Venezuela Analysis: News Briefs

Chavez Says Venezuela and Russia Will Build a Nuclear Reactor in Oil-Rich Zulia

Russ Dallen - Latin American Herald Tribune — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:55:46 -0430

CARACAS -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said that his country and Russia intend to build a nuclear reactor in the oil-rich state of Zulia.

"A nuclear reactor, to produce energy for peaceful purposes, will soon be built in the state of Zulia and named in honor of the Venezuelan scientist of the last century Humberto Fernandez Moran," Chavez told supporters in Maracaibo, the capital of Zulia state.

"Brazil has several nuclear reactors, as does Argentina. We will also have our own reactor," the president said.
By Russ Dallen - Latin American Herald Tribune

Opposition Mayoral Candidate for Valencia Detained on Drug Trafficking Charges

Patricia Rivas - Prensa Web YVKE — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:36:55 -0430

Prensa Web YVKE (Patricia Rivas)
Viernes, 14 de Nov de 2008. 2:59 pm

Abdala Makled, candidate for mayor of Valencia (Carabobo State), was arrested today for alleged narcotrafficking. The businessman was arrested in a hacienda he owned, where aircraft and a clandestine airstrip were also discovered, which is suspected to have been the origin of nearly 400 kilos of cocaine intercepted by authorities this morning at El Rosario, a property belonging to the candidate’s brother Walid Makled, who was also arrested.

By Patricia Rivas - Prensa Web YVKE

Venezuela Hosts Dialogue on Economic Cooperation with European Union

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:27:27 -0430

November 14, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- On Wednesday, the Venezuelan Foreign Relations Ministry hosted its first Economic Dialogue Meeting with the European Union (EU).

The coordinator of the meeting, Venezuelan Vice Minister of Foreign Relations for Europe, Alejandro Fleming, said, “We have designed a strategy for relations that advance positively with several countries... a deepening of relations on all levels, not just political.”
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Chávez Demands that All Parties Recognize Results of Venezuelan Elections

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:20:41 -0430

November, 14, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela declared that he will recognize the results of the upcoming regional and local elections, and asked all political parties to do the same.
"If in some state in the country the opposition wins, I will be the first to recognize it," Chávez declared during a campaign rally in the state of Cojedes. "I ask the political parties of all tendencies that we recognize the results of the elections and demonstrate our democratic spirit," he continued.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuelan Street Vendors Benefit From New Market Building

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:34:41 -0430

November 13, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Over 1,200 street vendors will start operating in the market of Quinta Crespo in Caracas, which was inaugurated by the city mayor Freddy Bernal and the minister for the communal economy, Pedro Morejón, on Tuesday.

The building is part of the solution that the local and national government are offering to the problem of the large numbers of street vendors throughout Caracas and the country.
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuela Turns Over Two Drug Traffickers to United States

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:11:16 -0430

November 12, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Venezuela extradited two high-profile Colombian drug traffickers to the United States on Tuesday.

The U.S. had solicited the extradition of cousins Henry Fortis Coneo and Wilmer Villadiego Coneo, who will face trial on 16 charges.

The charges include transporting illegal drugs from Colombia to the Caribbean islands, Central America, and the United States. They are also thought to be linked to a gang in the Dominican Republic that allegedly murdered six people in August.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuela’s Electoral Council Finds Chavez Not Guilty of Violating Electoral Norms

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 13:28:41 -0430

November 7, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)—Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) found that the President Hugo Chavez did not violate the norms of publicity and propaganda established by CNE, but rather that he exercised his right to participate politically in the electoral campaign.

Chavez has been accompanying United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) candidates in electoral campaign events leading up to the state, regional, and legislative elections on November 23.
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuela Will Takeover Private Banks that Fail, Says Chávez

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:01:00 -0430

November 3, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- In contrast to the governments of countries in the Global North, including the United States, France, and Britain, Venezuela will expropriate, not bailout, private banks that fail amidst the world financial crisis, President Hugo Chávez announced Saturday.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

World Jewish Congress Praises Venezuelan Ambassador's Visit to Holocaust Museum

World Jewish Congress — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:17:27 -0430

October 28, 2008-- Leaders of the World Jewish Congress and its Latin American branch, the Latin American Jewish Congress (LAJC) , have welcomed a visit on Monday by Venezuela's ambassador to Argentina, Arévalo Méndez Romero, to the Museum of the Holocaust in Buenos Aires. The ambassador and his wife accepted an invitation by the president of the museum, Mario Feferbaum, and were accompanied by LAJC executive director Claudio Epelman.

