Venezuelan youth fighting in Iraq with US Marines

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, April 04, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The Venezuelan media has unearthed a Venezuelan, currently fighting in the Anglo-American war on Iraq. Eugenio Jose Caceres (19) , son of Livia Caceres, was born in Maracaibo (Zulia) but has lived in the USA since 1987. He joined up for the US Marines two years ago after finishing high school in Stuart, Florida. 

The news report does not discover the reasons why Eugenio went to the USA in the first place nor does it delve into the realm of human interest regarding why his parents are in Zulia. 

What is certain is that on the phone Eugenio the Marine has a marked "maracucho" accent and that he is with the Marines in Nasariya (Iraq) where the first skirmishes broke out between Anglo-American forces and Iraqi troops. 

The Marine has two brothers Samuel (16) and Israel (14) and it seems the family belongs to an evangelical church. Mrs. Caceres says she's proud of her son, who phones home regularly ... "I  was surprised and apprehensive when he told that he was going to war." 

The family relates that it received a pleasant surprise when an unknown US citizen brought them  a basket of food on discovering that the son was fighting in Iraq. Mr. Caceres does not beat about the bush, saying he supports his son 100% and Sadaam Hussein is a criminal, who deserves to be overthrown.