Vice President to meet Argentinean President today
www.vheadline.com
Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2003
By: Robert Rudnicki
Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel is set to meet Argentinean President Eduardo Duhalde and Foreign Minister Carlos Ruckauf later today as part of his tour of several Latin American countries as the Venezuelan government looks to increase awareness of the current political situation in Venezuela.
The three men will discuss progress made by the Friends of Venezuela group as well as the negotiations being facilitated by Organization of American States (OAS) secretary general Cesar Gaviria.
Also as part of the visit the Venezuelan Executive Vice President will make a presentation in front of the Argentinean Council on Foreign Relations about Venezuela's political landscape.
Rangel will also make time available for interviews as the government steps up its media offensive, as it tries to get its message out without interference from opposition media in Venezuela.
Foreign Minister unsure how long Ortega processing will take
www.vheadline.com
Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2003
By: Robert Rudnicki
Venezuelan Foreign (MRE) Minister Roy Chaderton Matos has cautioned that he is unsure how long it will take for Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) president Carlos Ortega's application for safe conduct to Costa Rica to be processed as "these things take time."
Ortega is currently confined to the Costa Rican embassy in Caracas after having his application for political asylum granted by the Costa Rican government.
The Minister estimated that the application could take between one and seven days to process, but insisted that it would be completed as soon as possible and that no conditions would be placed on the Costa Ricans as a result.
Ortega applied for asylum after an arrest warrant was issued for his involvement in the two month long national work stoppage which began on December 2.
Fellow strike leader Carlos Fernandez was arrested and after being placed under house arrest he has been rushed to a private clinic as his health continues to deteriorate.
Venezuelan and Brazilian Presidents set to meet at the end of April
www.vheadline.com
Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2003
By: Robert Rudnicki
President Hugo Chavez Frias is set to hold meetings with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sometime towards the end of April. The news comes following Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel's visit to Brazil earlier this week.
The meeting is likely to take place in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, where the Brazilian President was born.
No firm date has yet been set for the talks, but the two leaders are likely to discuss a range of issues and in particular the work being done by the Friends of Venezuela group to end the ongoing political stalemate in Venezuela.
Following the meeting between Rangel and Lula da Silva, the Brazilian President sent a letter of friendship and solidarity with the negotiation process to his Venezuelan counterpart.
CARACAS -- Hundreds of opponents of President Hugo Chavez rallied Wednesday to show support for a strike leader who dodged charges of treason and rebellion by winning asylum in Costa Rica.
Supporters of Carlos Ortega cheered and waved Venezuelan and Costa Rican flags in front of the Costa Rican embassy in Caracas.
The labor leader slipped into the embassy Friday after hiding from authorities for two weeks. He is waiting for the government to give him safe conduct to Costa Rica, which granted him asylum for "humanitarian reasons."
"I'm here to show him my solidarity," 78-year-old Maria Diaz said at the rally. "He fought against a dictatorship, and I am thanking him for that."
Ortega led a two-month strike designed to force Chavez's resignation or early elections. The strike fizzled last month but crippled the world's No. 5 oil exporter and cost Venezuela $6 billion. Venezuela was one of the largest U.S. suppliers before the strike.
Posted by click at 4:51 PM
CARACAS -- President Hugo Chavez is using currency controls to limit press freedom by denying Venezuelan newspapers the dollars needed to import newsprint, a newspaper director said Wednesday.
Nationwide newsprint stocks are down to one month's supply, said Miguel Otero, director of Caracas' El Nacional.
Chavez accuses Venezuela's news media of conspiring to overthrow his leftist government. Many newspapers endorsed a recent, failed two-month general strike to demand early presidential elections. Chavez's term ends in 2007.
Chavez suspended dollar sales to businesses and citizens Jan. 22 to stem a rapid devaluation of the bolivar currency and capital flight.
The government published a list this week of 6,000 imported items, such as medicine and food, that will be eligible for private dollar purchases at a date to be announced. Newsprint is not on the list, although the government says it may be in the future . ...............