<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, April 14, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Venezuela has been experiencing its first rain showers for almost four months.  The showers brought people out in to the streets in Caracas and kept others from venturing out to t he beaches. 

Civil Protection chief, Army Lt. Colonel Antonio Jose Rivero Gonzalez says this year's Easter holiday public security plan, which started on Sunday, includes 7,365 firefighters, 5, 000 traffic police officers, 3,102 Civil Protection officials, 300 members of the Red Cross, 3,717 volunteers and 22,000 police officers. 

Rivero Gonzalez says 2 emergency surgeries have been installed in tourist areas, 24 ambulances in Caracas and 35 throughout Venezuela. "We are expecting around 7 million people traveling away from home to tourist areas. 

The Miranda State government has inaugurated the Guarenas-Casarapa highway skirting the city of Guarenas.  It is a 5.5 kilometer stretch built over a two-year period and costing 11 billion bolivares. Work was delayed when part of the north wall collapsed forcing the company to install walls of contention. 

Venezuelan Air Force (FAV) Meteorological Service (Semetfav) petty officer, Jose Pereira says the showers in Caracas and heavy rains in other parts of the country do not mean that the rainy season has officially started and warns that rains will continue for another 24 hours. 

In Amazonas, Bolivar and the central region rains were heavy.

Meanwhile at the Caracas (Simon Bolivar) international airport at Maiquetia, the flow of passengers is said to be satisfactory, especially on flights to Miami, Orlando, Puerto Rica, Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and Curacao ... Porlamar (Isla de Margarita) and Maracaibo. 

The most frequented Vargas State beaches are Caraballeda beaches of Los Cocos and Sheraton, while in Carabobo, Patanemo Bay, Ganango, Quizandal, Palma Sola and Puerto Cabello's Playa Blanca are the favorites.  In eastern Venezuela, Mochima Park islands and Carupano beaches are said to be very busy along with El Faro, El Saco and Puinare islands in Puerto La Cruz.

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Our editorial statement reads: VHeadline.com Venezuela is a wholly independent e-publication promoting democracy in its fullest expression and the inalienable  right of all Venezuelans to self-determination and the pursuit of sovereign independence without interference. We seek to shed light on nefarious practices and the corruption which for decades has strangled this South American nation's development and progress. Our declared editorial bias is pro-democracy and pro-Venezuela ... which some may wrongly interpret as anti-American. --  Roy S. Carson, Editor/Publisher  Editor@VHeadline.com

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, April 14, 2003 By: Elio Cequea

VHeadline.com reader Elio Cequea writes: When the UN inspectors were in Iraq looking for chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction, they could not find anything. President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell insisted that the US government "had intelligence reports indicating that Saddam Hussein and his regime had them."

Thus, the war started to "disarm Saddam Hussein and to protect the American people from terrorist attacks." During the war, there was not even one attack with chemicals and the only weapons of mass destruction that we saw were used by the coalition forces "against" Iraq.

• The war is over. Iraqi weapons of mass destruction have not been found yet. The motive for the war now has been changed to "liberate the Iraqi people". Same war, just different motive.

I heard on the radio yesterday that President Bush said at a press conference that he "was confident that weapons will be found." Apparently the intelligence reports given to him and Powell were not complete, and they did not mentioned the location of those weapons. That is why, I guess, the information was never given to the UN inspectors ... either that or he just wanted a good reason to "liberate" Iraq.

I hope, in the name of peace, the reports were incomplete and weapons are found.

On the contrary, and if the US President is the man of principles some people say he is, he should not have trouble finding reasons to "liberate" China, North Korea, Vietnam and Cuba.

If he doesn't try to liberate these countries, it will confirm that the war with Iraq happened just to control the second major oil reserve in the world.

Elio Cequea feico57@aol.com

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Our editorial statement reads: VHeadline.com Venezuela is a wholly independent e-publication promoting democracy in its fullest expression and the inalienable  right of all Venezuelans to self-determination and the pursuit of sovereign independence without interference. We seek to shed light on nefarious practices and the corruption which for decades has strangled this South American nation's development and progress. Our declared editorial bias is pro-democracy and pro-Venezuela ... which some may wrongly interpret as anti-American. --  Roy S. Carson, Editor/Publisher  Editor@VHeadline.com    © 2003 VHeadline.com All Rights Reserved.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, April 14, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Closing the "Solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution" conference, President Hugo Chavez Frias says the event has become a world summit. "In the last four years I have been  to so many world summits and emerged disappointed from almost of all them ... there is a crisis in world summit systems ... there is a world political crisis ... we must return to political leadership." 

• President Chavez Frias also addressed a well-attended political rally of supporters hailing the first anniversary of the return to democracy.

