www.vcrisis.com By Stephen Gibbs BBC correspondent in Havana   The world's longest serving political leader, Cuban President Fidel Castro, has been re-elected for another five-year term. Members of Cuba's National Assembly approved the 76-year-old leader's nomination as president. He was the sole candidate.

With an ease which many world leaders might envy, Fidel Castro comfortably secured his sixth presidential term.His nomination had been put to the 609 members of Cuba's National Assembly. They duly lined up to vote in secret, and all voted for Mr Castro.

Anti-US attack    The veteran revolutionary has been the unchallenged leader of Cuba since 1959. Despite numerous assassination attempts and a US economic embargo intended to remove him from power, he has outlasted nine American presidents.Speaking after his re-election, he launched a blistering attack on the current US administration's policy towards Iraq. He said the US should not be allowed to intimidate the world, and promised to continue to lead the people of Cuba for as long as they wished. He also said that he now understood it was not his destiny to rest at the end of his life.

chavezmustgo.homestead.com

As self-denominated intellectuals parrot a mentally deficient Chávez' and his side-kick the decrepit Jose Vicente Rangel's ramblings and accusations of Fascists in every closet, one wonders what the Bandera Roja (communist) and Movimiento Al Socialismo (socialists) members of the Opposition are thinking? Fascists? Us? Them? Whoa! Wait a sceond, this game of reversing the table works for both sides, but guys (and gals) we are dealing with a delirious man, who although he may not have the hitlerian brains, he follows the same path of division and destruction. Genocide is likely to follow as he talks about "darker skinned" people and the intellectuals in the U.S. and Europe just scoop up the mounds of feces and stuff it down their gullets with more thirst and hunger than ever? So what is the bottom line? Well my theory is that thwarted in an election that sent Gore into early retirment and a failed book circuit, totally put Clinton into the back burner, the liberals are left broken-toothed. Dubya is in power and that hurts (Even I will concede that!). What hurts even more is that he is now rattling sabers to kick some Iraqi derriere and oh well.... They can't stop it. Now the howl and moan that "Bush pushes for change" "The CIA is instigating a coup in Venezuela"... Morons, take a look at this website - these are not trick photos. I know you haven't a speck of bravery to come down to Venezuela and not take my word for it. You will just doubt and say that the photos taken and contributed by random photographers are an Adobe Photoshop mastery. Morons I say. Cushy heated homes boggle your brains as you allow a society to languish. Guess what? Bush is not involved, why? Bush family business is in the Middle East - and while his bank accounts are not affected by any Venezuelan half-assed dictator, he really does not care.... So what about all the "Coup Attempts?" There was the self-inflcited coup where Chavez hired the guy that "couped" him, so explain that in your Oliver Stonian fantasies? We have lots of Macaws in the part of the jungle that hasn't been torched... they sound much like you. On February 2, 2003 FOUR MILLION people - more than those that VOTED for Chavez, voted for his removal - that is not CIA-backed terrorism, it's called POPULAR REVOLT. Listen and learn.

