<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, June 02, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

At a meeting convened to pay homage to opposition negotiators, the Coordinadora Democratica (CD) has let it be known that it will defend the results of the recall referendum, even to the point of starting a popular insurrection. 

Fired up Asamblea de Educacion leader, Leonardo Carvajal, who was the main orator,  said the CD will not just wait for the referendum but fight for it and for the results. 

In a fighting mood to beat off "Doubting Thomases" inside the opposition camp, Carvajal warns that if President Hugo Chavez Frias attempts to thwart the popular will using violence, then the opposition would have no alternative but popular insurrection ... "the international community as well as the Armed Force (FAN) must understand that." 

Carvajal listed the virtues of signing the agreement, among which is that the agreement itself ratifies the Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council mandate, namely to seek an electoral solution to the crisis. 

Rebuking opposition adversaries who complain that the agreement has taken international bodies out of the equation, Carvajal contends that it is up to Venezuelans to solve their own problems and therefore, it is all the more important for the opposition to put up a united front to get the new National Electoral College (CNE) board of directors appointed as soon as possible.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, June 02, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The National Guard (GN) Anti-Drugs Command has seized a total 17.7 kilos of allegedly high quality heroin at the Caracas (Simon Bolivar) international airport at Maiquetia. 

Anti-Drugs Division chief, General (GN) Jose Antonio Paez reports that 12.1 kilos were discovered hidden in a double seemed dresses that in a parcel on its way to new York. 

In a separate incident a 40-year old Venezuelan citizen was arrested allegedly attempting to transport 5.5 kilos of heroin in a 5-liter bottle of wine ... his flight was bound for the Dominican Republic.

Although most of last week's seizures were cocaine, narcotics control sources say they are pleased with successes at the airport, especially since the introduction of sniffer dogs.

The amount of arrests over the last few weeks is said to be the tip of the iceberg of what had been passing undetected through Venezuelan airports in small but significant quantities.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, June 02, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Speaking at his weekly Sunday radio address, Venezuelan  President Hugo Chavez Frias says he is convinced that the Cuzco Declaration signed by the Rio Group last week contains an intention to intervene in Colombia ... "that is why I signed with reservations." 

Chavez Frias told his listeners that he urged Heads of State gathered in Cuzco to debate the issue and says it is unbelievable that the United Nations (UN) would even think of entering Colombia ... the declaration asks the UN to establish a deadline for Colombian guerrillas to sign a peace agreement with the Colombian government and if the deadline isn't met, then to seek other options in conjunction with the Rio Group. 

"When I asked several Presidents at the meeting about the options, they couldn't answer ... I asked the question openly and someone did say it meant a multilateral intervention in Colombia." 

The President argues that it is something that has never been proposed before in Latin America ... "we have had guerrilla movements here in Venezuela, in El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua. Peru and Argentina ... this is crazy." 

A petition to discuss the topic was approved at the Rio Group meeting but no date fixed. President Chavez Frias says he hopes to open a continental debate on the matter and criticizes the Rio Group for not discussing the Free Trade for the Americas Agreement (FTAA) ... "that wouldn't have happened if the meeting had been here in Venezuela."

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, June 02, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

President Hugo Chavez Frias says he thinks his detractors are changing their opinions ... "many people who were part of the crazy and fired up opposition are beginning to reflect and realize that Venezuela has a Constitution." 

Referring to the negotiations agreement signed last Thursday, the President says it is a small victory to have got opposition sectors to recognize the Constitution and accept the fact that if they want President Chavez Frias to go, then they must act constitutionally. 

According to Chavez Frias, the opposition will be defeated in any recall referendum and he calls on the opposition to be transparent in any signature campaign. 

2024 will be an important year, the President told his audience, adding that he hopes Latin America will be "united and free" ... in 2024 Venezuela will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Ayacucho ... Chavez Frias proposes it be declared as target year to end hunger on the continent. 

Discussing other matters, the President Chavez Frias promised to improve food distribution throughout Venezuela combining military and civilian convoys and has announced the beginning of negotiations to install a Marco Polo bus assembly plant in Venezuela to export buses to the Caribbean.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic news Posted: Monday, June 02, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

It was the turn of the Christian Socialists (COPEI) to announce and confirm that the "Assault on Petare" will go ahead as scheduled, despite one death, 22 injuries and skirmishes between government and opposition shock troops two weeks ago in the western Caracas zone of Catia. 

Speaking for the Accion Democratica (AD) and COPEI  Coordinadora Democratica (CD) Alliance, Enrique Naim  says opposition supporters will assemble on Friday June 13 in Petare's Avenida Lebrun. "It will be a pacific rally and we are convoking  all opposition parties and the civil sector in general." 

Shaking a red rag to the bull, Naim says the Metropolitan Police (PM) will ensure public security for people wishing to attend the rally. "We will inform the Interior & Justice (MIJ) Minister about the rally calling on him to respect an act that is democratic." 

Some political observers are judging the wisdom of staging the rally because they say the upcoming recall referendum process should be top priority. Other observers adhere to the view that the Petare rally is part of a growing civil war and the outcome of such gatherings will be more violence whether the opposition holds rallies in conflictive zones of Caracas or whether the government suddenly decides to stage a rally in Plaza Altamira.