<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, April 04, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

After returning to Buenos Aires, former Argentine President Raul Alfonsin held talks with current President Eduardo Duhalde to discuss his recent visit to Venezuela and the country's political situation.

• Alfonsin told Duhalde that his visit to Venezuela had been positive and that he felt a solution to the conflict was "possible."

The Argentine opposition leader also said that President Hugo Chavez Frias was right not to facilitate a revocatory referendum, but conceded that the opposition was also within its rights to demand one. For a lasting solution to be reached "a climate of peace and tranquility" will be necessary.

Alfonsin visited Venezuela for ten days and held talks with key government and opposition leaders, he visit coming just days after Executive President Jose Vicente Rangel returned from a tour of Latin American countries, including Argentina, to explain Venezuela's political situation.

Alfonsin also commented on the absolute "freedom of the Venezuelan press" despite claims by opposition leaders to the contrary.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, April 04, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

According to Organization of American States (OAS) secretary general Cesar Gaviria, government and opposition leaders have found common ground in the pursuit of an electoral solution to Venezuela's ongoing political crisis, and an agreement on an electoral solution may not be too far away.

Following the week's last session Gaviria said "after the discussion on an eventual agreement, government and opposition negotiators have found some common ground to work on towards an agreement."

This follows comments from Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel several days ago that the government was ready to discuss a possible revocatory referendum, providing President Hugo Chavez Frias would be given the opportunity to stand in general elections should be fail to win the referendum.

The OAS-led negotiations are set to resume again next week to further discuss the proposal, which under the current Constitution could see elections as soon as August this year.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

According to a poll carried out by US polling firms Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies, if a revocatory referendum was to be held in Venezuela then President Hugo Chavez Frias would lose the vote with 60% of the population voting against him.

However, the poll showed that the President still has a major supporter base, with 38% of those polled saying they would vote for the President to remain in office.

The poll also asked Venezuelans if the term "dictatorial" described the President well ... 44% of those polled said it did.  As for democracy, 51% said they though democracy has received a setback under President Hugo Chavez Frias' rule.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Former Argentine President Raul Alfonsin has held meetings with several Venezuelan officials including Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel during a visit to Venezuela to discuss the current political situation in the country.

Foreign (MRE) Minister Roy Chaderton Matos was also present at the meeting, and stressed that the former President was in Venezuela to see for himself what was going on.

Chaderton told reporters that Alfonsin "is a friend of Venezuela and has a broad knowledge of Venezuelan democracy.

The talks are also thought to have involved the sharing of political management experiences between the Venezuelans and Argentineans.

The visit comes just days after Rangel visited Buenos Aires as part of a whistle stop tour of many Latin American countries to inform then on the Venezuelan situation.

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

The weekend homicide rate nationwide rocketed to 108 with a record 72 cases reported in the provinces and 36 in the Caracas Metropolitan area. 

• In Caracas, Libertador municipality reached a record 34 homicides and Sucre municipality 2. 

In the provinces, Zulia State beat Carabobo as No.1 provincial red stop with 11 homicides ... Carabobo reported 10, Miranda 8, Portuguesa 5, Aragua, Tachira and Apure 4 each, Lara, Falcon, Nueva Esparta, Anzoategui 3 each. 

25 persons died settling of scores, 15 in shoot-outs with the police, 13 resisting mugging, 9 in street brawls, 5 crimes of passion, 2 revenge and 2 shot while robbing.