<a href=asia.reuters.com>Reuters, Sat April 26, 2003 08:35 AM ET
By Magdalena Morales
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - In a conference room at Venezuela's military academy, a group of soldiers listen attentively to a pair of Cuban instructors.
The subject being taught is not revolutionary guerrilla warfare as once practiced by Fidel Castro, but the "organoponic farming revolution," communist Cuba's latest export to its closest South American ally, Venezuela.
"Organoponic gardening," a system of concentrated, organic urban vegetable cultivation, is taking root in central Caracas, amid the piles of garbage, bands of homeless beggars and tens of thousands of vehicles belching out polluting gas fumes.
Inspired by Cuba's system of urban market gardens, which has been operating for several years, left-wing President Hugo Chavez has ordered the creation of similar intensive city plots across Venezuela in a bid to develop food self-sufficiency in the world's No. 5 oil exporter.
"Let's sow our cities with organic, hydroponic mini-gardens," said the populist former paratrooper, who survived a brief coup a year ago and toughed out a crippling opposition strike in December and January.
Inside Fuerte Tiuna military headquarters, soldiers of the crack Ayala armored battalion supervised by Cuban instructors have swapped their rifles for shovels and hoes to tend neat rows of lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, coriander and parsley.
Since his election in late 1998, Chavez has drafted the armed forces to serve his self-styled "revolution" in a range of social projects, from providing medical services to running low-cost food markets for the poor.
Besides the military vegetable patch in Fuerte Tiuna, the government has also planted a 1.2 acre (half-hectare) plot in Caracas' downtown Bellas Artes district.
The market garden, denominated "Bolivar 1" in honor of Venezuela's independence hero Simon Bolivar, is being run by an agricultural cooperative set up in a nearby poor neighborhood.
PUBLIC SKEPTICISM
The sight of sprouting vegetables nestling in concrete-lined earth beds behind wire fences in central Caracas causes many passers-by to stare.
"This might be all right to provide for a family but not to feed a country," scoffed Diego Di Coccio, a 40-year-old unemployed businessman.
"They should use the money to unblock the drains," said chemical technician Hector Gonzalez, pointing to the piles of rubbish in the streets around.
Skeptics question why resource-rich Venezuela should need urban vegetable gardens when it has hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile farming land, much not in use.
The national farmers' federation Fedeagro, which groups 52 local associations around the country, says it is not opposed in principle to the urban food program. But it demands more government support for the farming sector, which contracted around 10 percent between 1998 and 2002.
"The problem is that it looks as though the government is concentrating all its efforts on these city farming plots, and yet the national sector remains in the state it's in," said Fedeagro's technical adviser Nelson Calabria.
Private farmers and ranchers also accuse the government of threatening private property with a socialist-inspired agrarian reform law that says idle, uncultivated rural estates can be expropriated and distributed to landless peasants.
But Chavez, a tough-talking nationalist, defends the urban garden plan as a necessary strategy to ward off the threat of food shortages and wean the country from its high dependence on imports.
To the derision of critics, Chavez has also suggested that Caracas slum dwellers whose ramshackle hilltop homes ring the city should raise crops and chickens on their balconies and rooftops. Turn your homes into "vertical henhouses," he said.
The president, who is accused by his foes of ruining the oil-reliant economy with his anti-capitalist rhetoric and interventionist policies, has also vowed to break what he says is a stranglehold on domestic food production held by rich "oligarchs" opposed to him.
During the recent opposition strike, Chavez ordered troops to temporarily seize and search some privately owned food plants which he said were deliberately hoarding supplies.
CUBAN INFLUENCE
Critics say Chavez is using strict foreign exchange and price controls introduced this year to wage a vendetta against his business foes by denying them scarce U.S. dollars and forcing them to lower their prices.
Others ridicule the urban vegetable gardens as little more than a political gimmick and another sign of Chavez's close ideological ties with his friend and ally Cuban President Fidel Castro, whom he regularly salutes as a revolutionary soulmate.
Since Chavez came to power, Venezuela has become Cuba's single biggest trading partner, supplying the island with up to 53,000 barrels per day of oil in a bilateral energy agreement. Several hundred Cuban doctors, sports trainers and technical advisers in areas like sugar farming are working in Venezuela.
Although the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization backs the Venezuelan urban farming project, the main inspiration and training comes from specialists from Cuba.
Venezuelan experts wonder whether the polluted atmosphere of central Caracas could turn the city center vegetables into a health hazard. They say the smog-filled air contains concentrations of carbon monoxide and lead that could contaminate growing plants.
Despite the criticism, Chavez's government and its Cuban advisers are enthusiastic about the project, which involves an initial investment of around $2 million.
Jays pitcher named in court papers
James Wallace, <a href=www.stcatharinesstandard.ca>The standard-Osprey News Network
Saturday, April 26, 2003 - 02:00
National news - Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kelvim Escobar was named Friday in graphic court documents that allege he drugged, sexually assaulted and videotaped a woman in her mid-20s.
A statement of claim filed with Ontario Superior Court of Justice alleges Escobar took the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, to a Yorkville dance club in April 2001 where he spiked her champagne with a "noxious substance."
He then took her back to his condominium and videotaped himself sexually assaulting her, the documents allege. According to the documents, when the woman woke, she became suspicious, discovered the video equipment, took the tape and left Escobar's apartment.
"He used Jane as a sexual object and exploited her sexually when she was vulnerable and when he owed her a duty to protect her," the documents state. She is seeking $8 million in damages plus costs.
The statement of claim contains allegations only which have not been proven in court.
Paul Godfrey, Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO, was unaware of the allegations.
"You're going to have to approach Mr. Escobar," he said. "I have no comment on that at all."
Escobar could not be reached for comment.
