XML FeedsTags: politics
Fabiola Sanchez: Students end hunger strike in Venezuela
By Other Sources on 9 Dec, 2009
The Associated Press, December 8, 2009 CARACAS, Venezuela A group of college students ended a hunger strike after 17 days following a meeting Tuesday with Organization of American States representatives to air their concerns about human rights in Venezuela. Student leader Julio Rivas said the protest achieved its objective and the three OAS officials visiting from Washington agreed to relay their concerns to OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza.A dozen students started the protest Nov. 21 outside the OAS office in Caracas, aiming to press the body to look into their complaints, including allegations that President Hugo Chavez's government abuses the legal system to persecute opponents."Today we have an official OAS commission that came to receive the complaint of human rights violations, of repression and political persecution," Rivas said.In a statement, Insulza said OAS officials were relieved the students ended the hunger strike, "because that way talks regarding a possible visit from the Inter-American Human Rights Commission can be taken up."Insulza noted such a visit would have to be authorized by Chavez's government and said he hoped the administraiton would allow him to personally visit Venezuela... more »
Chávez Plays Damage Control as Scandal Widens
By Other Sources on 8 Dec, 2009
CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chávez scrambled to distance his government from a brewing banking and corruption scandal that claimed one of his closest collaborators on Sunday and could claim other top officials.Speaking on his weekly television show, Mr. Chávez announced the resignation of Jesse Chacón, one of the government's most powerful officials, who was serving as science and technology minister. The announcement came a day after the arrest of Mr. Chacón's brother, Arné Chacón, president of Banco Real and Baninvest, two of seven small banks taken over by the Venezuelan government last week."I respect and love Jesse very much, and I know he understands," said Mr. Chávez. He said Mr. Chacón's resignation freed the official from suspicion in the banking scandal... more »
“Venezuela Russophiles”
By Ana Julia Jatar on 22 Sep, 2009
Venezuela and Russia have mutual interests in the former's arms build-up and in energy dealsVenezuela continues to deepen its diplomatic and economic relations with Russia, as evidenced by President Hugo Chávez's recent visit--his eighth--to Moscow. Agreements were signed in the areas of trade and energy, with an arms deal getting the most attention. The motives behind the relationship are in part political, with Venezuela seeking to strengthen its hand against the US and offset its influence in Latin America, and Russia interested in expanding its presence in the region. But the two countries are also linked as major global energy producers with mutual interests in expanding co-operation in this area.The latest arms deal involves the purchase of 92 T-72S tanks, Smerch missiles with a range of 90 km and an advanced anti-aircraft defence system including radar and missiles with a range of 400 km, according to announcements by Mr Chávez made on September 13th. The Russian government will provide a credit line of US $2.2bn to finance the acquisition... more »
Chavez’s Cheap Oil and Anti-Semitism
By Ana Julia Jatar on 7 Feb, 2009
On Jan 7 Joseph Kennedy chairman of Citizens Energy, a nonprofit organization that administers the Venezuelan home heating oil program for the poor households in Massachusetts, announced the continuation of the program and said that he was "personally aware of President Chavez's genuine concern for the most vulnerable, regardless of where they may live." He also said that this was "a clear, direct message ... of [Chavez's] desire to strengthen relations between his country and the United States."Three weeks later, Friday January 30th 2009, fifteen heavily armed men broke in and desecrated one of the oldest Synagogues in Venezuela. During a five hour raid in Shabbat, Torah scrolls were damaged, prayer books ripped apart and anti-Semitic graffiti like “death to all” and “Jews get out” sprayed on the walls. For the first time since the Jews began living in Venezuela two hundred years ago, this community feels threatened and unprotected. To make things worse, the perpetrators took with them computers with the private data, names, addresses and financial information of Venezuelan Jews. One week later, the perpetrators of these acts have not been found. Some fear they will never be. more »
Oil policy puts PDVSA under pressure
By Ana Julia Jatar on 14 Feb, 2008
THINK TANKEVENT: A US federal court yesterday confirmed an order freezing 315 million dollars in a bank account held by Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, in the context of its contractual dispute with ExxonMobil.SIGNIFICANCE: With global demand supporting oil prices close to 100 dollars per barrel, developments in Venezuela (claiming the world's largest oil reserves with its heavy oil) can exert an impact on the global picture and will be closely watched... more »
Mr. Chavez's Coup
By Ana Julia Jatar on 15 Nov, 2007
The Washington Post, November 15, 2007A constitutional 'reform' could complete Venezuela's transformation into a dictatorship. A24 TENS OF thousands of Venezuelan students marched to the Supreme Court in Caracas last week to protest the new "socialist" constitutional reform that President Hugo Chavez is preparing to impose on the country. On their return, students from the Central University of Venezuela were fired on by gunmen who roared onto the campus on motorcycles. Nine were hurt more »
Eman al Obeidi, ciudadana Libia estudiante de postgrado de derecho de 28 años de edad y hasta hace pocos días una desconocida, se ha convertido por su coraje y valentía en el símbolo de la resistencia Libia y en el emblema de las desigualdades a las cuales está sometida la
Cuando en la década de los ochenta se anunciaba una autopista cibernética que nos conduciría a la revolución informática, nadie se imaginaba que poco tiempo después esa misma autopista abriera paso a otras revoluciones: las de carne y hueso. Y es que era imposible predecir que con el poder de