<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

A Venezuelan citizen has been arrested at Mexico City airport allegedly carrying 16.7 kilos of heroin. 

Edwin Manuel Cervitec traveled on a Mexicana de Aviacion flight from Caracas with the heroin hidden in double lining in his suitcase and clothes. 

• Cervitec (27)  has told the Mexican Police that an unknown person nicknamed Carlos gave him the clothes to hide the drugs.

The suspect informed the police that his final destination was Monterrey on the Mexican border with the USA.

Wednesday, 2 April 2003, 11:10 am Press Release: United Nations

Hundreds in Venezuela displaced by armed groups from Colombia, UN says

1 April – Hundreds of people have been displaced by incursions into Venezuela by irregular armed groups from Colombia and reported armed clashes along the border between the two countries, the United Nations refugee agency said today as it appealed to all combatants to respect the rights of the civilian population.

"These events signal a worrying escalation of the Colombian conflict and underscore the growing humanitarian impact on the countries neighbouring Colombia," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Kris Janowski said of the incursions.

Mr. Janowski said an estimated 200 persons, including more than 90 children, fled the remote Rio de Oro area of northwestern Venezuela when Colombian paramilitaries entered the zone two weeks ago. UNHCR has also received unconfirmed reports that some 600 others had fled into the surrounding mountainous area.

"UNHCR appeals to all combatants to respect the rights of the civilian population, and to all governments in the region to continue to abide by their international obligations and ensure the right to asylum," Mr. Janowski said, adding that the agency also, "requests the Venezuelan authorities to provide all the necessary security guarantees for humanitarian staff to undertake an assessment mission to the area as soon as possible."

In the last two weeks there have been reports of armed clashes between Colombian guerrilla and paramilitaries in the border zone, according to UNHCR. These irregular armed groups also reportedly clashed with the Venezuelan army. Last weekend, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declared that he had ordered a bombing raid against suspected Colombian irregular forces inside Venezuelan territory.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Interior & Justice (MIJ) Minister General (ret.) Lucas Rincon Romero has summonsed Sucre and Libertador mayors respectively to complain about the soaring homicide and crime rates in their jurisdictions. 

Rincon Romero has told both mayors that he wants to see a significant drop in  crime and more concern about public insecurity.

The Minister has announced he will use joint patrols consisting of police forces and the National Guard (GN) as well as the State Political & Security (DISIP) Police agents to beef up security, especially in Libertador municipality.

Critics reply that it is not enough and that the government has failed to draw up and propose a coherent public security plan.

PROVEA human rights group agrees that the government has neglected to enforce State policy in security matters ... "combined with the hike in crime, it shows the government's incapacity to exercise the monopoly of violence that puts governance at risk."

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Author Alberto Garrido traces the rough relationship between the two main February 4, 1992 (4F)  coup leaders: Lt. Colonel (ret.) Francisco Arias Cardenas and President Lt. Colonel (ret.) Hugo Chavez Frias.  "It has always been conflictive." 

Arias Cardenas, Garrido recalls, was linked to Ramon Guillermo Santeliz, a militant of the Air Force revolutionary movement ARMA led by William Izarra. Santeliz was the group's liasion with army officers. 

Arias Cardenas and Chavez Frias met up in the army's "Bolivarian Army" Group. Chavez Frias then founded the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement (MBR-200) without Arias Cardenas.  The two came together again in 1986 and agreed to plan a coup according to Arias Cardenas' vision, namely silently as opposed to Chavez Frias' call for a revolutionary approach. 

Arias Cardenas went to Colombia to study and reappeared several years later.

Although Chavez Frias had command over his people, Arias Cardenas had more military officers and designed the 4F plan which Chavez Frias didn't like, namely that Arias Cardenas would take Miraflores if successful and Chavez Frias march to Fuerte Tiuna. 

"Chavez Frias preferred to stay put at the Military museum because among other reasons, he did not want to be a museum piece."

In prison, Arias Cardenas defended Chavez Frias against other officers and with Chavez Frias at his side negotiated peace terms. 

Once they left jail, both went their separate ways. Arias Cardenas learned that Chavez Frias would never stop thinking like Chavez Frias. 

They crossed swords electorally and Chavez Frias won. 

On April 11, Arias Cardenas wanted the military to let Chavez Frias leave the country but the active service officers refused. When he discovered that he had been left out of the equation, Arias Cardenas called on Baduel and defended Chavez Frias.  Commenting on the former Lt. Colonel's  last article, Garrido concludes that in asking the Armed Force (FAN) to vote against Chavez Frias in the recall referendum, Arias Cardenas is in effect saying goodbye to Chavez Frias.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Venezuelan Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) general secretary, Manuel Cova has announced that members of the national executive will visit Costa Rica to consult with CTV president Carlos Ortega.  Political affairs observers suggest that Ortega wants to continue dominating play inside the union leadership and dictating the tune he wants the leadership to dance to. 

It remains to be seen whether Alfredo Ramos and Froilan Barrios, who have been very quiet since Ortega's exile at the Costa Rican Embassy, will attempt to challenge the takeover. 

An attempt to shuffle leadership positions and replace Ortega met with stiff opposition from Cova and the Accion Democratica (AD) apparatus, who seemingly think that Ortega merits honorary membership and has the right to dictate union policy from exile, even though he no longer resides in Venezuela.  

• Meanwhile, Cova has launched a campaign for a 30% hike in Venezuela's  minimum wage in anticipation of an annual government decree on May 1st increasing the minimum basic wage 10%. 

In an attempt to relate to members of his own trade union, Cova says a 30% increase in the minimum wage, would help the construction industry put money into the economy and create jobs.