Media

Embassy of Venezuela in the
United States
of America

Central America Daily

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Miami Herald

Miami Herald Cuba News

Newstrove: Venezuela News Search

South America Daily

ZMag Venezuela Watch  

European media

BBC Mundo - América Latina

Rebelión

Sodepaz

African Traditions in Venezuela

Ashe

InfoIfa

Cuban culture in Venezuela

Ile TunTun , Havana and Venezuela

Luis Calle:
Matanzas Oba who taught in Caracas

Venezuela in the News

Chávez’ ‘agents’ in Havana  1/31/03 Granma, Cuba: "The first flight of Venezuelan patients to be treated on the island was on November 30, 2000. On that occasion we brought 48 sick people. It was a very moving experience, because it was the first contact of that kind with the most needy persons in my country who had been through the entire Venezuelan heath care system without receiving a positive response. "That is why President Chávez perceived this agreement as a brilliant response to that population in need."

CUBA-VENEZUELA - Two-way cooperation  1/31/03 Granma, Cuba: "A total of 3,042 Venezuelan patients, in their majority suffering from serious disorders and injuries, have been freely treated in Cuban health institutions. That treatment, including a large number of highly complex operations, would have cost the Venezuelan government tens of millions of dollars," adds the MINREX statement. It notes that "adding on the free services offered by Cuba, its value would rise to more than $100 million USD in barely two years."

Miami conspiracy to attack Venezuela  1/30/03 Granma: "In their determination to bring down Presidents Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, the capos of the F-4 organization, who have admitted their involvement in acts of terrorism against Cuba, plus the so-called Venezuelan Patriotic Front — led by a coup officer from the Venezuelan army — have signed a "civil-military alliance", according to The Wall Street Journal. The F-4 Commandos are led by 56-year-old Rodolfo Frómeta and the Patriotic Front by coup member Captain Luis Eduardo García, (aged 37). During last April’s failed coup d’état, he was one of the first military dissidents to attack the Caracas Presidential Palace in order to topple the South American country’s democratically elected president." One of the leaders of this conspiracy, Antonio Calatayud, was just arrested for 1st degree theft involving Medicaid fraud.

George Bush senior to spend luxury holiday with Gustavo Cisneros  1/30/03 Vheadlines, Venezuela: "Former US President George P. Bush is heading to the Dominican Republic for a ;uxury holiday, where he will spend quality time with anti-government Venezuelan media tycoon Gustavo Cisneros, who President Hugo Chavez Frias accuses of leading a push for a coup d'etat to have him forcibly removed from office… Bush is set to arrive on the Caribbean island next Tuesday, where he will stay at the Casa de Campo resort owned by the Fanjul brothers, Alfi and Jose ... he will then join the Venezuelan media tycoon in several rounds of golf in the town of La Romana. There are strong indications that Bush will also meet secretly with corruption-impeached former Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez. This will be Cisneros' second meeting with a former US President in less than a month, after holding talks with Jimmy Carter in Caracas several weeks ago." See AfroCubaWeb's page on the Fanjuls, Cuban sugar barons in South Florida, who bribed their way into a fortune on the backs of American taxpayers.

Venezuelan president stands tall for the Black and Brown  1/29/03 Final Call: ""The people put Hugo Chavez back into power after the coup," observed Elombe Brath of the Harlem-based Patrice Lumumba Coalition, adding that Mr. Chavez represents a large segment of Venezuelans who are Black. "The same type of movement of Black Panamanians that elected Manuel Noriega in Panama was used to elect Mr. Chavez in Venezuela," Mr. Brath stressed… According to Amy Chua, a Yale professor of law and author of "World on Fire: How Free Market Democracies Breed Ethnic Hatred & Global Instability," says that Mr. Chavez, along with 80 percent of Venezuela’s population, is referred to as "pardo," a term that has class and ethnic overtones that refer loosely to brown-skinned people of Amerindian or African ancestry. She said Venezuela’s economy is controlled by a minority of "cosmopolitan Whites" or "martuanos," the Venezuelan term for persons with European features. Observers say Mr. Chavez promised to "cleanse" his nation of corrupted and co-opted elites who have gained political power… Mr. Raimondo believes the greatest concern of the Western powers is Mr. Chavez’s call for a "configuration" of Latin American states for the new century. Hugo Chavez ’s vision of a rail artery that would join the Caribbean basin through railways and link them with the great rivers, which Mr. Chavez calls the "arteries of continent," is what really scares the U.S. State Department, Mr. Raimondo said. "Hugo Chavez is a Black man who has angered the oil barons of the world such as Vice Pres. Dick Cheney and, of course, Pres. Bush," Viola Plummer of the December 12th Movement said."

