www.vheadline.com Posted: Thursday, March 13, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

IRS/Seniat National Tax Superintendent Trino Diaz has announced that the government is investigating the source of funding for the political propaganda that flooded opposition print & broadcast media over the past months ... especially those allegedly signed-for by the Coordinadora Democratica (CD) and Mujeres por la Libertad.

“We would like to know whether the spots were 'donated' and if they comply with the Donation & Events Law … if money for the spots was indeed donated, the groups and media outlets must pay regular taxes … if, on the contrary, there weren’t the result of donations, there is no problem for media outlets since it would be purely a commercial transaction.”

Diaz reports that IRS/Seniat received 655.7 billion bolivares of an estimated 659.4 billion in February … 396.2 billion from VAT and 129.6 billion from bank taxes.

www.voanews.com VOA News 13 Mar 2003, 20:39 UTC

Venezuela's army says it plans to send more troops to the border with Colombia, where Colombian rebel groups are believed to operate.

Army General Warrikc Blanco said Thursday, the plans call for reinforcing the five-thousand soldiers already patrolling the country's northwestern border.

The statements come one day after a Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported that rebel groups have set up bases inside Venezuela. The newspaper said leftist Colombian guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries are both active in Venezuela.

Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Relations, Roy Chaderton, denied the report on Wednesday, calling it totally false. He said the government has received no information to support the claims.

Colombia has been torn apart by a 39-year civil war that pits the rebels, paramilitaries and the government against each other. Some 3,500 people, mainly civilians, are killed in the fighting each year.

www.nbc5.com POSTED: 1:43 p.m. CST March 13, 2003 UPDATED: 12:13 p.m. CST March 14, 2003

CHICAGO -- A north side man has apparently vanished. The 55-year-old went missing following a kayaking trip in the Carribean and was last seen off the coast of Venezuela.

Lee Harris was vacationing at a resort area in Curacao. He was staying at a property he owns there, near a beach he's familiar with. That's why family and friends can't explain his disappearance.

Harris was kayaking with his wife, stepson and several friends Sunday morning.

"He said, 'You guys go ahead and I'll catch up with you,' and that's the last they saw of him," Harris' aunt, Denise Bolon, told NBC5's Jennifer Mitchell.

His business partner, Bismark Brackett, was notified Sunday afternoon. Retracing the route on a map with Mitchell, Brackett said Harris had kayaked in the area dozens of times.

"They kayak from the beach to this area," Brackett said, pointing to an area on the map north of Harris' property where the missing man apparently often took his kayak. "Somewhere between this small beach and Cave Lee, he went missing."

Known as an avid outdoorsman, Harris did have a life jacket on since the water in that area is often rough, Mitchell said.

Rescue crews continue searching the water where he was last seen and family members are posting information on the Internet, hoping someone may have spotted him.

"There was no sign of him. No kayak. No lifejacket. Nothing," according to Bolon.

Mitchell said the family hopes that might be good news. Maybe Harris simply drifted off course and will be found with his kayak alive. He's a good swimmer and an athletic guy. Friends and family are hoping that he's found alive.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Thursday, March 13, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The mothers of two conscripts claim the army has tortured their sons during interrogations about a missing FAL assault rifle. At Cocollar (Sucre) training camp (once a notorious anti-guerrilla operations theater in the 60s), Gladys Sanchez Maita and Yoly Carrieles allege that the army special operations school used anti-guerrilla interrogations methods on sons, Ramon Maita Sanchez (23) from Cumana and Jimmy Esqueda Carrieles (19) from Maracaibo.

Young Maita had to be rushed to Cumana hospital after allegedly spending four nights standing in a locker, electric shock to the testicles, plastic bags placed over the head, hung in the air by the hands and placed in a tank full of excrement.

According to the women, one Captain Pena fired shots close to the boys when they were hung from a tree.

Both women say their boys did not steal the rifle but blame a recruit that allegedly deserted.

Cumana garrison commander Colonel Teodoro Garcia admits the recruits are under his care and says Maita stole the rifle, is all right and just wants cheap publicity.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Thursday, March 13, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Venezuela has fulfilled its role in the US Navy sponsored annual “Unitas” exercises.

According to news reports, the Caribbean phase of the joint exercises was carried out between the islands of Puerto Rico and Santa Lucia.

For Venezuela, Navy Ship Captain William Hernandez directed 145 seamen using two remodeled frigates, a transporter and 2 helicopters.

Most of the crews consisted of the Navy elite Francisco de Miranda Special Operations Command.

Among other countries joining the exercises were Colombia, Peru, the Netherlands, Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico and Argentina.