<a href=www.sun-sentinel.com>sun-sentinel.com-The Associated Press Posted May 29 2003, 4:55 PM EDT

MIAMI -- The first rebel extradited by Colombia appeared in a U.S. court Thursday to face charges in the killing of three Americans who were helping set up a rural school system near the Colombia-Venezuela border.

Nelson Vargas Rueda, a member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was brought into court in a wheelchair, missing the prosthetic right leg he wore for the flight north Wednesday.

Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, Vargas said he owned a house in Colombia but has had no job for three years and has no money to hire an attorney.

A public defender was named to represent him at a bond hearing next Tuesday. After that, he likely will be flown to Washington to face trial on a federal murder conspiracy indictment.

Vargas, 33, is charged in the 1999 executions of Terence Freitas, 24, of Los Angeles, Ingrid Washinawatok, 41, of New York City, and Lahe'ena'e Gay, 39, of Pahoa, Hawaii.

The Americans were in Colombia to help set up a school system for the U'wa Indian tribe in the vast eastern plains bordering Venezuela. Rebels kidnapped the trio in February 1999 and later executed them. Their bullet-riddled bodies were found across the border in Venezuela.

Vargas was arrested in Bogota in June 2001 and has been in jail since. He is one of six members of the rebel group known as the FARC to be charged in the killings.

The FARC has admitted its fighters killed the Americans but blamed a rogue lower-level commander and said he would be punished by the insurgent group.

The murders prompted the United States to suspend all contact with the leftist rebel group fighting the Colombian government for nearly 40 years.

The United States lists the FARC as an international terrorist organization and has provided Colombia with millions of dollars, mostly in military aid, to fight the guerrillas.

The United States also wants Colombia to extradite several other FARC rebels, including top leaders, as well as a paramilitary leader in drug trafficking cases.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Thursday, May 29, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The world famous La Salle Foundation of Venezuela is confronting a delicate internal situation regarding the presidency. The La Salle Religious Brothers have appointed Brother Jose Pereda as Foundation president over 91-year old Brother Gines, who has been at the helm for the last 50 years. 

• The fuss hit the headlines when Brother Gines surprisingly declared the appointment illegal. 

The religious order's Provincial Visitor, Brother Juan Bosco Chacon presented the new president to the media and assured people that Gines' projects will be carried through, claiming that allegedly Brother Gines had agreed to make the Foundation more participative and democratic. Brother Pereda insists that the Foundation will remain faithful to its origins and continue to serve the most needy preparing them to know their roots, customs, nature and country. 

Brother Gines' legal adviser, Beatriz Di Totto claims the appointment isn't legal  because it is up to the assembly set up in February to endorse the order's appointment. "The Assembly rejected the new president ... pressure has been put on Brother Gines to subject himself to a vote of obedience ... he handed over power in February and now the Assembly is the maximum authority and not the religious order." 

Columnist Nelson Bocaranda Sardi asks: who are behind the move to wrest the Foundation away from the La Salle Brothers? Hinting that Brother Gines has been manipulated, Bocaranda Sardi suggests that fishing, mining and timber interests are the culprits ... "the first thing they did was to send a letter to the banks changing signatures." It would be interesting to discover how such vested interests managed to infiltrate the Foundation well known for its scientific and anthropological research.

Posted: Thursday, May 29, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The National Guard (GN) Anti-Drugs Command has announced the seizure of 8 kilos of cocaine in the cargo area of Caracas (Simon Bolivar)  international airport at Maiquetia. 

GN Anti-Drugs command chief, General Jose Antonio Paez says 6 kilos were discovered in a suitcase with double lining to be placed on board KLM's evening flight to Amsterdam, conveniently dubbed the "Narco-Tulip Express." 

Paez reports that two Venezuela citizens (41 and 43 years old), thought to be owners of the suitcase, have been arrested in connection with the seizure. 

New sniffer dogs allegedly uncovered one kilo of cocaine hidden in 14 friendship envelopes destined for Hong Kong on board a Lufthansa flight and one kilo of cocaine hidden in 2 hard disks ready to be sent to Miami aboard a DHL cargo plane.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Thursday, May 29, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

According to newspapers reports, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) Constitutional Chamber has been discussing the composition of the new National Electoral College (CNE) in view of the fact that debate in the National Assembly (AN) has peaked to stalemate. 

• The magistrate charged with drawing up a presentation paper, Jesus Eduardo Cabrera says he hopes to have everything prepared within a week. 

Sources indicate that 2 magistrates initially disagreed with the proposal that the TSJ should appoint the CNE board ... one contending the AN should do it and the other suggesting giving the deputies a 10-day deadline but in the end they voted to open a debate in the Chamber. 

National Electoral College (CNE)

It seems that Movimiento Quinta Republica (MVR)  deputy, Omar Mezza is behind the proposal to leave the matter to the TSJ since the House has reached deadlock on how to select the fifth and decisive member. The opposition does not support the initiative because it maintains that the government bench has more TSJ magistrates in its favor than the opposition and therefore, the fifth CNE board member will be a government favorite. 

Political observers are divided on the issue with a majority favoring a parliamentary compromise. Neither side is budging on the issue and MVR has taken advantage of its parliamentary majority as the opposition would do, if it was in power.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Thursday, May 29, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

According El Mundo afternoon tabloid, the Police Detective Branch (CICPC) has confirmed that it has identified some of the masked men that last Saturday repelled National Guard (GN) soldiers attempting to remove a barricade of buses blocking access to Accion Democratica's (AD) "Assault on Catia." 

A group of 8 persons allegedly fired on crowds assembled in Peru Street and also on the GN soldiers on Avenida Sucre. A source has told El Mundo that some of the gunmen came from La Silsa barrio and police now claim that 28 persons were involved in the use of firearms and allegedly used a camouflaged Hidrocapital jeep. 

23 de Enero neighbors say that one group started mugging people on their way to work from 6.00 a.m. in the morning, giving rise to a theory that criminal gangs took advantage of the situation. One El Universal piece reports that neighbors in 23 de Enero blocks fought off masked groups, which would give credence to the above thesis. 

Opposition news media have been quick to point the finger at pro-government Tupamaros and Carapaica urban groups after locating an independent website operating out of 23 de Enero, showing hooded persons with automatic pistols and a FAL assault rifle walking the barrio.

Digging up other stories, one tabloid reports that 4 Bolivarian Circle members were wounded with gunshot and were treated at the Military Hospital thanks to the good offices of a government deputy. 

The CICPC has also revealed that the person shot and killed during Saturday's skirmishes was Modesto Matias Graterol Sucre and not, as some newspapers reported, Modesto Graterol Bastidas. According to police sources, the dead man had a rap sheet for car theft in October 1984, April 1985 and September 1992 ... and August 1985 for bodily assault and battery.   The police have announced that they are working on the hypothesis that the dead man was actively involved in Saturday's stand-off between opposition and government supporters.