Chavez Frias told his supporters that the Bolivarian Revolution had broken the circle of international isolation and that it would be difficult for opposition domestic media to pull wool over people's eyes. 

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Our editorial statement reads: VHeadline.com Venezuela is a wholly independent e-publication promoting democracy in its fullest expression and the inalienable  right of all Venezuelans to self-determination and the pursuit of sovereign independence without interference. We seek to shed light on nefarious practices and the corruption which for decades has strangled this South American nation's development and progress. Our declared editorial bias is pro-democracy and pro-Venezuela ... which some may wrongly interpret as anti-American. --  Roy S. Carson, Editor/Publisher  Editor@VHeadline.com

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, April 14, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The famous Chacao Palm-Collectors (Palmeros)  have ushered in Caracas Holy Week religious ceremonies delivering palms to Caracas churches. 137 members of the organization spent 48 hours in the Avila hills cutting a total 500 palm trees in compliance with stricter Environment & Renewable Resources (MARNR) regulations. 

The palms were carried in procession and blessed at the San Jose de Chacao Church during the traditional Palm Sunday religious service. 

The palm-collecting tradition started 235 years ago and the Palmeros have become a religious confraternity led by Palmero Mayor Ramon Delgado. 

Mayor Leopoldo Lopez attended the coming down and put on the traditional a musical festival to accompany the Palmeros to church. The procession stopped at the barrio where most members live to render homage to deceased members.

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Our editorial statement reads: VHeadline.com Venezuela is a wholly independent e-publication promoting democracy in its fullest expression and the inalienable  right of all Venezuelans to self-determination and the pursuit of sovereign independence without interference. We seek to shed light on nefarious practices and the corruption which for decades has strangled this South American nation's development and progress. Our declared editorial bias is pro-democracy and pro-Venezuela ... which some may wrongly interpret as anti-American. --  Roy S. Carson, Editor/Publisher  Editor@VHeadline.com

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, April 14, 2003 By: Rev. Eddy J Muskus

VHeadline.com reader the Rev. Eddy J Muskus writes: I was curious to find the reason for the Very Reverend Roger Dawson's choice of subject -- <a href=www.vheadline.com>'Judas the one who didn't betray but handed over.'

It was rather disappointed that he limited his application to simple 'not to blame others for our own predicaments'. He missed the point altogether by suggesting that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ would have been 'a hideous accident and not a deliberate act on behalf of Jesus.'

There are several texts from the scriptures that can be quoted which support the fact that Judas' action was an act of betrayal. John records in his gospel (John 13:18-19) that Jesus quoted part of Psalm 41:9 to state his authority and total control over the circumstances of his betrayal. Jesus said He knew whom he had chosen, but scripture had to be fulfilled: 'He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me' (Psalm 41:9). Following this quote Jesus stated his main reason for saying those words. 'I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.'

The portion from the Psalm is important because the context is of friendship, the Psalmist speaks of a 'close friend in whom he trusted'. Now, Jesus has no problem in identifying Judas as the son of perdition (John 17:12), and though Judas was a friend, he was not clean (John 13:10). Jesus said it before it took place to vindicate whom he was, no other than the Son of God. Peter in his sermon on the day of Pentecost said: 'Men of Israel... Jesus ... was delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death' (Acts 2:22-23). It is evident that God was in control of Jesus' crucifixion and was part of His eternal plan to redeem his people, yet what it is striking is the fact that the hands of godless men carried out the act of crucifying him.

If history has blamed the Jews for the death of Jesus Christ it has been due to a complete misunderstanding (deliberate one) but it has nothing to do with Judas. It was necessary for Jesus to die and then rise from the dead. The important truth is this fact. Jesus deliberately came to save sinners, and the cross and the shedding of his blood was the only way. If anything has to be said regarding Judas and his betrayal is that his greed confirmed the state of his heart. The fact that Scripture also records that 'Satan entered into him' (John 13:27) places him in a terrible condition.

With regard to the place of the Jews today in history, Paul has a message for them in his letter to the Ephesians: There Paul demonstrates that the power of God has broken down the middle wall of partition. There is now One Christian Church in which we can find Jews and Gentiles alike worshipping the same God. The blood of Christ has cleansed their sins. Jesus Christ has reconciled them both unto God in one body by the cross (Ephesians 2:13-17).

It will be interesting to note if the congregation to whom the Very Reverend Roger Dawson ministers have understood that they need to repent from their sins and trust Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior. Redemption has been accomplished by the Lord, and many may be still 'far off' thinking that they are in Christ, thus, it is our business to show them the way to Calvary hoping and trusting in the God of miracle to grant them faith and repentance for the safety of their eternal souls.

Yours Rev. Eddy J Muskus ejmuskus@arrakis.es