Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Patrick J. O'Donoghue's news and views from Venezuela -- January 20, 2009

VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports:

Interior & Justice (MIJ) Minister, Tarek El Aissami has called on the rector of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), Cecilia Garcia Arocha to allow the Police Detective Branch (CICPC) enter the university to investigate and collect evidence surrounding the torching of a vehicle belonging to the president of the student's federation, Ricardo Sanchez. El Aissami questions the speed with which Garcia Arocha blamed the government for the incident. The Minister has backed declarations made by President Chavez to control student demonstrations in the street and calls on opposition students to undertake activities within the framework of democracy and to distance themselves from violent groups.

US-Venezuelan lawyer, Eva Golinger says US intelligence services are using NGOs and private institutions to cover up its intervention in other countries. Speaking on VTV state television, Golinger recalls that in the 70s and 80s, it was the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that intervened in Latin American countries directly but claims that policy has changed. The US intelligence directorate, Golinger states, set up five special missions in 2006, three of which we were to counter and concentrate on Iran, North Korea and Venezuela-Cuba but in the last three years the priorities have been Iran, Afghanistan and Venezuela. Other experts suggest that the US started working on penetrating Venezuelan NGOs towards the end of the eighties through the Inter American Foundation (IAF) and that today, research on the matter should center on the use of third-flag countries as well as private institutions to relay funding to opposition groups. Another striking and emergent factor is the mushrooming of NGOs inside the opposition camp and indeed new international partisan human rights groups.

Opposition university students are marching this morning from Plaza Morelos to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to lodge a nullity order against the constitutional amendment. UCV adviser, Jose Manuel Olivares says Caracas Libertador municipality has already been notified of the march. Student adviser of the private Andres Bello Catholic University (UCAB), David Smolansky announces that the students will also deliver a formal request at the Attorney General's Office to open an investigation into the torching of a car belonging to student leader, Ricardo Sanchez inside university bounds.

United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) vice president, General (ret.) Alberto Muller Rojas says his party is supporting the decision of President Chavez to try and control public order in Venezuela. The General says the order to control student demonstrations will be undertaken within the framework established by the Constitution ... "the government will not allow any criminal acts undertaken within a legitimate right that all Venezuelans have to protest when there is reason." Current student demonstrations, Muller Rojas points out, coincide with the beginning of the campaign for the constitutional amendment that will allow people to seek re-election in all public offices. The General has rejected attacks organized by the pro-government La Piedrita Collective against the Apostolic Nunicature and tear gas canister attacks in several parts of Caracas yesterday. Such acts of violence are anarchical, the PSUV leader finalizes, and out of line with the PSUV.

Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro has announced that Venezuela will take part in the second summit of heads of state from Latin America and Arab countries. The meeting will take place on March 31 in Doha, Qatar. Maduro maintains that the meeting between Latin American and Arab countries are part of different initiatives that have come to fruition over the last few years to promote a pluripolar world.

Culture Minister, Hector Soto insists that the Bolivarian revolution does have a vanguard of artists and intellectuals, despite opposition claims to the contrary. The statement was made during an activity in Propatria in support of the constitutional amendment proposal. The Minister highlights the importance of whole country stating opinions on the matter, declaring that the cultural sector has microphones, soapboxes, and the media at its disposal to let its voice be known. Soto calls on intellectuals to accompany the revolutionary process and not to make a mistake in the strategy to be used to win the referendum because he argues that it is not just a question of propaganda. "It is a ideological battle and one must work with the word ... the task of all writers, and poets is to go to the barrios and countryside to speak with the Venezuelan people. If we think that we will win the amendment with publicity and propaganda, then we could suffer a defeat like in December 2007."

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

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Venezuela is facing the most difficult period of its history with honest reporters crippled by sectarianism on top of rampant corruption within the administration and beyond, aided and abetted by criminal forces in the US and Spanish governments which cannot accept the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people to decide over their own future.

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