<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Sunday, May 04, 2003 By: David Coleman

Two small-scale gold miners have been seriously injured, one with gunshot wounds, and robbed of 30 million bolivares (US$19,000) in a raid on a house on Avenida Perimetral district of Parques del Sur in Ciudad Bolivar, southeastern Venezuela.

The men, named as Alirio (28) and Sergio Bravo (31) were pistol-whipped by at least three robbers who surprised them as they sorted nuggets in their La Sabanita workshop.  The attackers escaped in a 4WD Blazer with 30 million bolivares in cash.

"The first thing I saw was the muzzle of a 3.6 mm pistol in my face ... I tried to escape and call for help, but they beat me to the ground with the butts of their guns and shot at my brother (Sergio) who was hit by one of the bullets."

Ciudad Bolivar detectives have secured forensic evidence at the scene of the shooting and expect to make arrests over the course of the weekend.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Sunday, May 04, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Venezuela's most criticized mayor Freddy Bernal has announced the dismissal of 10 Libertador municipality officials for alleged acts of corruption. 

The move is said to be part of an attempt to answer long-term criticism that the Mayor has neglected bread and butter issues in his Caracas municipality for political forays and one-upmanship. 

"These 10 officials will be subject to administrative reviews and will be taken to court if there is evidence of corruption ... let us see if we can we can put some corrupt persons in jail in the Bolivarian Republic." 

Speaking at the 1st Bolivarian Promotion of Police Officers, Bernal has declared that he has embarked on an anti-corruption drive and warns rookie officers that they must be firm in the face of bribes and corruption as well as confronting criminal bullets. 

The Mayor has come under fire for the continuing high level of homicides in his municipality and critics have questioned his use of Bolivarian Circles in the municipality, arguing that if they are neighborhood watch committees, they have been unsuccessful in controlling the crime rate.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Sunday, May 04, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

National Lands Institute (INTI) president, Adan Chavez says the government will set up the first rural security brigades  (BSR) within the next  couple of days and they will consist of State Political & Security (DISIP) Police, Police Detective Branch (CICPC) and the National Guard (GN) in their task to protect groups of small farmers and peasants that have requested agrarian certificates to occupy idle lands in areas where rural leaders have been murdered. 

Chavez says the BSRs will also monitor conflict zones. 

The President's brother made the announcement at a National Assembly (AN) grilling when called upon to explain alleged illegal takeovers of private land. 

"The government will restore land if it can be shown that a mistake has been made but we will continue to implement a plan that ends on August 16." 

By that time the INTI, Chavez insists, hopes to have handed over at least 1.5 million hectares that will benefit 200,000 families of small farmers and peasants.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Sunday, May 04, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Proyecto Venezuela  (PV) has reinforced its decision to break away from the opposition Coordinadora Democratica (CD) and has set up its own recall referendum organization. 

At a special assembly this weekend, PV leader, Henrique Salas Romer has hit out at the opposition Coordinadora Democratica (CD) and its supposed presidential candidate, Enrique Mendoza, saying "we don't want just one opposition presidential candidate imposed by a CD clique." 

Salas Romer also slammed marches as the answer to Chavez Frias ... "marches are alright but they don't win elections." 

The former Carabobo State Governor and frequent visitor to Washington warns the CD to get its act together and start preparing its votes for the recall referendum.

As for his own presidential ambitions, Salas Romer told party members that it had two candidates: himself and his son, Henrique Salas Feo ... "we will decide which of us will be the candidate when the moment is right." 

PV's election strategy, Salas Romer says, is not to get rid of Chavez Frias but to elect a new President. 

"We want to defeat his strategy and we will not attack him because it would mean attacking Chavists ... let them see for themselves that Chavez Frias is the black sheep of the family ... Chavez Frias always finds a fool to answer his insults."

PV claims it has 75,000 volunteers that will start the party's "Yes" campaign and promote a current of opinion favoring PV's strategy.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Sunday, May 04, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Primero Justicia (PJ)  has come under heavy fire from the opposition camp for holding its own march on May 1 and now general secretary, Luis Mejias has announced that it is starting its own recall referendum in earnest. 

Mejias points out that  PJ will base its referendum campaign called "Recall 2003" on three points: 

• Pressure on international community
• Support government-opposition negotiations
• Setting up "Yes" Committees

"Recall 2003" national coordinator, Carlos Ocariz says there are only 100 or so days to hand the National Electoral College (CNE)  signatures backing up a request for a recall referendum .... "we are going to set up committees in 80,000 communities ... the only way to ensure the success of the recall referendum is through the communities."

Primero Justicia has set a target of votes for each committee, which will come out at 4 million votes nationwide.

Like Proyecto Venezuela, it seems that PJ is loosening contacts with Coordinadora Democratica (CD)  to define its own image among opposition voters. 

A recent poll has placed Accion Democratica (AD) as the favorite opposition political party. PJ is down on the list, even though leader Julio Borges is high on the individual lists of presidential candidates.