<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Venezuelan ranchers Association (Fedenaga) president, Jose Luis Betancourt has come out fighting against the government's decision to import foodstuffs, paradoxically branding the measure "the height of neoliberalism." 

Betancourt says it's an act of retaliation against domestic producers to give the State greater control and he slams what he calls the discretional character of food distribution. 

"The measure will introduce  a nest of corruption and inefficiency in the sector ... the State does not have the capacity to distribute basic diet foodstuffs to the population."

Rancher Betancourt's forecasts shortages and food queues in the near future as the State system enters into crisis. Fedenaga will continue legal actions against the State. "We will go to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to argue that the agrarian land deeds the government is handing out are unconstitutional ... we want implementation of the Agricultural Marketing Law that obliges the Venezuelan State to give more support to national production." 

Federation of Agricultural Producers (Fedeagro) president Jose Manuel Gonzalez says government direct sales popular markets (Mercal) is a sign that the government intends to impose a Communist sytem in Venezuela ... "it has absolutely nothing to do with economy." 

Arias Cardenas: opposition should be prepared to make concessions

Posted by click at 4:23 AM Story Archive May 10, 2003 (Page 3 of 7)
Adamant: Hardest metal

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Continuing his lonely crusade, Lt. Colonel Francisco Arias Cardenas says the challenger should be more interested in the fight than the champion and the only opposition candidate to date is the recall referendum which has a guaranteed 70% following. 

"It's wrong for the opposition to renege on the referendum and it should be prepared to make concessions provided that the fight will not be cancelled." 

"Does the government want a second round? OK. Does it want a word included? Let us see whether it expresses the same and advance from there. Let us clear up the matter of the signatures now. If we have to go to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to see if the signatures are valid or not, let us do so." 

The Lt. Colonel thinks it would be better to set public opinion buzzing again by starting another signature campaign.

The former Zulia State Governor says that the ruler will attempt to do what every ruler has done before him, stay in power. "Here we won't be seeing the heroic generosity of Bolivar but the sad spectacle of people holding on to the booty. We should not be scandalized by electoral traps, vote-rigging, last minute enrollments ... we have seen it all before ... we should be convinced that this government is repeating past vices with greater."

The recall referendum, Arias Cardenas says, is checkmate to the revolution that never was ... the coronation of opposition moves, despite all its mistakes. "We should give the sick man what he wants, taking care that he doesn't kick the chair of constitutitional play from under us."

US Congressmen in Caracas say they trust Chavez Frias to comply with recall referendum

Posted by click at 4:21 AM in Otra mentira mas...

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

US Congressmen: William Delahunt (D), Cass Ballenger (R) and Gregory Meeks (D) are back in Venezuela to meet Venezuelan National Assembly (AN) deputies, who are members of the Boston Group consisting of US and Venezuelan parliamentarians. 

The visit comes at an important moment when the AN is stalled debating the composition of the new National Electoral College (CNE) and government-opposition negotiations have run out of stream and the buck passed on to the AN. 

Cass Ballenger (North Carolina) has met President Hugo Chavez Frias with whom he discussed the impasse in deciding on the new National Electoral College (CNE)  board. 

After the meeting, Ballenger admitted there were obstacles but expressed confidence that legislators would find courage to reach a solution. "I'm sure the necessary votes can be mustered to pass an ordinance bringing in the new board." The Congressman says he feels that President Chavez Frias is ready to support a call for elections.

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