www.vheadline.com Posted: Friday, March 14, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The Attorney General’s Office and National Guard (GN) Anti-Drugs Command is currently investigating the source of weapons seized during Venezuela’s second biggest drug seizure last week in Sucre State.

• Among the weapons seized were 2FN30s as used by the Armed Force (FAN) before the FAL 7.62mm) was introduced and a caliber 45 sub-machine gun.

Command commander, GN General Jose Antonio Paez says the FAN Armament Office (Darfa) is in investigating whether the weapons belong to the FAN. Paez says the Banking Association has been asked to collaborate in tracing the financial movements of 8 persons arrested during the GN operations to seize the drugs.

5 tonnes of cocaine and 100 kilos of marijuana were seized at a remote fishing village and the fact that armed narco-traffickers had taken over the village has come as unwelcome surprise to narcotics control agencies and the government facing international criticism for sleeping on its laurels during the all-consuming political crisis.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Friday, March 14, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Foro por la Vida human rights umbrella group has welcomed a decision by Anzoategui State 3rd Control judge Hilda Zamora to bring Bolivar municipality police agents to trial for the summary execution of Carlos Arturo Ramos. Zamora.

The group says it supports the work done by the Anzoategui State Human Rights Foundation in highlighting police abuses and defending the family of the deceased.

"Judge Zamora has found sufficient evidence to put Rafael Jimenez, German Matey, Angel Custodio Figuera and Andres Alexander Medina Barrero in jail until they stand for trial. "

Foro por la Vida has asked the judge to ensure that the Barcelona Penitentiary meets security requirements for the police agents to protect their personal integrity or investigate the possibility sending them to another detention center that will guarantee their human rights.

• Finally, the group has criticized the Anzoategui police for launching a nasty publicity campaign to disqualify Ramos’ name.

“The protection of the right to citizen security is not incompatible with the preservation of the rule of law and respect for each human right. On the contrary, only a police force that respects those principles can guarantee citizen security.”

www.vheadline.com Posted: Friday, March 14, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The United Kingdom (UK)  Embassy in Caracas has replied to charges that the Venezuelan government has wasted funds for prison reform. An Embassy spokesman reports that the UK financed a numbers of workshops to train 37 prison directors during 1999-2002.

“The workshops concluded successfully and had the full support of the Venezuelan Interior & Justice (MIJ) Ministry.”

The British government continues to support a project to draw up prison administration guidelines incorporating human rights principles. Kings College International Studies for Prison Studies Professor Andrew Coyle is leading the project.

The Embassy has spent more than 200,000 pounds streling per year in human rights, governance, environment and narcotics control projects, citing as examples an agreement between the Portuguesa State Government and Red de Apoyo HR group to train police officers in human rights issues and a project with Amnesty International to train Caracas police forces in HR issues.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Friday, March 14, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

CECODAP child advocacy group director Oscar Misle says the new media law should clearly establish citizen and media owner’s responsibilities. “The politicization of the debate on the social responsibility law should not become an obstacle to establishing norms on TV norms as part of integral protection of children and teenagers … we must reach the widest consensus possible.”

Misle argues that TV cannot be blamed for all the violence and evils and people who support a better programming should not be branded as "Chavists."

The independence of the new regulating body, Misle points out, does raise concern because of the composition of the new National Institute of TV and Radio (INTVR), which is a dependency of the Infrastructure Ministry ... "8 of the 11 members are appointed by the National Executive (5) and National Assembly (3) respectively.

Misle insists that government TV and radio stations must comply with legal dispositions, including spots reserved for Executive

www.financialexpress.com

New York, March 14:  World oil prices slumped on Thursday as the twisted road to war in Iraq appeared to lengthen, warm weather approached and Venezuela pumped more crude, traders said.

US President George Bush had run into a diplomatic tangle in the UN Security Council, traders said.

“The troubles the Bush administration is having at the UN appear myriad, giving the market the impression that the imminency of a war has been pushed out a bit,” Fimat USA analyst John Kilduff said.

New York’s reference light sweet crude contract for April delivery skidded $1.82 to $36.01 a barrel.

In London, the price of Brent North Sea crude oil for April delivery slid $1.44 to $32.47 a barrel.

The US, looking for a way around French, Russian or Chinese vetoes, said it could allow a UN security council vote on war against Iraq to slip into next week or even forego the vote altogether.

Michael McAllister, energy analyst at Fahnestock and Co, said news that Venezuela had recovered from strike action to push production up to 2.95bpd depressed prices. “It is a jittery market that can be swayed by one story,” he said.

Prices have already spiked up to within a whisker of $40 a barrel in New York recently, the highest level since the run-up to the last Gulf war, though they have since eased back to around $37-38.

But experts say such a swift drop in prices as seen in 1991 is less likely this time.

Lawrence Eagles, analyst at Brokers GNI-Man Financial, said on that occasion the oil market had been expecting a short war.