By World Jewish Congress

Venezuelan Electoral Council to Investigate Chávez’s Socialist Party Campaigning

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:00:10 -0430

October 30, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- One of the directors of Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE), Vicente Díaz, solicited an official investigation of whether President Hugo Chávez has violated electoral laws by "acting as chief of state [while] promoting candidates from the electoral option of the [United Socialist Party of Venezuela] PSUV."
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Pro-Chavez Parties Assess Uniting on Some Candidacies

Panorama Digital — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:53:05 -0430

October 26 2008- The votes that the PPT and the PCV [Homeland For All and the Communist Party of Venezuela] could contribute to the candidacies of the PSUV [United Socialist Party of Venezuela] for November 23 [regional and state elections] are the reason behind an analysis in the political bureau of the parties of the Patriotic Alliance [the alliance of parties that support Chavez] and, although in the PSUV there is trust in the electoral mechanisms, they are not ruling out meeting with the PPT and the PCV to evaluate the subject.
By Panorama Digital

Venezuela, OPEC Reduce Oil Supply to Stabilize Prices

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:55:39 -0430

October 24, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Venezuela will reduce its daily oil production by 129,000 barrels as part of a decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to reduce its production by 1.5 million barrels per day, according to Venezuelan Oil and Energy Minister Rafael Ramírez.

“It is a correct decision that marks the beginning of OPEC’s policy of taking excess volume off the market,” Ramírez said following an extraordinary summit of OPEC’s 13 member countries Friday.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuelan Government Rejects European Parliament Resolution

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:52:10 -0430

October 24, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Venezuela has categorically rejected a resolution by the European Parliament that criticizes the disqualifications in Venezuela of people accused of corruption from being candidates in elections.

The resolution, which was passed on October 23, was approved with 55 votes from conservative parties, but with 734 abstentions.
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

Sean Penn visits Venezuela's Chavez for 2nd time

AP — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:32:23 -0430

CARACAS, Venezuela, Oct. 20, 2008 (AP) — U.S. actor Sean Penn is visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez — again.

Venezuela's state-run news agency reports that Penn accompanied Chavez during the inspection of a natural gas pipeline on Sunday.

Chavez has praised Penn for his criticism of the U.S. war in Iraq, but he did not mention Penn's visit during a televised address. Nor did state media broadcast images of the Oscar-winning actor.

By AP

Venezuela to Build Naval Base on Caribbean Tourist Island

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:34:00 -0430

October 21, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- The president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, announced Sunday that his administration plans "to create a naval base of great proportions" on Margarita Island, a popular tourist destination in the Caribbean Sea that is home to almost a half a million Venezuelans.

Chávez said the base will help protect Venezuela's extraction of its natural gas reserves and fight drug trafficking in the Caribbean.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuela to Close 69 Subway Restaurants Across the Country

ABN — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:25:32 -0430

The National Integrated Service of Customs and Tax Administration (Seniat) closed 69 restaurants from the fast food chain Subway in Caracas and seven other states in the country.

Through a press release, Seniat announced this Friday that the measure was due to breaches in the accounting books of sales and purchases of the Value Added Tax (IVA), which under article 102 of the Organic Tax Code, have been classified as illegal tax.
By ABN

Venezuela Survives Strong Rains

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:11:53 -0430

Mérida, October 17, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- It is the rainy season in Venezuela and since October 15 downpours have seen 9,416 people affected in 14 states, according to the national director of Civil Protection and Administration of Disasters (PCAD), Luis Diaz.

To date 1,895 houses have been seriously damaged and 6 people have died.

