www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 By: David Coleman

Ultimas Noticia claims that CICPC Homicide Division detectives have identified three suspects in the murder of three Plaza Altamira rebel soldiers and a teenage girl which opposition propagandists had claimed were killed by pro-government supporters.

Originally accused of the horror, Military Intelligence (DIM) agent Edgar Machado has been freed of all suspicions and investigators say that, instead, evidence is clearly pointing towards that the crime was committed by rebel security personnel close to the opposition Plaza Altamira HQ.

Investigation files and documentation have been filed at the Prosecutor General's Office revealing that the killings bear all the hallmarks of a personal revenge attack by the perpetrators who are now subject to search & capture warrants to be brought to trial by the courts.

english.pravda.ru 14:31 2003-03-05

While President Chavez keeps on searching for a responsible of the attack to the Colombia's Consulate in Caracas, the Government of Alvaro Uribe handles reports that may prove cooperation between Venezuela and the FARC. The Administrative Security Department of Colombia (DAS) said that was after information about rebel groups illegally crossing the Venezuelan border to avoid Security Forces.

The Colombian department of Arauca is an area badly controlled by the Government and has the longest border with Venezuela. According with these reports, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Liberation National Army (ELN) usually find shelter in the Venezuelan State of Arupe.

In declarations to the Spanish Press Agency EFE, DAS' Chief in Arauca, Hugo Hernan Jimenez, said that FARC's forces "permanently" crossed the border with Venezuela. Also, other official sources confirmed that this was a normal procedure after guerrilla's actions in the area.

Colombia's President, Alvaro Uribe, had complained last week on the lack of cooperation from neighbor to fight insurgency. In turn, Chavez warned Colombia he might break off diplomatic ties if Uribe insisted in the accusations.

After Chavez warnings, an explosion rocked the Colombia's Consulate in Caracas, but the Government repudiated the actions. Bogota did not complain to its neighbor for the action, but surely expects a clear explanation on what happened.

Both countries share a 2,219 kilometers mountainous border very difficult to control. Colombian rebel groups, mostly the FARC, get benefited from the hard terrain to operate safely.

Last Saturday, Colombia's and Venezuela's Security Forces uncovered, during a joint operation, a truck carrying 1.5 tons of explosives; the cargo was to be used by the FARC to blow up a bridge. Also, Venezuela delivered four Colombian citizens presumably connected with the bombing attack to a nightclub in Bogota.

Alvaro uribe thanked the attitude of the Venezuelan authorities, but asked for more cooperation to fight guerrilla's warfare. However, if Colombia's intelligence services find connections between Chavez and the rebel groups, the political temperature will quickly rise between the left wing Venezuela and the far right wing Government of Colombia.

Hernan Etchaleco PRAVDA.Ru Argentina

www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 By: David Coleman

Students from the Simon Bolivar Studies Center bolivar.ce@spray.se and Bolivarian Circles of Sweden have demonstrated in the Sergelstorg central plaza in Stockholm in support of President Hugo Chavez Frias and in rejection of United States interference in domestic political affairs  across Latin America.

Organized by the Latin American Solidarity Network (RESOCAL), the demonstration gathered wide support from Swedes who are in general support of the Chavez Frias administration's war against endemic corruption.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Venezuela's National Assembly Economic Development Commission has met with representatives from the Venezuelan Guayana Corporation (CVG) and agreed to push forward with legislation to help develop CVG projects. The initiative includes the interchange of information that will help the CVG to advance with projects that it currently has in the pipeline.

As part of the move National Assembly deputies will study the CVG's upcoming projects in detail so as to allow them to modify specific laws to aid in the realization of these projects.  A work group will now be formed to discuss all the relevant matters that could facilitate the advancement of the projects in question.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

A fire is reported to have occurred at Interpol offices on Tuesday, and although nobody was killed on injured around 50 square meters of the office were damaged by the blaze.

According to CICPC police secretary general Alejandro Hernandez, the fire destroyed several computer systems, as well as the sleeping quarters of night staff, however, he was quick to assure that all information stored on the computers was safe as it had been previously backed up.

Hernandez says that a similar fire occurred around a year ago caused by a power surge, however it is as yet unknown what caused Tuesday's blaze.

The fire is now being investigated by the Metropolitan Fire Department and CICPC police officials do discover if it was once again an accident, or if the fire was started deliberately.