De: ProVeO info@proveo.org Fecha: Mar, 22 de Abril de 2003, 3:47 pm Para: ProVeO Members members@proveo.org

Previous stories: adam.antville.org and adam.antville.org

Recibi esto de Nick Fraser, editor de Storyville. Me parece curioso que comente que hoy en dia no se puede hacer un documental sobre Venezuela que satisfaga a todas las partes y sin embargo la opinion de la mayor parte haya sido cruelmente obviada. Cordialmente,

Aleksander Boyd www.vcrisis.com
www.proveo.org

Please forgive me if I answer your letter with what amounts to a round robin. We have received a number of letters regarding Hugo Chavez and the film we showed about him.

The first thing I should say is that CHAVEZ: INSIDE THE COUP was not a BBC News or Current Affairs production, and as such does not represent the views of the BBC. It was made by an independent company in Ireland. We bought the film for transmission in the United Kingdom. There are at present no plans to show it on BBC international networks. However, the film will be shown (or has been) by other broadcasters in Canada, and throughout the rest of Europe.

However, we do stand by the film. In our view it is an excellent piece of journalism. But it is necessary to remember that this is a film about the coup of April 11th last year. It is in fact about the filmmakers experience of the coup - it only describes the situation in Venezuela as a prelude to recounting hour by hour what happened in the palace. It does show just how antagonistic the private Venezuelan media remain towards the Chavez government. And it does also show that Chavez uses the media propagandistically for his own purposes. But it is not the last word about Chavez.

Having read the many emails sent to us - sometimes by people responding not to the film, but to my own comments about the film - I feel that it is more or less impossible these days to make a film about Venezuela that would satisfy all parties. But this was not the intention of the filmmakers - they wanted to make a film that would explain, as dramatically as possible, what it was like during the coup.

For your interest, here is a link to a piece about Venezuela and the media, by Nick Higham, a BBC media correspondent. news.bbc.co.uk

Yours sincerely,

Nick Fraser Commissioning Editor, Storyville

Related reading: adam.antville.org

¿Eres Venezolano, estudias fuera de Venezuela o estás residenciado en el exterior?

Pues ejerce tu derecho a votar en las proximas elecciones.

Es muy simple tu solo debes estar registrado en el Consulado como residente o estudiante para lo cual usaras la planilla : registrociudadanos (application/pdf, 121 KB)

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Además debes inscribirte en el CNE ante el respectivo consulado Venezolano usando la <a href=www.proveo.org>planilla_CNE (borren por favor el nombre del funcionario encargado en Londres, las planillas se pueden fotocopiar y son perfectamente válidas.)

Una vez llenadas las planillas deben acudir al Consulado personalmente, de lunes a viernes, en horas de oficina, portando su cédula de identidad y algún comprobante de su actual dirección como prueba de residencia en la respectiva juridiscción.

Para cualquier consulta adicional le sugerimos que visite la página web, www.cne.gov.ve

Allí los electores pueden verificar sus datos en línea o en las Oficinas Regionales de Registro Electoral ubicadas en la ciudades capitales o en la sede principal del Consejo Nacional Electoral, en horario de 8:00 a 11:30 de la mañana y de 1:30 a 4 de la tarde.

Actualmente el Registro Electoral contiene 12.048.661 electores.

ATENCION VENEZOLANOS EN EL EXTERIOR...

Esta nota es para informar a todos los venezolanos viviendo en el extranjero sobre el proceso para registrarse/actualizar datos en el Registro Electoral Permanente (REP). Debemos registrarnos con anticipación para votar (ya sea para el referéndum como para elecciones presidenciales) pero hay que ACTUAR de inmediato!! (Si conoces a venezolanos viviendo en el extranjero por favor envíales esta nota).

El proceso para el registro electoral es muy sencillo: Presentarse (en el consulado correspondiente) con cédula y algún comprobante de su actual dirección (como prueba de jurisdicción). El mayor inconveniente es que hay que presentarse personalmente de lunes a viernes en horas de oficina (que varían según el consulado).

Sin embargo, necesitamos HACER PRESION DESDE AHORA. En los últimos días he estado llamando al consulado de Houston, mi juridisccion, para verificar que está abierto y funcionando el REP y dicen no tener el material necesario (o planillas) para la inscripción electoral, que les llegara en dos semanas y que les prohibieron sacar fotocopias. En vista de que esta misma respuesta nos la vienen dando desde el mes de Enero, decidí comunicarme con las autoridades respectivas en Venezuela para pedir su colaboración al respecto.

