www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

National Assembly (AN) president Francisco Ameliach admits that the government’s social programs have not been up to scratch and says funds will start rolling in once the effects of improved administration at Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) pay dividends in Q2.

Ameliach also forecasts a reactivation of the economy despite what he dismisses as “bad news mongering of so-called economic experts.” Attacking print & broadcast media, Ameliach criticizes lack of media coverage of AN events. “When I became AN president, I met the heads of the different parliamentary groups and agreed to turn the Assembly in Venezuela’s main forum for political debate … the opposition has returned to the AN after the stoppage and we have set up an appointments committee for the new National Electoral College (CNE). We've reached a House agreement condemning terrorism … the Energy & Mines (MEM) Minister has been invited to address the House on the Delta Platform natural gas program … that wouldn’t have happened last year.”

Primero Justicia (PJ) deputy, Liliana Hernandez receives praise for her well-thought out contribution to the foreign exchange rate debate but Ameliach has slammed critics of the Armed Force (FAN) for harping on its incapacity to keep tabs on Colombian guerrilla incursions. “A time will come when the FAN will dub those politicians as enemies, just as they did with Gente del Petroleo activists for sabotaging PDVSA.”

Ameliach says he spend 15 years as an officer in the FAN, 9 of which were spent in border areas.

www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Two senior Venezuelan NGOs, Cesap and Fudep report that 70% of community groups have disappeared over the past three years and blame the situation on a spectacular hike in public insecurity in Caracas Metropolitan area barrio slums.

Fudep leader Mari Gloria Olivo says things are so bad that people have to leave meetings at 6:00 p.m. to avoid being mugged … “before we could leave the barrio at 10:00 pm.” Olivo says the cycle can only be broken, if jobs and food come along … “what we are seeing is a complete breakdown of social relations.“

Cesap president Santiago Martinez argues that the social emergency is running at a greater rhythm than the political debate, and suggests five themes that need to tackled urgently: maternity and child care, a return of home creche programs (cuidado diario), nutrition and basic food health, employment and under-employment introducing creative temporary solutions, education for all, and insecurity and violence (trained police, disarming of civilians and elimination of paramilitary groups).

One local NGO has criticized the government’s public subsidized markets because it has put small barrio storekeepers out of business. “The once promising PROAL barrio stores selling cheap basic foodstuffs are not getting supplies ... which instead are going to the public markets.“

Fudep has received funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to organize workshops for community organizations called “participative diagnosis of the social situation."

reuters.com reuters.com Tue March 11, 2003 03:41 PM ET By Pascal Fletcher

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's army, rejecting Colombian charges that it is letting leftist rebels operate from Venezuelan territory, said on Tuesday it would drive out any guerrillas or paramilitaries that crossed the border.

Venezuelan army commander Gen. Jorge Garcia Carneiro also called for talks with his Colombian counterpart to discuss security along the rugged, 1,400-mile frontier that separates the two Andean neighbors.

"Neither the army, nor the armed forces in general, are going to let anyone use Venezuela as a hideout, and much less irregular forces," Garcia, who was made army chief in January by President Hugo Chavez, said at a news conference.

Relations between Bogota and Caracas have been strained again this month by insistent charges by Colombian officials and media that Chavez's government is allowing Colombian Marxist rebels to set up camps in Venezuela.

The left-leaning Chavez is frequently accused by his domestic and foreign foes of collaborating with Colombian guerrillas, but he has repeatedly denied these accusations. He warned the guerrillas Sunday not to meddle in Venezuela.

While vowing to protect the long frontier, Garcia said its length and terrain -- a patchwork of jungle, savannah and mountain -- made it impossible to patrol every inch.

"Even if you had 300,000 troops holding hands you're never going to be able to control the frontier, because it is a very extensive zone," he said.

Colombian politicians and media have alleged that Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda, the top commander of Colombia's biggest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, has been hiding out in Venezuela.

Garcia said the Venezuelan army would try to keep him out.

"The day that Marulanda, or any other irregular crosses the frontier line, then he is going to get a tough response from our army," he said. Garcia added that unlawful incursions by the Colombian armed forces would also not be tolerated.

Garcia has been fiercely criticized by opponents of the populist president who accuse the general of using his troops to back the Venezuelan leader's self-styled "revolution."

Chavez, who survived a coup by rebel military officers last year, used soldiers to break an opposition strike in December and January that crippled oil output in the world's No. 5 oil exporter. Oil production has been steadily recovering since the strike petered out in early February.

Garcia is currently managing a national food distribution program aimed at offsetting shortages caused by the strike.

He has also been a key figure in a campaign started by Chavez to involve the armed forces in development work, such as building houses, providing medical services and growing food.

Critics of the president say he is turning the armed forces into his personal Praetorian guard and is also dragging the country toward Cuban-style communism.