Arrestado por estafa líder de manifestación antichavista de Miami  1/26/03 Aporrea: "Antonio Calatayud, miembro de los grupos Cubano-Americanos de Miami y organizador de la marcha contra el gobierno bolivariano que se realizó el 18 de enero en la calle 8 de Miami, fue arrestado el día sábado bajo el cargo de presunta estafa de más de 290 mil dólares contra el gobierno federal. La nota de prensa de la oficina del Fiscal General señala que "una auditoría extensa mostró que las cuentas de la farmacia al programa Medicaid fueron mucho más altas que sus facturas de compra. Los resultados de la auditoría revelaron claramente que Primera Farmacia Latina Inc., a través de su propietario, cometió un fraude contra el programa Medicaid del Estado de Florida por el orden de 290.944 dólares." Calatayud was secretary general of the Directorio Revolucionario Cubano back in the 70s. Check out the Florida Attorney General's site on his arrest.

British Correspondent in Venezuela Writes Third Letter to Narco News - By Phil Gunson With a Reply from Al Giordano  1/25/03 NarcoNews 

Blast During Chavez Rally Kills One in Venezuela  1/23/03 ABC News: "A suspected bomb killed one person and injured 15 when it exploded on Thursday near a huge government rally in Caracas where Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez promised to "go on the attack" to defeat a seven-week-old opposition strike."

Colomina, periodista del terror, dictará charla en Georgetown  1/23/03 Aporrea: "Hoy 23 de Enero de 2003, está invitada la corrupta golpista Marta Colomina, periodista de "El Universal", desacreditado periódico opositor conocido por sus mentiras al pueblo venezolano y su abierto apoyo al golpe de estado, a presentar sobre "Medios de Comunicación en Venezuela: El Nuevo Rol de los Medios de Comunicación Social Frente a la Crisis Política Nacional," en Georgetown University (Washington, D.C. USA), Facultad de Comunicaciónes, Cultura y Tecnología y el Centro Arcadia/Centro de Estudios Democráticos por la Paz." Funded by National Endowment for Democracy?

Miles y miles de personas tratan de entrar a la Av. Bolívar por la autopista  1/23/03 Aporrea: photos of a massive pro-Chavez demonstration in a country where "everyone" is supposed to be against him. Meaning the upper class, largely of euro ancestry, many only a generation or two ago.

Referendum on Chavez's rule suspended  1/23/03 Boston Globe: How about a recall vote on Bush?

Hundreds of thousands rally in victory celebrations  1/23/03 Vheadlines: "Hundreds of thousands of pro=government demonstrators are filling downtown Caracas streets this afternoon as the almost 53-day opposition stoppage dissipates into the tropical hot air to the sound of drums beating and whistles blown. Venezuelans are celebrating a major victory over opposition saboteurs who have held a virtual gun to the nation's head, crippling the oil industry and strangling the economic framework to reinstate the form of corrupt pseudo-democracy Venezuela had suffered through more than 40 years previous to 1999. Even opposition loaded international news services are reporting crowds chanting "Hey, hey, Chavez is here to stay!" while FOX News Geraldo Rivero splutters from atop a transmission bus on Avenida Bolivar the usual cliches about "left-leaning President Hugo Chavez" and claiming that the Supreme Court of Venezuela is "Chavez-controlled."

Can You Believe Venezuela’s Pollsters? “Chávez has to be Killed,” Says One, the Other Speaks of “A Fight to the Death”  1/22/03 NarcoNews: "The commercial media correspondents rarely cite the source of their polls. So this reporter contacted them, and most of the reporters offered only the names of two Venezuelan companies – Datanalisis and Keller and Associates. An investigation into the operations of these two Venezuelan polling firms and their relationships with correspondents reveals that, by any fair measure, it is irresponsible for correspondents to cite the two firms’ polls without also mentioning that the two firms are headed by virulently anti-Chavez figures who frequently use polling samples that are unrepresentative of the overall Venezuelan population… As the Venezuelan anthropologist Johnny Alarcón Puentes points out, the terms "lumpen, rabble hordes, drunks, riff-raff and mobs are only some of the epithets foisted by the wealthy on citizens of dark skin, on street merchants, on workers, on the indigenous and on all those who live in slums or modest neighborhoods and dare raise their voice against the powerful."

Supreme Court delays opposition referendum call  1/22/03 Vheadlines: note the differences with the Boston Globe story on 1/23.

William Camacaro, bolivariano en New York, amenazado de muerte  1/20/03 Aporrea: "El compatriota William Camacaro, miembro del Comité de Solidaridad con Venezuela, el mismito que se paró y les dijo sus verdades a Carlos Ortega y Carlos Fernández en la "audiencia real" (sic) que dieron en NY, y que dejó a la vista la falsedad y robotización de los asistentes que aplaudían al fascismo, ha sido amenazado de muerte por misteriosos sujetos que lo llaman a todas horas a su casa." Golpistas supported by la Mas Fea de Miami?