www.veninvestor.com

The following is an article written by Veninvestor’s Alexandria Beech on a conversation with two oil experts that characterize the real issues related to the government’s ability to raise oil production. As the weeks roll on, the oil strike in Venezuela emerges as the main card in the opposition's favor. Those who understand the oil strike, including details of the Venezuelan oil industry, will have a firm idea of whether the government will be forced to negotiate, or whether all sides will sink in obstinacy. Oil represents not only revenues but the nation's life blood. As the government announces higher and higher levels of production, it's important to keep a tight finger on the actual pulse of production, so that we aren't swindled or misled. Recently, I spoke with two local oil experts, Charles Beech, an Oil Contractor, and José Torres, a PDVSA production superintendent, who spend time with the on-site workers who actually see figures right off the barrel counters on pipe lines and tank storage levels. Charles told me that neither investors nor the opposition should feel worried when the government announces production increases, such as the 1.6 million barrels announced by Vice President José Vicente Rangel earlier this week.  It's all psychological warfare. The government thinks that if it can convince the world that it's back in the oil game, it will demoralize the opposition and gain an upper hand in negotiations. It hopes that PDVSA workers will wander back to work. However, the people on the oil fields have a very different take on production, which they say will only increase up to a maximum of 1. 5 million barrels a day, and then level off. The only wells functioning in Venezuela today are natural flowing, that is, they pump light oil that naturally flows to the surface. Both experts told me that the government is already starting to have production problems with the natural flowing wells in Pirital and El Carito in Monagas state. The problems are due to the formation of asphaltene, a very heavy substance made of hydrocarbon molecules that bind and harden at high pressures. This "asphalt-like" substance creates plugs on the anulars on production tubing and formations.  It also builds up on the walls of production tubing and lines - slowly choking a well.    Therefore, chemical and mechanical procedures need to be implemented to counteract the effects of the asphaltene. This is called "servicing an oil well." Wells are serviced by specialized national and international companies that have materials, equipment, and know-how.  Mr. Torres said that most of the companies that service oil wells are currently on strike.  Charles says that "most well service contractors are not willing to work until PDVSA sets a payment schedule for old debts owed since last year.  In the case of transnational companies running marginal fields, these companies bill and get paid every quarter; the last payment cycle was due in December. Since none of these companies were paid, they were unable to pay the contractors who then suspended their services or are in the process of suspending their services." Until they are serviced, the wells that are "plugged up" will remain inoperable.  In Northern Monagas, the "contractors who service the wells are mostly international; due to the depth and high pressures of the wells, the service is a highly technical and dangerous work ." Many companies refuse to operate in that region.  The government is attempting to reactivate secondary wells to offset production drop-offs on these wells.  On Tuesday, "they opened up production in the Musipan field and closed it up again today for unknown reasons."    Besides the formation of asphaltene, other problems are likely to cap off production at naturally flowing wells. Part of the process of production is separating oil from water. American companies normally supply the chemicals that separate these two substances. However, these companies have stopped providing the proper chemicals. Moreover, the government is having difficulties with water handling, according to Mr. Torres. Due to a lack of skilled labor, the government is experiencing difficulties processing the water properly.  As more oil is produced, the government will likely face greater problems disposing of the water filtered from the process. Another problem confronting the government is that some wells are being "overproduced". Like a car that is too revved up to run, over production takes place when production is "run at greater speeds than the capacity of a unit," according to Mr. Torres. This damages the wells and the reservoirs of water. Allegedly, while Mr. Chávez has succeeded in reaching peak production in Northern Monagas, government oil workers are panicking because of overproduction in several wells. A final problem slowly turning into a media nightmare for the government is the amount of gas it is burning. The government's own rules limit burning up to 2% of daily gas production. Currently, Mr. Torres says that “the government is burning 20% to 30% of daily gas production”. As a result, the government is running out of gas supplies. Further, when burned at high levels, according to environmentalist Luis Alfredo Brunicardi, "gas contains high levels of hydrogen sulfur contents, generating sulfur dioxide, which produces acid rain and contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming." The oil currently being produced in Venezuela is light, which accounts for 62% of total Venezuelan oil. A common myth is that most Venezuelan oil is heavy crude.  But of the total 3.3 million barrels of oil produced under normal circumstances, only 1.28 million barrels or 38% were heavy crude, according to Mr. Torres. Still, the government will not be able to produce heavy crude until the strike ends, because of the pumping procedures required.  Heavy crude, however, is not as profitable and commercial as is light crude. Furthermore, Charles adds "to restart the heavy crude fields will require that personnel start each well individually since production was stopped without circulation in the majority of these wells. Therefore, it will be extremely difficult to start these wells since they use the common methods of electrical submersible pumps and progressive cavity pumps as artificial lifting systems." Currently, Zulia state is producing approximately 600,000 barrels a day. The wells in Monagas State in Eastern Venezuela are producing around 700,000 for a total of 1.3 million barrels of light crude. All experts agree that it is impossible that this number will increase beyond 1.5 million barrels per day while the strike lasts. I'd like to end this piece with a human angle that in the end matters the most. Both Mr. Torres and his wife worked for PDVSA for many years. Each day, dissident PDVSA workers find out that they have been fired by reading their names in the local newspaper. Mrs. Torres already read her name on the list of workers fired. We can only hope that the international community steps up pressure to restore democracy in Venezuela so that day never comes when Mr. Torres reads his name too.

