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

Constitutional lawyer and former government supporter, Hermann Escarra has visited the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to hear a debate on controversial articles of the new Lands Law, which has come under fire from the powerful Ranchers Federation (Fedenaga)  and opposition political parties. 

• Escarra says he is pushing to have the whole law declared unconstitutional. 

Commenting on the debate afterwards, Escarra told reporters that the magistrates discussed alleged irregularities committed by President Hugo Chavez Frias. 

"The debate was about President Chavez Frias taking on attributes outside his jurisdiction as national executive ... he is not authorized  to legislate guarantees concerning work, liquidate the National Rural Institute or regulate subjective juridical situations of labor law, such as social security, salaries, retirement or pensions."

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

Government supporters have prevented 29 Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) employees from entering the San Tome plant in Anzoategui. Cantaura municipal judge, Rosa Guzman sentenced in favor of  employees, who complained that they had been unjustly dismissed during the December-January oil stoppage. 

Employees' lawyers successfully argued that their clients could not access the site because of "Chavist hordes" protesting at the gates of the plant during the stoppage. 

Among the employees are three key persons: former San Tome manager Samuel Moncada, who has been replaced by Engineer Gilberto Zerpa, crude oil drilling manager Ildemaro Torres and legal department manager Dely Sole, both of whom have been replaced.  

• The lawyers say they will ask the judge to enforce his sentence or they will seek more robust legal measures against protesters to ensure that their clients return to work.

PDVSA president Ali Rodriguez formally ordered the dismissal of 3,400 San Tome plant mayor payroll and contractor employees during the stoppage. Barcelona courts are said to be working on 1,400 cases of illegal dismissal from work. Gente de Petroleo spokesman, Cristian Rodriguez welcomes the judge's decision saying it sets a precedent. 

Protesters outside the plant gates argue that they will not let people onto the site who disrupted and crippled Venezuela's main source of income for political motives.

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

The inhabitants of 7 States woke up in darkness suffering from an electricity blackout.  Central States electricity company Cadafe says  a transformer fault in a Yaracuy State sub-station caused the interruption of service.  

Merida, Tachira, Trujillo, Zulia, Portuguesa, Lara and Barinas were affected by the blackout for more than two hours causing panic among the population. 

Rumors of sabotage on electricity stations have been circulating for several months and raging wild fires have added to the confusion by affecting electricity supplies in several parts of the country. 

2 months ago, on February 5 the region faced a similar blackout after a fault inan Enelco sub-station causing widespread panic.

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

Patria Para Todos (PPT) has confirmed Jose Albornoz as general secretary, a job he took over when Pablo Medina decided to leave the party and move into the opposition with former party colleague, Carlos Melo. 540 delegates from all Venezuela met in Guarico over the weekend to hold party elections ... there were no big changes and the majority of the 54 board members were ratified. 

Although delegates discussed and approved general policy positions, the PPT will hold a rally at the Poliedro this weekend to announce guidelines and appraisal of the political situation in Venezuela. 

• Sources indicate that PPT will be targeting bad press about its accumulation of power in key government positions, especially inside Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). 

The PPT leadership says it expects 15,000 activists to turn up as well as guests from other movements. President Chavez Frias is expected to attend along with guests from "friendly country" political parties.

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

As expected, the Llaguno Bridge Shooters filmed on national TV taking potshots from the bridge at unknown objects during an anti-government march on April 11 have been granted conditional freedom and ordered to report to the court every week.  Special Appeal Court Judge Amalio Avila  accepted the four men's appeal after several weeks of postponements. 

Movimiento Quinta Republica (MVR) Libertador Municipality councilor, Richard Penalver and companions, Henry Atencio Atencio, Nicolas Rivera Amuente and Manuel Cabrices received their excarcelation papers last night in record time and are now awaiting trial. 

The four men's defense lawyer, Amado Molina argues that none of his clients has been accused of specific murders so they cannot be charged with homicide. 

The opposition and media reply that the Police Detective Branch (CICPC) has drawn up a case file on 50 persons allegedly accused of shooting at civilians ... "there is sufficient evidence to jail and try 27 of the 50." 

Some pro-government sites have been campaigning for the four suspects' release and want the media to drop the  description of the four as "shooters."