Facts in the infamous Coca Cola story  1/20/03 Vheadlines: "The Panamco factory and warehouse, as well as other facilities at which foodstuffs have been illegally hoarded, remains the direct private property of the owners and has in no way been violated or succeeded to public ownership." The US is looking for a repeat of 1959 Cuba, doing everything they can to aggravate the situation.

Vice President politely tells US Ambassador to mind his own business  1/20/03 Vheadlines: ""Ambassador, with all due respect, you are not an authority in this country." Rangel then insisted that the US would clearly apply US law to a Venezuelan company, like Citgo, trading in the US, so it was only natural that US companies trading in Venezuela were obliged to remain within Venezuelan law. Rangel went on the emphasize "relations have to be based on mutual respect. This is not a protectorate or a colony." "

Ronald Reagan And The Venezuelan Strikes  1/20/03 Znet: "On August 3, 1981 around 13,000 air controllers in the U.S. went to strike after failed negotiations with the federal government. The strike aimed at an improvement in wages as well as reductions on working hours. That same day, President Ronald Reagan declared the strike illegal and threatened all those involved in it with contractual termination if they did not return to work within 48 hours. Robert Pole, president of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO), was fined with USD$ 1,000 a day by a federal judge while the strike was on. On August 5, Ronald Reagan made effective his threats and fired 11,359 air controllers who continued with the walkout. Moreover, the President imposed to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a lifetime prohibition to re-hire any of the dismissed air controllers."

Mainstream Media Disinforms on Food Siezures  1/19/03 Trinicenter: "However, what was patently ignored in all the publicity given the event around the world was that the procedure was accomplished with explicit court orders (based on charges of hoarding -- a common practice mostly ignored by former Venezuelan regimes), the GN (accompanied by a judicial witness and a representative from the Official Ombudsman's Office) presented themselves at the locations to take control of the redistribution of the illegally retained products. How and when the distribution of these products will begin is still to be seen."

MORE FUEL TO THE FIRE  1/18/03 Radio Progresso, Miami: The Miami Herald/Nuevo Herald stokes the anti-Chavez feelings of la Mas Fea de Miami - "By the way, the Chávez headline on El Nuevo's Page One that day was another in a series of headlines and stories that attempt to paint President Hugo Chávez in the worst possible light. In previous headlines, Chávez has been said to threaten, warn, defy and challenge, even though the stories show clearly that he is simply reacting to the threats and attacks from his opponents. On many occasions, the headlines have not been supported by the stories, and we have pointed out some examples here (“Adding fuel to the fire,” B.S. Detector of Jan. 9). This is, yet again, another example. The story says nothing about Chávez “threaten[ing] to seize the schools.” It does say that Chávez wants the schools to remain open and children to get their education. Teachers who go on strike would have their salaries withheld, the president said."

Who's to blame in Venezuela?  1/18/03 Yellow Times 

Chávez exposes subversive movement in Venezuela at UN  1/17/03 Granma: "Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela, affirmed here on Thursday that his country is facing a subversive movement that has had no scruples in using terrorist methods. He explained the situation to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during a one-hour meeting, as part of a flying visit to the organization’s headquarters to hand over the annual presidency of the Group of 77."

Cuban community plans big parade to show solidarity with Venezuelans  1/17/03 Miami Herald: mobilizing la Mas Fea - "Esquivel seems to epitomize the Cuban-Venezuelan bond. He is vice president of the Junta Patriotica Cubana and the Venezuelan American Brotherhood."

Denuncias e información sobre los hechos violentos ocurridos ayer en la UCV  1/16/03 Aporrea: "Rafael Yolld, de la Secretaría de Reivindicaciones de la Federación de Centros Universitarios de la UCV, denunció hoy a través de VTV que el día de ayer se ejecutó un plan preconcebido por la marcha realizada por partidarios de Bandera Roja y otros movimientos, con la intención de producir hechos de violencia que generen un número significativo de muertos y heridos, y justifiquen una suspensión completa de las actividades en la UCV."

Servicio secreto interroga a opositor venezolano en Nueva York  1/16/03 Aporrea: "El opositor venezolano Miguel Hernández dijo que el Servicio Secreto de EEUU lo interrogó en su casa en la madrugada de hoy en relación con un supuesto plan para asesinar al presidente Hugo Chávez durante su visita a Nueva York. En un comunicado, Hernández relata que "18 agentes del Servicio Secreto de EEUU allanaron" su residencia, ubicada en el condado de Queens (Nueva York), "ante acusaciones del Gobierno de Venezuela de un supuesto plan para matar a Chávez el próximo 16 de enero".