Primero me comuniqué con la Dirección General de Registro del CNE, me informaron que el REP se encuentra abierto y que los consulados deben inscribir a los venezolanos utilizando fotocopias de las planillas, tal como se indica en la circular de la cual se extrajo el texto a continuación. Dicha circular se originó en el CNE y fue enviada a las representaciones diplomáticas por la Dirección General de Relaciones Consulares del MRE

19 de diciembre del 2002 Circular Informativa Nº DGRC-36 1.La actualización del registro electoral de los venezolanos residentes en el exterior, permite inscribirse o actualizar su inscripción en el Registro Electoral en cualquier momento,..." 4.1.En caso de que alguna Representación Diplomática o Consular no cuente con las Planillas de Actualización de Venezolanos residentes en el Exterior (se sugiere revisar exhaustivamente los archivos) deberá utilizar copia del formulario cuyo modelo se envía como Anexo III. .......... 5. El requisito único e insustituible para que un ciudadano venezolano pueda inscribirse o actualizar su inscripción en el Registro Electoral, es la presentación de su cedula de identidad laminada, aun cuando este vencida. El pasaporte no constituye un documento aceptado para los fines del Registro Electoral.........Se recomienda mantener la actualización del registro de manera permanente,..."""

La dirección del CNE también me informo de que ellos no tenían ninguna solicitud formal de material por parte del consulado de Houston. Esta falta de material es una excusa artificial. En vista de esta situación me comunique directamente con la Directora General de Relaciones Consulares del MRE Embajadora Jocelyn Henríquez. Muy amablemente la Embajadora me respondió que el REP debe de permanecer abierto permanentemente y que deben inscribir a todos los venezolanos sacando fotocopias a las planillas. Que no se ha girado ninguna comunicación prohibiendo el uso de las fotocopias como afirman en Houston. La Embajadora se comprometió a hacerle seguimiento al problema y conseguirle pronta solución.

Como preparación y apoyo al movimiento que sucede en Venezuela debemos estar listos para influir en el futuro de nuestro país a través del voto. Esta nota es preventiva pero requiere ACCION IMMEDIATA por parte de los venezolanos viviendo en el extranjero, para que se comuniquen urgentemente con el consulado de su jurisdicción para verificar que el REP está abierto y en funcionamiento. En caso de que reciban una excusa oficial, mucho les agradecería que me mantuvieran informada al respecto, ya que la embajadora Henríquez me pidió que la mantenga informada de estas situaciones. Por favor, anoten el día y hora llamado y el nombre de la persona con que hablaron.

Hay que inscribirse en el consulado respectivo con anterioridad suficiente para poder votar y es mejor estar preparados en caso de no poder viajar a Venezuela para hacerlo.

Si queremos influir democráticamente en el futuro de Venezuela a través del voto, por favor pongan su granito de arena y llamen al consulado de su jurisdicción para hacer presión o asiste a registrarte durante las próximas semanas. Aquí les copio los números de contacto de los consulados en USA, el resto del mundo lo pueden buscar en el Internet. Saludos Marisabel Olivares Mary_olivares@yahoo.com

For any further consultations in regards to the voting process in Venezuela we suggest you visit the web page www.cne.gov.ve www.cne.gov.ve

WASHINGTON D.C. Embassy of Venezuela www.embavenez-us.org (Sección Consular) 1099, 30th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20007 Telephone: (202) 342 2214 Fax: (202) 342-6820 Office hours: 9:00am-1:00pm / 2:00pm-4:00pm Monday to Friday www.embavenez-us.org www.embavenez-us.org

BOSTON, MASACHUSETTS venezuela.mit.edu Consulate General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Boston 545 Boylston Street 6th floor, suite 603 Boston, MA 02116 Telephone: (617) 266-9368/ 266-9475; Fax: (617) 266-2350 Office hours: 9:00am-1:00pm (consular service hours) Monday to Friday Jurisdiction: Massachusetts, Maine y New Hampshire.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Consulate General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Chicago 20 N Wacker Drive, Suite # 1925 Chicago, IL 60606, USA Telephone: (312) 236-9659 / 236-9655 Fax: (312) 580-1010 Telex: 234-4330235 CONVE VI Jurisdiction: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota y Wisconsin.

HOUSTON, TEXAS Consulate General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Houston www.consulvenhou.org 2925 Briarpark Dr., #900 Houston, TX 77042, USA Telephone: (713) 974-0028 Fax: (713) 974-1413 Jurisdiction: Kansas, Nuevo Mexico, Oklahoma y Texas.