—  Alexandria Beech      Veninvestor

www.washtimes.com Web Posted : 03/05/2003 12:00 AM

The natural beauty of Venezuela stretches from the tropical splendor of the Caribbean to the exotic remoteness of the Andes. Democratically elected governments have ruled Venezuela since 1959, allowing its people to avoid the political excesses and military interventions of many of their Latin American neighbors. The Venezuelan economy has thrived, driven both by huge oil reserves as well as by respect for private property and private enterprise. But the beauty of Venezuela, its democratic tradition, its rule of law, its respect for individual rights, and its vibrant economy are all in peril today as its leftist President, Hugo Chávez, threatens to turn Venezuela into the Iraq of the Western Hemisphere. A year has passed since mass protests began in response to Chávez's repressive political measures, land seizures, extra-judicial actions, and attempts to take over the country's leading trade unions. The National Guard and armed "Chavistas" opened fire on a large crowd of demonstrators last April, killing 19 and wounding over 100 others. A military coup briefly ousted Chávez from power, but an interim government collapsed after only two days. The situation remained tenuous until Dec. 2nd, when Chávez opponents launched a general strike demanding a referendum on the Chávez presidency. As many as one million Venezuelans, out of a total population of 24 million, took to the streets against the Chávez government. Determined to break the back of the opposition, Chávez has resorted to increasingly violent and extreme tactics. On Dec. 6, a Chávez supporter opened fire on another demonstration in the Plaza Altamira, killing three and wounding at least twenty others. The National Guard now routinely opens fire on peaceful demonstrators with rubber bullets. Jesus Soriano witnessed the Altamira shootings and helped wrestle the gunman to the ground, saving countless lives. For his efforts, Soriano was picked up by agents of DISIP — the Venezuelan secret police that Chávez has infested with agents of Cuba's security apparatus — who beat and tortured him, and allowed Joao Gouveia, the accused Altamira shooter, to enter his cell to perform, in Soriano's words, "unspeakable things." Last month, three military dissidents and a female protestor who frequented the Plaza Altamira were kidnapped, bound, and shot execution-style. The embassies of Spain and Colombia, members of a multinational group seeking a peaceful resolution to the Venezuelan political crisis, were the targets of bombings last week. Accompanying the violence, Chávez is seizing more property and levers of power. In January, the National Guard seized a Coca-Cola bottling plant and a beer distribution plant, beating workers who resisted. Chávez has started the process to revoke the licenses of privately owned television and radio stations, among the few sources of information beyond the government-run propaganda machine. Carlos Fernandez, president of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and co-leader of the general strike, was recently seized by DISIP and charged with rebellion. His partner in opposition, Carlos Ortega, leader of the Confederation of Trade Unions, has gone into hiding, facing the same charges. As an army paratrooper, Chávez led a coup attempt against a democratically elected government in 1992. Since his own election, Chávez has closely allied himself with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, paid homage to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi, and made common cause with the Islamic extremists ruling Iran. Chávez has already established ties with the Marxist FARC rebels in neighboring Colombia and, given the opportunity, will turn Venezuela into a greater source of instability and violence in the region. While the Bush Administration is postulating democracy for Iraq, democracy is disappearing in a nation that has served as an anchor for political and economic liberalization in Latin America. The increasingly violent, dictatorial rule of Hugo Chávez demands greater attention from the White House, the State Department, and not least from the American media, which has largely ignored the political, civil, and human rights abuses of the Chávez government. The people of Venezuela are pleading for American support, before the beauty of their nation is completely destroyed.

E-mail Jonathan Gurwitz at jmgur@swbell.net

mapage.noos.fr Luis DE LION Sábado, 22 de Febrero 2003

La manera sorpresiva y aplastante, en que culminó la guerra fría no solamente tomó fuera de base a los Estados Unidos y Europa; sino que las piezas de lo que parecía un nuevo orden mundial, no terminan de encajar en virtud - entre otras - de la inconclusa construcción de la Europa política y militar y la asimetría heredada de dicha guerra fría. A partir de 1989, la conformación de ese nuevo orden, dispuso del bulldozer que encarna la superpotencia americana en la apoteosis de su hegemonía no solo militar, sino económica; hasta que los atentados del 11 de septiembre 2001, obligan al bulldozer a convertirse en un gigantesco tanque de guerra; en virtud de la entrada en escena de ese flagelo del terrorismo multinacional que representa Ben Laden.