Agarren a la india chavista  1/16/03 Rebelion: Anti-chavistas as white KKK - "Mi amiga Elsa Morales es pintora, Es una artista popular muy importante que ha ganado premios a nivel nacional e internacional. Ha expuesto en México, Alemania, Italia y Estados Unidos. Su madre era indígena, de la etnia wayu, o guajira, y Elsa se enorgullece de su herencia. No hace mucho salió de su casa en los Dos Caminos para hacerse unos exámenes en la Clínica Avila. Se puso su manta guajira, como lo hace a menudo, y se bajó en la estación Altamira del metro de Caracas. Se dirigió a la parada de las camionetas en la Avenida Luis Roche, frente al hotel, y allí escuchó que gritaban: ¿AGARREN A LA INDIA CHAVISTA!! Seis señoras, elegantes, armadas de banderas y tocadas con atuendos tricolores se le abalanzaron, a los gritos de ¡¡MALDITA GUAJIRA, NEGRA DE MIERDA, QUE HACES AQUI!!, le empezaron a pegar y la tiraron al suelo, donde siguieron golpeándole con patadas y las astas de las banderas. Mi amiga, quien tiene más de 50 años, pedía auxilio, era pleno día, había militares rebeldes, guardias del hotel, mirones, etc, NADIE INTERVINO."

Carter visits Venezuela to "confer" with coup mogul Cisneros  1/16/03 Trinicenter, Trinidad: "Carter is expected to meet Organization of American States (OAS) secretary general Cesar Gaviria next Monday as the latter continues his unsuccessful quest to mediate between the government and anti-constitutional opposition saboteurs. Meanwhile, in related news, Gustavo Cisneros has turned up at the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) in Caracas with a highly-paid legal team from the Diego Cisneros organization to file a writ against President Hugo Chavez Frias claiming defamation in statements made during last Sunday's 'Alo Presidente' broadcast to the nation. Cisneros is also said to be infuriated over the leaking of a 'private' letter he is said to have sent to President Chavez Frias."

US Secret Service interrogates Venezuelan in alleged Chavez Frias assassination plot!  1/16/03 Vheadlines: "VHeadline.com reports from New York that 18 Secret Service agents have raided the Queens home of Venezuelan opposition activist Miguel Hernandez following the discovery of a plot to assassinate President Hugo Chavez Frias when he visits UN General Secretary Kofi Annan today. Details of the early-morning raid are sparse but it is believed that the Hernandez premises were searched for drugs and weapons. Agents are said to have taken away evidence for forensic tests. A Secret Service special agent is quoted as saying that the department has evidence that Hernandez is one of the leaders of the anti-government Venezuelan opposition in New York and further investigations may lead to classification as a terrorist."

The Washington Post: Venezuelan Opposition Softening  1/16/03 Washington Post: "In recent weeks, however, Chavez has cobbled together a temporary supply system that has kept this country of 23 million in gasoline and food, albeit at enormous inconvenience to the public and a high financial cost to the government. Now confident he has bested his opponents, Chavez has little incentive to compromise and end a standoff that has thrown the third-largest U.S. oil supplier into political unrest, according to several of the president's adversaries and allies. The hardening government position was reflected in comments today by Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, who ruled out compromise proposals in a meeting with foreign reporters. This has prompted many businesses sympathetic to the opposition to question whether Chavez is suffering the greater financial hardship."

Venezuela's Vice President: Gov't Would Accept Court Ruling Upholding Referendum on Chavez Rule  1/15/03 ABC News: "Venezuela's vice president said Tuesday the government would respect the high court if it rules to allow a Feb. 2 referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule. However, Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel warned that such a ruling would create chaos in this country of 24 million coping with a general strike called by opponents to overthrow Chavez… Soldiers loyal to Chavez seized riot gear from the police department Tuesday in what Caracas Mayor Alfredo Pena called a deliberate effort to undermine him...Rangel said the seizure was part of an effort to make police answer for alleged abuses against Chavez demonstrators. The government accuses police of killing two Chavez supporters during a melee two weeks ago. Troops searched several police stations at dawn, confiscating submachine guns and 12-gauge shotguns used to fire rubber bullets and tear gas, said Cmdr. Freddy Torres, the department's legal consultant. Officers were allowed to keep their standard-issue .38-caliber pistols."

Venezuela-owned Citgo hit with debt rating cut  1/15/03 Houston Chronicle: "Citgo Petroleum Corp., a U.S. refiner owned by Venezuela's state oil company, had its debt rating cut below investment grade Tuesday by Moody's Investors Service because of a strike that's slashed oil shipments from its parent. The rating on $700 million of Citgo senior unsecured debt was lowered to Ba2, two levels below investment grade, from Baa2 and may be cut further, Moody's said in a written statement. The reduction means Tulsa-based Citgo may have to rely on lines of credit to finance its operations, the statement said." Buy Citgo!