MIAMI, FLORIDA Consulate General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Miami www.consuve.com 1101 Brickell Avenue, Suite 901 Miami, Fl 33131 Telephone: (305) 5774214;Fax: (305) 372-5167 Jurisdiction: Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA Consulate General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in New Orleans 1908 World Trade Center, 2 Canal Street New Orleans, LA 70130, USA Telephone: (504) 522-3284 / 524-6700 Fax: (504) 522-7092 Jurisdiction: Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama y Tenessee.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK 7 east 51st street New York, NY 10022 212.826.1660 Phone: 212.826.1660 fax: 212.644.7471 hours open to the public: 9:15am to 12:45pm office hours: 9am to 4pm Jurisdiction: Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Consulate General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in San Francisco www.consuladovenezuelasfo.org 311 California Street, Suite 620 San Francisco, CA 94104, USA Telephone: (415) 955-1982/ 1987 / 1989; Fax: (415) 955-1970 Office hours: 9:30am-2:30pm (consular service hours) Monday to Friday Jurisdiction: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington y Wyoming.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO Consulate General of <www.tld.net the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in San Juan, PR www.tld.net Avenida Ponce de León Edificio Mercantil Plaza, Suite 601 Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, 00918 Telephone: (787) 766-4250 / 766-4251 Fax: (787) 766-4255 Jurisdiction: Puerto Rico y Virgin Islands

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Sunday, April 20, 2003 By: Enzo Labartino

Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 02:54:12 -0500 From: Enzo Labartino elabartino@hotmail.com To: Editor@VHeadline.com Subject: Chavez The Film (it's pathetic)

Dear Editor: As a Venezuelan I feel disappointed by this "documentary" sent by your news network.  I feel that you are providing an objective point of view for the totalitarian regime of Chavez. Let's remember that during his fleeing or imprisonment as you call it, military weapons were found in several ministries such as the Ministry of the Environment.

Several of his people fled and hid from government officials such as the vice-president Diosdado Cabello.

Let me tell you that I wasn't there during the "coup d'etat" however I've read, heard and saw images on TV regarding the incidents of April 11. I also had two family members on the protest for the opposition that swallowed and breathed tear gas from the Guardia Nacional.

Also you may recall Mohammed Mehri whose son was shot in this protest, marching of course for the opposition, Mr. Mehri was also attacked violently for protesting in front of Tribunal Supremo de Justicia by government supporters.

I think you forgot about the people that suffered through this terrible incident in the history of Venezuela.

Yes it is true that it was the fault of past governments that led to the rise of a figure such as Chavez. However, Chavez condemns coup d'etats, yet he attempted twice in the same year against a democratic government. However Chavez claims it was the beginning of a revolution and it was just cause. So this means according to him and what you show in your "documentary" that only revolutionary coup d'etats a legitimate. Chavez also celebrates his coup d'etat yearly.

I also believe you have forgotten that there were more than a million people heading to Miraflores on April 11 to demand the resignation of the President. You also seem to patronize his cabinet, please do some research in regards to this, or just clear the dust of the files containing the information of these people.

I joined this news media believing that it would show the truth, however you have just showed the opposite. In a country that is divided it can be hard to be objective, however if that is the case then either choose a side (publicly) or just shut-up.

It seems you enjoy so much President Chavez as if he is promising something in return. If you enjoy so much, Cuba is happy to accept media that sides with the government maybe more since you use the internet as a source to distribute your ideas or ideals, maybe Hitler would have loved a media of information such as internet and you guys would be the SS.

I ask that this you sent to be taken off the internet and apologize for this type of lies and deceit. Let's remember nothing last for ever not even Chavez and when he leaves the guilty parties will pay for destroying the nation, MY NATION (MI PAIS).

If you wonder, yes, I do speak fluent Spanish and English, and I study abroad in Boston. Also most of my family lives in Venezuela and I can't wait to graduate and return and help my nation, my country rid of communist, totalitarian and anti-democratic ideals.

Thank You for time, Enzo J. Labartino elabartino@hotmail.com

P.S. I hope to receive word from you and also to other subscribers of this message with in the coming days.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Sunday, April 20, 2003 By: Alvaro Sanchez

USA-based commentarist Alvaro Sanchez writes: Three days after the US-led war in Iraq started, Venezuelan leaders in Miami were planning to stage a musical concert at the Miami Arena to call for peace in Venezuela. Likewise, a Catholic mass at the Mother of Christ church was announced on March 28 to pray for peace in Venezuela. This mass took place after it had been reported that the battle of An Nasiriya (Iraq) had resulted in a large number of casualties there, both civilian and military.

Surprisingly, no Venezuelan-sponsored activity in Miami had advocated for peace in Iraq.

If Venezuelans in Miami were truly honest in their hopes for peace, they would have joined other groups in this community that had asked for diplomatic solutions to the crisis in Iraq.

