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

President Hugo Chavez Frias says he has ordered Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) president, Ali Rodriguez Araque and Energy & Mines (MEM) Minister, Rafael Ramirez not to allow anyone that joined the PDVSA stoppage to return to the company. 

"We must not be weak and give in to arguments that those who left have families or have the technology." 

Speaking to new PDVSA workers and supporters in Maracaibo (Zulia), Chavez Frias repeated his resolve against former PDVSA employees whom he accuses of sabotaging Venezuela. 

"Those people have done a lot of damage, even though they are skilled, capable and have experience ... I would prefer to bring in people from other countries who have the expertise rather than bring any of them back and I am a nationalist!" 

The President told his followers, "what good is it to have a country full of technocrats or prepared persons with university titles and PhDs, if they are not proud of being Venezuelans of belonging here?" 

Calling the leaders rebel PDVSA leaders "terrorists," the President says Venezuela's Criminal Code should be applied against them and a trial opened against them for treason meriting a 30-year prison sentence. 

Referring to the media, Chavez Frias it would be a waste of time shutting them down ... "it would give them the ammunition they want ... it doesn't matter ... nobody here or abroad believes them anymore."

Former PDVSA employees congregated early in the morning and closed off the Maracaibo-Cabimas road for several hours until the National Guard (GN) came to restore order.

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

US Ambassador to Venezuela Charles Shapiro has renewed the US "sniping policy" against the Venezuelan government warning that the US government is taking threats against domestic print & broadcast media very seriously. 

Speaking at his residence to fellow Ambassadors, Venezuelan media bosses and invited journalists to commemorate World Freedom of Expression Day,  Shapiro claims that press freedom in Venezuela has deteriorated over the last year and it's everyone's responsibility to remedy the situation. 

"Attempts to legislate truth always end up restricting press freedom and not improving reporting." 

The Ambassador says tension between a government and the media is at times tense, and if it isn't, then the media is not doing its job ... he admits he didn't like Venezuelan media criticism of the Anglo-American War on Iraq but admits they were doing their job. 

Turning to Cuba, Shapiro highlighted the Cuban government  clampdown on Cuban journalist, poet and writer Raul Rivero ... "a free press is enemy to dictators independent of any abuses the media might commit ... a free press is the great ally and defender of democracy." 

Venezuelan columnist Miguel Salazar reports that a visit to Venezuela by the Assistant Secretary of US diplomatic missions security arrangements, Francis Taylor must be viewed as a sign of hardening relations between the State Department and the Venezuelan government. The visit coincides with a reshuffle of intelligence officers stationed at the Embassy in Caracas.

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

Centro Carter leader Jennifer McCoy will visit Venezuela next to draw up a diagnosis of the political situation, including the electoral process. Electoral affairs expert, Marcel Gomez will accompany McCoy during the visit.

Carter Center official, Francisco Diez made the announcement after visiting National Assembly (AN)  president, Francisco Ameliach.  

Diez says he is confident that the AN will reach an agreement on the composition of the new National Electoral College (CNE) board. "We hope so ... it seems that both sides are making an effort." 

stained-glass window at the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ)Reiterating the disposition of the Center to serve, Diez confirms that both sides requested the Center to play a facilitating role and it would continue to so if required by any of the sides. However, inside the AN a meeting of the ad hoc parliamentary CNE appointment committee was postponed and a report is expected to be put before the House this afternoon. 

• Political observers suggest that the committee will request another 15 days to present the report. 

In the meantime, the opposition has huddled together to thrash out a common approach ... one sector wants the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to decide and another wants a straight vote in a House plenary session.

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

Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and the US Free Market Petroleum Co have signed a contract to sell crude in the United States of America (USA) , broken down into $55 million barrels over a three-year period, which would represent just 8% of US reserves. 

Invoicing is estimated between $1-1.4  billion and the snag is that Venezuela will have to pay for the transport. 

Free Market Petroleum Co has been created exclusively to solve the new PDVSA marketing problem and is seen as a consequence of the opposition PDVSA executives & managers decision to use Venezuela's oil industry as a political tool to topple the Chavez Frias administration. 

Under the new setup, it is the Energy & Mines (MEM) Ministry that has turned into broker, which Minister Rafael Ramirez calls "a necessary change of paradigm." 

PDVSA is represented in the current contract by questioned official Ramon Guilarte and Juan Jose Ahumada, while Free Market Holdings is represented by William Hickman, Adrian Nash and Arturo Sarmiento, whose HQ is registered at suite 2110, Rockefeller Center NY. 

The original contract was signed on January 17 in the middle of the national strike/stoppage and corrected on January 23 after clarifying that Venezuela would pay transport, customs and port charges and Free Market Holdings pilot navigation charges.

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

Foro por la Vida human rights umbrella group  has once again come out in support of Cofavic executive director, Liliana Ortega calling on the State to comply with Inter American Human Rights (IAHR) Court ruling to offer guarantees to the right to life and personal integrity. 

A communique says that Ortega started getting life-threatening e-mail after reviewing the cases of victims of a Falcon State police murder squad. 

The e-mail signed by migelchirinos2003@yahoo.es  and angelfugaz99@hotmail.com calls Ortega a "traitor and interfering." 

She is told to keep away from police confrontations or pay the price ... the authors say they are ready to die for Chavez Frias and  the Revolution and forecast that the local Armed Force (FAN) commander will be the next State Governor.