Washington loses patience on Venezuela  1/15/03 Pravda: "Venezuela's strike has contributed to an increase in U.S. gasoline prices by 5 cents per gallon in the past three weeks to an average $1.50 a gallon, according to the Lundberg Survey of 8,000 U.S. service stations. No one can predict which will be the impact on oil prices of a war against the regime of Saddam Hussein. Citing scarce gasoline imports from Venezuela, the U.S. Energy Department said American motorists could pay up to $1.54 per gallon of gasoline this spring even if war is averted in Iraq."

Oil Bubbles at 2-Yr Highs on Iraq Fears, Venezuela  1/15/03 Reuters: "Clearly there is a huge amount of conflicting information affecting the market. However the bottom line is that fears of a conflict affecting Iraq are justified, and there is no end in sight to the Venezuelan strike," he said.

Alerta UCV : Bandera Roja pretende tomar la Universidad mañana  1/14/03 Aporrea: Bandera Roja is an extremist group suspected of various provocations.

Venezuela troops seize police weapons  1/14/03 Knight Ridder: "In eight pre-dawn raids, the military seized 581 submachine guns, 1,712 shotguns, 14 riot-control rifles equipped to fire nonlethal bullets, as well as tear gas launchers and gun clips, the police said. The 10,000 officers were allowed to keep their .38-caliber revolvers."

Venezuelan plays race card  1/14/03 Washington Times: the Rev. Moon weighs in - "Though racial labels are nearly meaningless in this nation, in which most people are of mixed African, Native American and European descent, Mr. Chavez's supporters tend to be mostly poorer and darker, while those trying to oust him are mainly descendents of European immigrants, many drawn by Venezuela's post-1930s oil boom… Caracas political scientist Anibal Romero said Mr. Chavez seeks to foment racial tensions. The president "has said many times that he is the son of Indians and black people, trying to convey the message that those are the only legitimate Venezuelans," Mr. Romero said."

Anti-Chavez protests continue in Venezuela  1/13/03 AP: "Soldiers lobbed tear gas today at tens of thousands of protesters who were marching on a park near a military base in Caracas. The demonstrators were demanding that the armed forces support the ongoing strike against President Hugo Chavez."

Caribbean States Feel Backlash From Venezuela Crisis  1/13/03 Black World Today: ''We are very constitution minded. This is where the Caribbean governments are coming from: (Venezuelan President Hugo) Chavez heads an elected government; they have difficulty in going against a government that was elected,'' Gonsalves told IPS. Even attempts by Venezuela's opposition to get the region's trade unions on its side have been rebuffed. The powerful Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) in Trinidad and Tobago labelled the street demonstrations in Caracas as a ''big business, CIA strike against the democratically elected government''.

Chávez asistirá a la toma de posesión de Lucio Gutiérrez  1/12/03 Aporrea: "El presidente Hugo Chávez anunció este sábado que asistirá a la toma de posesión del presidente electo de Ecuador, el ex coronel populista de izquierda Lucio Gutiérrez, el próximo 15 de enero."

Maestros ratifican el paro y aseguran que no permitirán el asalto a las escuelas por “hordas chavistas”  1/12/03 Aporrea: "Nota de aporrea: Transmitimos la noticia tal cual como la publicó Unión Radio en su página web. Si ustedes se indignaron tanto como nosotros al leerla, se sentirán el doble de estimulados para aparecerse en las escuelas el lunes para reclamar el derecho de sus hijos a la educación." Hordas? Sounds like they have the people on their side, the Chavistas.

Venezuela: Slow, low intensity, (so far largely bloodless), class warfare  1/12/03 Znet: "The majority of people here think that the notion that there even is a general strike is laughable. The graffiti on the walls says so, with lines like: “This is the strike of the rich”.

US urges world's help in restoring stability in Venezuela  1/11/03 Boston Globe: "The Bush administration is working with the Organization of American States and member nations to peacefully end the standoff between the Chavez government and its opponents, Fleischer said. He pointed out that Gaviria has been quietly discussing options with other OAS states, including formation of a ''Friends of Venezuela'' group ''to help the Venezuelans find a solution.'' Thereby legitimizing the sabotage of the rich, white racists who want to rule the country.

Reflections On: "The Coup Lacked Professionalism"  1/11/03 Counterpunch: "Other CNN "analysts" offered profound words like "this should teach Chavez that he can't exclude minorities," or "people's patience wore thin over his high handed methods." Euphemisms, like "minority" of course means the ultra rich;"

U.S. Confirms Its Role in Venezuelan Negotiations  1/11/03 LA Times: "On Friday, however, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said: "The United States remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in Venezuela. The severe damage being caused to Venezuela's economy, as well as the increasing likelihood of violence and civil conflict, requires a solution."

Venezuela Crisis Complicates Iraq Situation, Experts Say  1/11/03 NYT: "The crisis in Venezuela is creating major new complications for the Bush administration's campaign to oust President Saddam Hussein of Iraq, causing oil shortages that would probably make a Persian Gulf war more costly to the economy than once anticipated, American officials and industry experts said." Asi mismo...