La campaña antiterrorista que llevan adelante los EE.UU. los presenta como unos romanos improvisados, cual imperio sin doctrina que domina el mundo sin ejercer la diplomacia. El estilo fanfarrón de Bush, junto a Donald Rumsfeld, provocan la ira mundial. El inmaduro ataque de Rumsfeld contra la "vieja Europa", ayudó a llevar a millones de personas a las calles. Esa antigua Europa, es hoy un territorio económica y políticamente blindado, representa 1/3 del comercio mundial, es poseedora de 1/3 de la riqueza mundial y gracias al Euro es hoy una potencia monetaria, es decir un actor de talla mundial; que hasta ahora ha carecido de una visión de mundo que le permita trazar estrategias y prioridades que conformen una política exterior propia; motivado por la contradicción que representa superar los intereses nacionales de sus miembros en pro de objetivos comunes. La potencia civil que es Europa debe - hoy mas que nunca - revisar su manera de tomar decisiones, para que se coloque en posición de intervenir en la gestión de crisis mundiales.

Francia fiel a su visión Gaulliste del mundo; busca ante la coyuntura actual utilizar nuevamente la disuasión, pero diplomática, a través del veto en el seno del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU, lo cual tendría los mismos efectos devastadores - políticamente hablando - de una bomba atómica, en pocas palabras seria la muerte de la ONU. Paradójicamente, la decisión del veto está en las manos de Jacques Chirac, sobre quien se concentran seis expedientes judiciales - todos por corrupción - el mismo que invoca dentro de su país, las reglas constitucionales de separación de poderes, como excusa para negarse a comparecer ante los jueces, al estilo del líder de una potencia bananera.

En consecuencia, y dejando de lado la vital lucha antiterrorista, la opinión publica internacional cede terreno ante el antiamericanismo; sin querer ver que los EE.UU. no son un bloque homogéneo, ni cultural, ni político; ¿cómo odiar a una nación compuesta por lo básico de los pobres de Europa y más recientemente por los de América latina?. El antiamericanismo fatuo es pasional, no es producto de un razonamiento estratégico, no se trata de una ideología, sino de un discurso. El cual dio sus primeros pasos en el siglo XVIII, de la mano de personajes como Voltaire y de Baudelaire en el siglo XIX.

Hoy, el nada original movimiento altermundialización logra movilizar a unos 10 millones de manifestantes alrededor del mundo, sin que muchos se pregunten de la futilidad del discurso antiglobalización. Contrariamente a la demagogia terrorista, los ataques del 11-S no son la consecuencia de la miseria y el subdesarrollo; en los últimos 50 años el nivel de vida en América Latina y en Asia, ha subido a pesar de las crisis y bancarrotas, motivadas por la mala gestión interior y no a causa del libre juego de la economía mundial. Un continente realmente siniestrado hoy en día es Africa, pero la miseria de los africanos se debe mucho más a razones políticas que económicas y los países árabe-musulmanes, si bien padecen enormes diferencias, muchos de ellos están entre las naciones más ricas del planeta.

El antiamericanismo bajo la forma actual, no es otra cosa que una mezcla de viejos sueños aplastados por la caída del muro de Berlín y que sin querer estaría encontrando un paralelo con ese fascismo musulmán que propagan los islamistas; la aparición en escena de Ben Laden, compromete al movimiento altermundialización; en una carrera para ver quien arma mejor y más rápido con sus ideas al islamismo más fanático.

Convencido que los argumentos de los tiempos de Vietnam, hoy no se aplican para nada al enemigo de la multinacional terrorista, dado que los terroristas jamas negocian; considero que la protesta debe exigirle y hasta obligar; tanto aEuropa como los Estados Unidos, para que den a conocer la evolución de sus posiciones y su problemática, y en consecuencia el combate antiterrorista será dinámico, interactivo y efectivo.