www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Italian under secretary of state to the Foreign Ministry Mario Baccini has said his government is keen to take part in the Friends of Venezuela group currently made up of Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United States. 

"We hope that Italy might be officially admitted to the Friends of Venezuela group."

The comments came following a meeting with Venezuela Foreign (MRE) Minister Roy Chaderton Matos and a trip to Rome by Venezuelan-Italians who called for the Rome government to get increasingly involved in the political crisis.

Contact has already been made with other group members to evaluate what if any help Italy could be to their efforts. 

"Venezuela should remain linked to the international community so its problems can be solved without violence and through the strength of politics."

indymedia.ie by S. Aerobics Tue, Feb 18 2003, 1:08pm

Documentary : Chavez - Inside the Coup In April 2002 there was an attempt to overthrow Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. Irish film-makers Kim Bartley and Donnacha Briain had arrived in the country a couple of months earlier to make a documentary on Chavez. "Our initial interest was in Chavez himself," says O' Brien. "But as soon as we got out there we knew there was something going on, so we stayed on."

The two film-makers were there to record the demonstrations; the shootings; the siege; the surrender. They were also there the next day when Chavez supporters marched on the city to protest, the state television was restored, and the army turned on it's own commanders and forced the release of Chavez. add your comments

COMMENTS

RTE fans! by ipsihpi Tue, Feb 18 2003, 1:42pm

dont miss the ongiong media success that is Radio Telefis Eirinn with global reach and capacity satelites TV websites and competitions magazines and vans RTE is for you! Today RTE (much better than the BBC anyday) listens to Mary Robinson who this morning debated the use of military force against Iraq. Mary is Head of the Ethical Globalisation Initiative, and she says a war may not be the surest way to bring justice to the people of Iraq!!! exclusive stuff with the RTE. at the 3.50second stage you will hear Mary talk about mass mobilisations! did anyone see Mary at London? In one of her first UK speeches since stepping down as UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Mary Robinson will be talked on the theme of human rights in a lecture at LSE on Wednesday 23 October 2002. "From Rhetoric to Reality: making human rights work" Wednesday 23 October, 2pm Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street Mary doesnt like Rhetoric! shes just like Chavez really really honestly and truly.

Mary last weekend whilst all you "rhetoric people were assembling" was doing this...

On January 14, 2003, the Steering Committee of the Ethical Globalisation Initiative (EGI) will be convening its second meeting at the Yale Center for the Study of Globalisation. On January 15, the new Director of the Center, Ernesto Zedillo, will be organizing a brainstorming session for the initiative. Thomas Hammarberg and Harold Koh will be moderating the discussions on the key challenges, possible strategies and thematic issues for the EGI.

brainstorming! less rhetoric more BRAINSTORMING! good on you Mary. dont you have our best interests at heart? coz she spoke to LSE.

What A Coup (sorry!) by black frank Wed, Feb 19 2003, 12:38am Excellent programme, fly-on-the-wall coverage of a coup in action. Lies, propaganda, and Generals in stoopid uniforms. This must be just how it has happened so many times in Latin America, only this time the people managed to regain democracy from the plotters. Funny how the main instigators of the coup had just been in Washington as guests of the US Administration. And how the main culprit is now residing in Miami. And the quote from George Tenet, head of the CIA about the Chavez government not being amenable to US business interests. And how the main culprit is now residing in Miami. And that they have a lot of oil in Venezuela. Viva Chavez!! Viva Video Journalismo!

Brilliant by Mixer Wed, Feb 19 2003, 9:13am What an excellent documentary. Favourite bit is when the opposition to chavez have a meeting looking all radical, and then issue a warning to their members to keep an eye on their domestic servants! Classic! Also when the coup leaders are walking around the palace all glorious like, the look on guards faces is just priceless, you can tell they're not gonna take it much longer. I also loved the coup leader announcing that normality had returned played over pictures of the police laying into the populace. Another classic was the "unbiased" reporter letting slip that the whole coup announcement had been filmed in his house!

Excellent film by silo Wed, Feb 19 2003, 11:21am Excellent film by Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Brien, and congratulations to RTE for showing it. For those of you who missed it, there's a (not-quite-finished) site at www.chavezthefilm.com. Well done!

www.oilonline.com by: OilOnline Monday, February 17, 2003

Statoil was awarded operatorship of Block 4 in the Plataforma Deltana area offshore eastern Venezuela. The acreage lies in water depths ranging from 656 feet to 2,625 feet. Statoil offered a $32 million signature bonus and committed to drill three exploration wells at an estimated $60 million cost over the next four years to define the area's resource potential. Statoil currently has interests in two Venezuelan production licenses - one in the Sincor heavy crude project in the Orinoco Belt and in the LL 652 field in Lake Maracaibo.

abcnews.go.com The Associated Press LONDON Feb. 17 —

A Venezuelan man arrested at London's Gatwick airport for carrying a live hand grenade in his luggage was ordered Monday to appear in court next week on terrorism charges.

Hasil Mohammed Rahaham-Alan, 37, identified himself during Monday's hearing and said he lived in Caracas, Venezuela. He did not enter a plea and his next hearing was scheduled for Feb. 24.

Rahaham-Alan was arrested last week during a huge security alert when the army placed more than 400 troops at Heathrow airport west of London and stepped up security at other airports.

Rahaham-Alan had a Venezuelan passport and arrived on a flight from Caracas, police said. Officers said they found a grenade in his luggage and shut Gatwick's North Terminal for several hours.

He was charged Sunday night with possession of an explosive, possession of an article for terrorist purposes and carrying a dangerous item on a flight.

In a separate hearing, a 33-year-old Algerian man was jailed for four months for having a fake passport.

Karim Kadouri and two other men were arrested in November under the Terrorism Act amid media reports that terrorists were planning a poison gas attack on London's subway system.

The government denied the reports.

www.ananova.com

Viagra became the top-selling medicine in Venezuela during the country's two month general strike.

The 63-day strike devastated the local economy, but appears to have been an unexpected boost for Pfizer.

More than six million of the blue pills were sold, placing the country third in the world in per capita Viagra consumption.

The sales figures have been released by the Association of Pharmaceutics in Venezuela.

Newspaper Tal Cual said: "Venezuelan men with erectile disfunction have used their time well during the general strike."

Sex experts say that the strike and the country's tensions must have stimulated Venezuelans' libidos.

Story filed: 15:07 Monday 17th February 2003