Debating Venezuela: Giordano & Delacour vs. the "Experts"  1/11/03 Znet: "Chua contends that there is an ethnic dimension to Venezuela’s political and economic crisis. She identifies Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a "pardo," a "term with both class and ethnic overtones that refers loosely to brown-skinned people of Amerindian or African ancestry" who make up roughly 80 percent of Venezuela’s population. Chua argues that Venezuela’s tiny minority of white "mantuanos," the Venezuelan term for persons with European features and pretensions, has always controlled Venezuela’s economy. She contends that the mantuanos are part of a much larger global phenomenon of "market-dominant minorities: ethnic minorities who, for widely varying reasons, tend under market conditions to dominate economically the indigenous majorities around them."

As Venezuela Boils, Blacks are Caught in the Middle  1/10/03 Africana.com: "As Chavez has alienated the predominantly white political and business elite, he has appealed to the poor majority, who are black and Indian. Observers note that Chavez's populist rhetoric has exposed Venezuela's ethnic and racial fault-lines (the country's population is 21 % white, 10 % black, 67 % mestizo, and 2 % indigenous), and deepened the divide between the country's white middle and upper classes and the poor majority — some 80 % of the country's 24 million people live in poverty. With populist rhetoric — not to mention copper skin and curly hair — Chavez is seen as a champion of the country's mestizo population (mixed people of black, Indian and white background) and he often appeals directly to the poor and non-white majority to counter the racism of the elite."

Campaña para sacar el dinero de Banesco el lunes 13  1/10/03 Aporrea: "Unamonos en esta campaña, avisemos a todo el mundo para que el proximo lunes saquemos los reales de BANESCO y de todos aquellos bancos (Una MInoria) que cerraron ayer, es importante castigar a esta gente, ya muchos de nosostros ha sacado su dinero de los bancos, pero debemos hacer incapie en esto. Lo mas importante es que cuando saquemos nuestro dinero de los bancos, les hagamos saber a los que nos atiendan que gracias al Bocon de Carlos Ortega se tomo esa desicion, porque ese miserable dijo que esto era un ensayo y podian hacer un paro indefinido, por lo tanto nuestro dinero se quedaria preso alli hasta que ha ellos les de la gana, igual como sucedio en Aregntina."

Identificados dos pistoleros de Los Próceres. Uno de ellos es paramédico de la Alcaldía Mayor  1/10/03 Aporrea 

Bank customers to call on Supreme Court to suspend bank strike  1/10/03 Vheadlines: "Bank clients represented by the Association of Financial System Customers (Ausfin) are due to call on the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to suspend an action proposed by the National Banking Council aimed at nullifying a Banking Superitendency (Sudeban) resolution obliging all Venezuela's banks to operate normal hours."

Regionalism Transcends Non-Interference in Venezuela  1/9/03 Trinicenter, Trinidad: "This Venezuelan crisis has opened a Pandora's Box with unexpected and uncontrollable regional implications that may culminate in greater cohesion, solidarity and co-operation and pose a challenge to US hegemony that regards Latin America as its own sphere of influence."

Hermana de jóven asesinado el viernes: "Nosotros seguiremos la lucha de Jairo"  1/7/03 Aporrea: "Elvira, acompañada de su madre, Martha Morán, y de la esposa de su hermano, Caridad Rojas de Morán, se reunió con el Vicepresidente de la República, José Vicente Rangel, quien ofreció ayuda a la familia, particularmente a los dos pequeños hijos que deja Jairo Morán, Jessie, de 13 años, y Tairo, de cinco." We salute the courage of this family.

Vecinos de La Florida: "Que se lleven sus muertos pa' Cuba"  1/7/03 Aporrea: "Los familiares de Jairo Morán explicaron esta mañana en el programa "En Confianza" que los disturbios en la Funeraria Vallés el día sábado fueron ocasionados por los propios vecinos del Edificio Salvador y otros edificios cercanos, donde vecinos insensatos comenzaban a gritar "que se lleven a esos muertos a Cuba", "esos muertos están bien muertos" y otras frases similares. La reacción bolivariana no se hizo esperar: piedras y otros objetos contundentes fueron lanzados contra dichos edificios, y desde allí (posiblemente ante la activación de algún plan de defensa) se oyeron algunos disparos. Luego, la Policía Metropolitana reaccionó atacando a los bolivarianos en la funeraria."

Venezuelan government orders banks to normalize hours  1/7/03 Granma 

72% of Venezuelans would like to see a negotiated settlement.  1/7/03 Vheadlines 

UNICEF, Venezuela: Striking teachers and school directors guilty of children’s rights abuses.  1/7/03 Vheadlines 

Defector: Chavez gave $1 million to al-Qaida  1/7/03 WorldNetDaily: "Over the weekend, threats on Diaz's family at his home in Valencia, Venezuela, prompted him to have them moved to an undisclosed location with the help of colleagues in the resistance movement, according to an American businessman who helped bring Diaz to the U.S. Diaz is a "man of highest integrity," who has risked his life to speak out, Shane Conner told WND. Conner has made numerous trips to Venezuela in the past two years and developed close contacts among some of the military resisters. The owner of ki4u.com, he sells radiation protection equipment to governments, militaries and private individuals."