Why is the Venezuelan community in Miami acting in such a non-consistent fashion?

Perhaps we need to look at the Venezuelan dichotomy of war and peace from a political angle:

First, Venezuela is not involved in any kind of war at this point. Clearly, Venezuela is not being attacked or invaded by any other nation. Or for that matter, Venezuela is not attacking or invading any other country. By the same token, there is no civil war taking place in Venezuela. Although there are major disagreements between groups of people and political factions in Venezuela, it would be irresponsible to label that type of political climate as a civil war. Fortunately, the level of democracy in Venezuela allows for its citizens to voice their concerns and disagreements.

• There are no political prisoners and media censorship is non-existent.

From a democratic point of view, it is even healthy for a political process to have actors disagreeing on various issues. It’s dangerous to have people agreeing on everything. Of course, there needs to be rules to play by, otherwise it would be chaos. And obviously it is convenient for the Venezuelan government, and for the Venezuelan population in general, to avoid chaos and to keep order. On the other hand, certain elements in the Venezuelan opposition are interested in the crumbling of Venezuelan society as a way to discredit the administration of President Hugo Chavez.

These are the same elements that supported the 3 month labor stoppage that negatively affected the Venezuelan government and population alike. Because of this situation, most Venezuelan leaders in Miami seem to be interested in portraying Venezuela as a place where “war” is in place and “peace” is a dream.

Such analysis doesn’t reflect realities in Venezuela ... but it intends to forward narrow-minded political agendas by Venezuelan opposition leaders both in Venezuela and abroad.

Such discourse expects to bring more people and groups in Miami together to unite in an anti-Chavez front; however, by presenting this Venezuelan picture of chaos, they are diminishing possibilities for Venezuela to attract foreign investment.

The real question still remains unanswered: if Venezuelan leaders in Miami are so concerned about peace, why do they reject peace in Iraq?

The Venezuelan government joined ranks with most nations worldwide in rejecting the US-led war in Iraq. Unlike other occasions where the political position of President Hugo Chavez has lacked international support, this time he seemed in very good company ... even the Pope disagrees with war in Iraq. Indeed, Chavez even urged the United Nations to issue a statement that would oppose the US policy towards Iraq.

At this point, Venezuelan opposition leaders are found in a trap, for even if some of them disagree with the war in Iraq, they are just afraid to be portrayed as Chavez’ supporters on foreign policy. That same weak reasoning has transcended to South Florida ... Venezuelan opposition leaders in Miami simply don’t want to take part in a peaceful movement that has already been joined by Hugo Chavez.

In Miami, this situation is even more dramatic than it is in Venezuela. Not only Venezuelan opposition leaders in Miami have to be tough and critical about anything Chavez says or does, but they must also please the Cuban community...

At times it's difficult to tell what group in Miami would be more interested in an anti-Chavez movement: the Venezuelan community or the Cuban community. For instance, in a recent march that took place in January at Miami’s Calle 8, various organizations such as the Venezuelan-American Brotherhood and the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce called for Venezuelans and other national communities to gather and protest against the Chavez administration and its policies ... and of course, they also rallied for “peace” in Venezuela.

The reality is that the logistical organization of that anti-Chavez march was carried out by a group of Cuban-Americans based in Miami. Among them was Antonio Calatayud. Interestingly, as the sole owner of Sweetwater's Primera Farmacia Latina, Calatayud was arrested a few days later and charged with fraud against Medicaid. Cuban-American elements like Calatayud seem to be the ones in charge of Venezuelan opposition activities in Miami.

Sadly, as corrupt as some groups in the Cuban community may appear to be, the Venezuelan opposition in Miami feels a need to ally itself to them. After all, the Cuban-American political machinery in Miami has a well-greased organization both at grassroots and higher political levels that may well serve Venezuelan opposition leaders in their efforts to get rid of Chavez.

Likewise, and from another point of view, the Cuban community in Miami would not have dared oppose the war in Iraq, for doing so would be to oppose President Bush’s foreign policy ... and under no circumstance do Cubans in Miami want to be perceived as critical of George W.

So like Republican policies dominate Cuban agendas here, it now appears that such pressure seems to also control the Venezuelan community in South Florida.

In the end, most Venezuelans in Miami are quickly switching (back and forth) from hawks to doves, depending on the circumstances ... and such political moves not only confuse the audience they also affect our image and credibility.