Osprey News contacted the office of Escobar's lawyer, William Burden, by telephone and fax for comment, but he did not return calls.
Eddie Greenspan, Jane Doe's lawyer, also declined comment on the allegations.
"The allegations by my client are set out in the statement of claim and the court will ultimately determine the case," Greenspan said.
Escobar, 27, is a native of Caracas, Venezuela. The documents filed in court Friday state that Escobar and Jane Doe met in 2000 and that the pair met from time to time with friends at various dance clubs in Toronto.
One evening in April 2001, Escobar met Jane Doe outside his condominium at 11 p.m. and drove her in his car to a club onYorkville Avenue, the court papers allege.
Escobar bought a bottle of champagne and poured a glass for Jane Doe and she drank it, according to the documents.
"Unknown to Jane, Escobar laced the champagne with a noxious substance," the documents claim.
The pair danced and while dancing, "Jane began to perspire profusely, became dizzy and light-headed."
Escobar escorted her to his car in front of the club and she lost consciousness, the documents state. The court papers further allege that Jane Doe woke "naked and disoriented" in Escobar's condominium bedroom the next morning and he told her she had "passed out, vomited over her clothes and thus it was necessary for him to undress her."
Jane Doe allegedly found signs she had been sexually assaulted and found a video camera in the bedroom. When Escobar was out of the room, the documents allege, Jane Doe took the cassette from the camera and hid it in her purse.
The documents allege when Jane Doe saw the videotape, it showed Escobar videotaping her while she was unconscious, undressing her and performing several sexual acts upon her, including intercourse.
Oliveros is quite a catch--Sixers' catcher is exceeding expectations at the plate early this season.
Posted by click at 4:08 AM
sbsun.com By MICHELLE GARDNER, Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO - Steve Roadcap knows what he wants out of a catcher.
The manager of the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino was a catcher in his playing days and he served as the Seattle Mariners roving catching instructor before being named the skipper.
Luis Oliveros has more than fit the bill. Not only has he played well defensively and called a good game behind the plate, he has established himself as one of the California League's top hitters.
Oliveros went 2-for-3 on Friday in helping the Sixers (10-10) to a 3-1 victory over the visiting San Jose Giants in front of a crowd of 3,425 at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.
"I told the catchers before the season started I didn't want them to worry about offense because the hitting would come,' Roadcap said. "I wanted their primary focus on defense and calling the game for the pitcher. It is early, but he has certainly surpassed our expectations. His hitting has been a bonus.'
Oliveros, 19, did not even begin the season as the club's starting catcher. He opened the 2003 campaign as the backup to Chris Collins but has been the workhorse since Collins sustained a shoulder injury in an April 13 collision at home plate. Oliveros has started 10-of-11 games since then and is batting .432 in that stretch.
The native of Guatire, Venezuela, leads the Sixers with eight multiple-hit games and is batting .386, seventh-best in the league.
Oliveros has struck out only four times in 57 at-bats and has hit safely in 13 of his 15 games.
"Before the season, I liked to think I had a No. 1 catcher and a 1-A,' Roadcap said. "The opportunity has presented itself for (Oliveros) to get the playing time and he has taken advantage of it. At this point he deserves to be the guy.'
Oliveros chalks up much of his success early to the work he put in during the offseason. He competed with major-leaguers in the Venezuelan League, playing on a team that featured the likes of Bobby Abreau (Phillies), Alex Gonzalez (Marlins), Ugeth Urbina (Rangers) and Henry Blanco (Braves).
Blanco, Atlanta's backup catcher, became Oliveros' mentor. They talk almost every day, with Oliveros sometimes calling Blanco as early as 4 a.m. EDT.
"Playing in Venezuela really helped my confidence,' Oliveros said. "I was playing with major-league players who are where I want to be some day. It has helped my concentration now.'
Although Oliveros has had the opportunity to rub elbows with major-leaguers, his real role model is his older brother Harry Guanchez, who climbed as high as Double-A in the Kansas City Royals organization. Oliveros has three other brothers who also played.
"He always worked hard,' said Oliveros of Guanchez. "That's why I look up to him.'
Oliveros' strong start is following last season, which did not go as well.
After hitting over .300 his first two years in professional ball, Oliveros hit just .229 last year at Low-A Wisconsin.
His hitting coach suggested a change in his approach but Oliveros never was comfortable. This year, he went back to what worked previously.
"I tried it, and it just didn't work for me,' he said.
The catcher shares an apartment with pitcher Emiliano Fruto and infielders Eddie Menchaca and Ismael Castro. The players enjoy cooking, something not typical of minor-league players.
"He doesn't worry as much about hitting as he does defense,' Menchaca said. "The most satisfying thing for him is for the pitcher to get the win. He is a great guy to be around.'
66ers notes
Sixers manager Steve Roadcap juggled his starting rotation as Ryan Ketchner has replaced Emiliano Fruto, although Fruto might pitch Sunday because scheduled starter bf>Juan Done has been sore since his outing Tuesday at High Desert.
Ketchner (3-0) responded well in his first start, allowing one run in five innings with seven strikeouts. He gave up five hits and did not walk a batter.
Greg Jacobs stroked a two-out two-run triple in the third that gave the Sixers a 2-1 lead. John Williamson added a run-scoring single in the fourth and had the defensive play of the game, making a diving catch of a sinking liner off the bat of Angel Chavez in the fourth.
Troy Cate (0-2, 4.80) will start at 6:05
tonight against the Giants (7-13) who will counter with Ryan Hannaman (2-0, 3.18), the organization's No. 8 prospect. Tonight's game will feature appearances by the Lakers girls and the Sixers dance team and post-game fireworks. Eight used cars will also be given away between innings.