Chavez backers attend funerals for rally victims  1/6/03 Boston Globe: "Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel and several Cabinet ministers helped carry the flag-draped coffins of Oscar Gomez Aponte, 24, and Jairo Gregorio Moran, 23."

Gobierno venezolano ordenó a los bancos a abrir en horario normal  1/6/03 Granma: "La resolución de Sudeban se apoya en artículos de la Ley de Bancos que delega en ese organismo la responsabilidad de garantizar el funcionamiento continuo, regular y eficiente del sistema de pagos del país."

Chavez talks of martial law after two die  1/6/03 Sydney Morning Herald: "President Hugo Chavez has said he will consider imposing martial law to quell Venezuela's internal crisis after two people died and dozens more were wounded during a march aimed at ousting him. Two police officers were wounded on Saturday when supporters of the President fired on a police post in Caracas during a wake for one of the two people killed on Friday. Supporters of Mr Chavez blamed police for the deaths, which occurred when gunfire erupted during violent clashes involving rival demonstrators, troops and police on Friday… "I am obligated to protect the people. I am obligated to protect public order," Mr Chavez said. "If they force me to [decree martial law], I'd have to do it." But, he added, "so far, despite everything that has happened, there has been no need to apply any exceptional measures".

Opositores enseñan a utilizar explosivos caseros y a enceguecer a policías y GNs  1/5/03 Aporrea: "En las redes de mensajes opositoras en Internet muchos carmoníacos están circulando este e-mail en el cual enseñan a los civiles a crear explosivos, bombas de humo, y a enceguecer a Guardias Nacionales y policías utilizando sprays de pintura. Transmitimos este emilio para que las autoridades sepan con qué armas los van a atacar y puedan diseñar una estrategia al respecto."

Cómo la CIA controla Petróleos de Venezuela  1/5/03 Rebelion: "Intesa, empresa que integra Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) con la estadounidense SAIC, controla toda la información de la estatal venezolana. Fue un proyecto promovido por la llamada "nómina mayor" y pone en manos de SAIC, fachada de organismos de seguridad estadounidenses, toda la información e inteligencia. Intesa nació en 1999 de la unión de PDVSA y la trasnacional Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) para crear una empresa de outsourcing en materia de informática. El capital inicial lo aportó Venezuela, que sólo tuvo derecho al 40 por ciento de las acciones. La misión de la empresa -obviamente no la que se publicitó- era la de controlar la información de todas las computadoras de PDVSA… Sin duda es por el nombre de sus directores que SAIC ha conseguido sus contratos con la administración estadounidense. Veamos algunos de ellos: almirante Bobby Inman, director principal de la CIA; Melvin Laird, secretario de Defensa del ex presidente Richard Nixon; general retirado Max Thurman, comandante de la invasión de Panamá, y Donald Hicks, jefe de investigaciones del Pentágono. A estos "tradicionales" hay que agregar nuevos miembros del directorio: Robert Gates y John Deutsch, ex directores de la CIA; y William Perry, ex secretario de Defensa. Hay muchas preguntas que surgen. Por ejemplo ¿por qué nunca se han discutido las bases de la negociación realizada para crear a Intesa?; ¿cuáles son los beneficios que produce Intesa a PDVSA? No se sabe a ciencia cierta quién representa a Intesa en Venezuela ni quién tiene el control de Intesa dentro de PDVSA. Tampoco quién es el correo entre los intereses de Intesa y los grupos estadounidenses del más alto poder, aunque pareciera ser el ex presidente de la estatal venezolana y actual asesor de Bush en materia energética, Luis Giusti."

Anti-government disinformation campaign highlights rebel desperation  1/5/03 Vheadlines: "Unsubstantiated reports claiming that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias has financed Al Qaeda are circulating on the Internet as opposition rebels grow increasingly desperate in the wake of the brutal killing of two government supporters during Friday's disturbances… VHeadline.com Venezuela has asked the originators of the "Al Qaeda"-hype to substantiate their claim, pointing out that if there was an ounce of truth to it, the US White House press corps would have blasted the story around the world in a zillionth of a micro-second ... but hasn't!"