Alvaro Sanchez was born in Venezuela and is a middle school teacher in Miami. He is a graduate of the State University of New York – Albany. He is currently working on his Master’s Degree in Latin American history.  You may email him at a2000@rocketmail.com

The War in Iraq, effects and consequences discuss the role of the United Nations towards an equitable solution for the Iraqi people Venezuelan Foreign Policy discuss the relative merits of Venezuela's foreign policy and its effects

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<a href=www.newsday.com>NewsDay.com By Mike Ceaser SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT April 20, 2003 Perija Mountains, Venezuela - These dark green mountains, where Colombian guerrillas roam and the Venezuelan military rarely ventures, are becoming a new frontier in illegal drug cultivation, according to recent reports. The Perija range, which straddles the Colombian border near the Caribbean coast, has long been a source of concern for drug control officials because its steep, remote slopes offer prime conditions for cultivating and hiding illicit crops. In recent weeks the 1,380-mile Venezuela-Colombia border has increasingly threatened to become a flashpoint for the two countries, with security problems brought on by drugs and guerrillas. Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez are set to discuss such issues in a meeting Wednesday. For more than a decade, the Venezuelan military, with U.S. cooperation, carried out eradication campaigns involving hundreds of soldiers who chopped down and yanked out fields of marijuana, opium poppies and coca, the raw material for cocaine. Last year, amid an aborted coup in April and serious political and social upheaval, Venezuela abandoned those efforts. This is not the first time Chávez has opted out of the U.S.-backed war on drugs. Shortly after becoming president in 1999, he banned U.S. anti-drug overflights for "sovereignty" reasons. While border military regiments are short of fuel and the manpower necessary to work on eliminating drug crops, some here suspect a political motivation in the eradication halt. The leftist Chávez has been repeatedly accused of aiding the Colombian guerrillas, which finance themselves partly by taxing the drug trade and are active in the Perija mountains. The range is "full" of drug crops, said a national guardsman in the nearby town of Machiques who participated in past eradications but requested anonymity. "The places we destroyed have regrown." Certainly, Venezuela's drug acreage is tiny compared with those in the traditional coca-growing nations of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. In 2001, Venezuela eradicated 117 acres of coca and 96 of poppy, while the "big three" eliminated tens of thousands. Still, nobody knows the extent of the illegal crops in Venezuela since it has no monitoring program. And recent reports show that plantings in the Perija range have increased. A recently released State Department narcotics control report said that during the 2001 eradication coca fields as large as 20 acres were found in the Perija range for the first time. It added, "Three cocaine base labs in this region were discovered for the first time ever in Venezuela, indicating what could be a troubling new trend." Cesar Romero, a ranger in the Perija Mountains National Park, said that in the past few years rangers have discovered drug crops more frequently during patrols. Last September, he stumbled on an already-harvested poppy field covering about six acres. Last year Colombia's eradication program, part of the $1.9 billion U.S.-funded anti-narcotics program called Plan Colombia, reduced coca acreage for the first time, with a U.S. report finding a 15 percent drop over the year before and the United Nations finding a 30 percent decline. However, the advance was partly nullified by acreage rebounds to the south in Peru and Bolivia. Small coca plots have also been discovered in Ecuador. Critics of drug eradication say the shift of cultivation to other countries is the inevitable "balloon effect," in which a reduction in one nation only produces a surge elsewhere. "You can achieve a short-term reduction in a limited area ... but it pops up somewhere else," said Adam Isacson, who directs the Colombia program at the Center for International Policy in Washington. Like other areas where drug cultivation has flourished, the Perija mountains are lawless and poor. Except for occasional military patrols, the central government is nearly absent. The indigenous inhabitants have few marketable crops, since produce would spoil during the long mule trips to towns. Deputy Javier Armata, who represents the Yupa indigenous people in the legislature of western Venezuela's Zulia state, which contains the Perija range, said Colombian guerrillas give indigenous people cash, food and medicines in exchange for planting drug crops. The guerrillas "say that drug planting is the best way to earn money," Armata said. "They earn more." Still, according to military officers and news reports, most drug cultivation in the mountains is done by Colombian peasants. While Colombia's eradication has sharply reduced drug acreage in its southwest, coca plantings have surged in its east, across the border from Venezuela. And Colombia's civil war has forced thousands of peasants, some of them drug farmers, to seek refuge in Venezuela. John P. Walters, the U.S. drug czar, told the House Committee on International Relations on Feb. 27 that Venezuela's lack of control over its territory concerned Washington. Venezuela's "pressing political problems have created an opening in which narcoterrorists can operate with impunity," Walters testified. Deputy Fernando Villasmil, president of the Zulia state legislature, says the Chávez government has drastically reduced its military presence along the frontier, leaving an opening for guerrillas. "If [the Venezuelan government] doesn't take radical measures, [the drug crops] will expand in size," he said. "We will change from being a transit country for drugs into a producer country."