Venezuelan workers defy rightist oil blockade  1/4/03 ANNCOL: "Chavez is also benefiting from his foreign policy goal of promoting Latin American solidarity. Both Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago have sent shipments of gasoline to help Venezuela weather the protests. The Dominican Republic has sent rice. Oil workers in Colombia and Ecuador have volunteered their expertise in keeping the refineries open… Some sectors of the Bolivarian Circle movement are openly preparing to defend against the next attempt to oust Chavez. On Nov. 9, the Associated Press interviewed Comandante Lina Ron, one of the most militant leaders of the Bolivarian Circle movement. Describing the greed of Venezuela's rich ruling class, Ron said, "If that's the way things are, I am preparing for war. We will wage a scorched-earth campaign."

Buques de Rusia, Trinidad y EEUU arribarán con combustible  1/4/03 Aporrea, Venezuela 

Imágenes - Civiles carmoníacos sí acudieron armados y dispararon en "Gran Batalla Final"  1/4/03 Aporrea, Venezuela: photos of snipers

Informe más completo sobre los muertos y heridos de ayer  1/4/03 Aporrea, Venezuela: "La mayoría de los heridos por armas de fuego (06 por bala y 01 por perdigones) son del bando chavista." Again.

Después de marchar se enfrentan chavistas y opositores; 2 muertos  1/4/03 Rebelion: "La "gran batalla", como la oposición venezolana bautizó a sus marchas de este día, culminó en un enfrentamiento de varias horas, con saldo de dos muertos y por lo menos seis heridos por arma de fuego, así como varias decenas de lesionados por pedradas, cohetones y gases lacrimógenos lanzados por distintos cuerpos de seguridad, unos afines al gobierno de Hugo Chávez y otros a gobernantes locales opositores."

Striking Oil Execs Counter Chavez Claim  1/3/03 Guardian, UK: "President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela's oil industry, paralyzed by a five-week strike, is recovering and will reach full capacity in 45 days. Oil executives scoffed at the claim and said exports were still a trickle of pre-strike levels. Oil represents 30 percent of Venezuela's $100 billion gross domestic product and 70 percent of exports. Venezuela is the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and a major provider to the United States. The 32-day-old strike has helped push international oil prices above $30 per barrel."

Opposition rebels in violent conflict with law enforcement officers  1/3/03 Vheadlines: "Three are reported dead and another shot with some 80 injured by stones and other missiles as opposition rebels refusing to stand down when Metropolitan Police (PM) riot squad officers told anti-government demonstrators they could not leave a pre-arranged protest route to invade Los Proceres this afternoon. National Guard (GN) officers had tried to contain the demonstration at Puente La Nacionalidad in La Bandera but just after 4:00 p.m. Metropolitan Police (PM) units and Miranda State Governor Enrique Mendoza were forced to shield a gunman from the opposition lynch-mob after it was claimed he had fired off several shots before being tackled to the ground and disarmed… The opposition claims that Chavez Frias' support has dwindled, but it remains hugely strong among Venezuela's 80% poor after they began to see small improvements under Chavez' rule despite crushing political sabotage from traditionally-corrupt political parties now forming the opposition."

Venezuela: IRS/Seniat to prosecute opposition rebels who incite tax avoidance  1/3/03 Vheadlines 

Petrobras y Pdvsa en cooperación técnica para Venezuela  1/2/03 Venpres: "“Si hace falta que técnicos brasileños vayan a Venezuela, hemos dejado la solicitud para comenzar a estudiarla. Lula va a juramentar en pocas horas el nuevo presidente de Petrobras, así que con la nueva directiva de Petrobras y la nueva directiva de Pdvsa iniciaremos conversaciones directas entre ambas empresas para darle forma a esa cooperación técnica”, aseveró el presidente Chávez Frías."

Oposición venezolana admite rotundo fracaso del paro y lo convierte en "desobediencia civil"  1/1/03 Aporrea, Venezuela: "La oposición venezolana ha anunciado que levantará parcialmente la huelga general contra el presidente Hugo Chávez. A pesar de la suspensión, la medida de protesta se mantendrá en la estratégica industria petrolera. "Hay ciertos sectores, las pequeñas y medianas empresas, que abrirán la semana que viene porque no tienen los recursos para mantenerse cerradas, tienen que ganar dinero", indicó uno de los líderes huelguistas, Américo Martín. Martín aclaró que el levantamiento parcial de la "huelga mercantil" no incluye al sector petrolero, con el cual está "totalmente de acuerdo". Martín, miembro de la plataforma opositora Coordinadora Democrática, dijo horas antes que la huelga que colapsó la poderosa industria petrolera "podría pasar del paro a la desobediencia civil".

CITGO  1/1/03 Citgo.com: CITGO is wholly owned by Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA.

Chavez Leaves Venezuela for Inauguration  1/1/03 Guardian: "The embattled Venezuelan president - his rule under threat from turmoil in the strikebound oil-producing nation - left the country Wednesday to attend the inauguration of the new Brazilian president. In what could be a daring move given the upheaval shaking Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez arrived in Brasilia for the ceremony installing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whom he considers a friend and ally."