Diaz said that the weather has improved and is stable across the country even though the rain will continue until the middle of November. PCAD will continue monitoring and evaluating the situation on a daily basis. By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

Poll: Approval of Venezuelan President Increases

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:03:33 -0430

October 16, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- The most recent poll conducted by the Venezuelan Institute of Data Analysis (IVAD) shows that 74.8% of those surveyed view the job performance of President Hugo Chávez as “good,” while 23.5% view it as “bad.”
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuelan Public Employees Sign Labor Contract

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:58:17 -0430

October 16, 20078 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Public employees from several sectors of the Venezuelan government joined together to sign a collective contract Wednesday after four years since the last contract expired.

Labor Minister Roberto Hernández celebrated the agreement reached with the negotiating commission of the National Federation of Public Sector Employees (FENTRASEP), a group of worker unions from the education, health, transportation, and retired sectors.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuelan Transportation Workers Blockade Highways to Demand Compensation

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:30:19 -0430

October 14, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Transportation workers blocked a series of major highways and access to the main bus terminal in Caracas, Venezuela, on Monday to demand that Mayor Freddy Bernal compensate 9,000 workers who say they will be left jobless by the mayor's pending public transportation plan.

"We do not know what the effects on the transportation workers will be. We understand they have some of us listed to be taken out of circulation," said José Luis Montoya, the president of a local union of transportation workers.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuelan McDonald’s Closed Two Days for Tax Irregularities in

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:13:53 -0430

October 10, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Venezuela's tax and customs enforcement office, SENIAT, forced a 48-hour closure of all 115 McDonald's restaurants in the country on Thursday as a punishment for tax irregularities.

The McDonald's restaurants, which are operated by three separate franchises in Venezuela, Alimentos Nasif, Alimentos Arcos Dorados, and Compañía Operativa de Alimentos, will be allowed to open again on Saturday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuela Creates New Holiday to Commemorate Community Medicine School

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:46:00 -0430

October 10, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez created a National Day of Integral Communitarian Medicine this Wednesday.

Chávez created the commemorative day, which is on October 8, during a ceremony for the third anniversary of Venezuela's Integral Communitarian Medicine School, which is also the 41st anniversary of the murder of Latin American revolutionary leader and doctor Che Guevara.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuelan Bonds Lose Value, Inflation Remains High Amidst World Financial Crisis

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:30:29 -0430

October 10, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Venezuelan bonds dropped in value Wednesday. A prominent Venezuelan bond, the Global 27, sunk to 59.5% of its value, lower than it had dropped during the recession caused by the coup against Chávez in April 2002, when the bond sunk to 69.6% of its value.

Amidst a worldwide credit freeze triggered by the collapse of the two largest mortgage firms in the United States last month, the drop in bond values will make it more difficult for Venezuela, the world's fifth largest oil exporter, to obtain loans.
By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuela Aims to Convert 969 Vehicles to Natural Gas This Year

Daniel Cancel - Bloomberg — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:21:38 -0430

Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the country's state-oil company, aims to convert 969 gasoline- burning vehicles to run on natural gas by the end of the year helped by a new conversion center.

The company opened its first conversion facility in the central state of Lara today as part of a plan to install dual fuel tanks in new cars, Venezuela's Information Ministry said today.
By Daniel Cancel - Bloomberg

Venezuela Supports 2,275 Bolivian Projects

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:58:30 -0430

Venezuela is supporting the implementation of 2,275 projects in Bolivia through the program "Bolivia changes, Evo achieves" with a contribution of US$214 million.

The Bolivian chancellor, David Choquehuanca said that such economic support is subject to social control. It is also part of an agreement of cooperation around areas of social development signed by the two countries in January 2006.
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuela Acts in Solidarity with the Cuban Five

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:56:09 -0430

Mérida, October 1, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- A range of Venezuelan authorities and organizations expressed their solidarity with the campaign to free the Cuban 5 yesterday and over previous days, as the term served by the prisoners reached 10 years.
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

U.S. President Bush Meets with Venezuelan Opposition

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:00:32 -0430

Mérida, September 24, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- On Tuesday U.S. President George Bush met with opposition leaders from Venezuela and other "dissidents" from Cuba, Russia, China, North Korea, Burma and other countries, in New York, according to a White House statement.

In the meeting Bush and his wife gave a dinner and discussed "advancing the agenda of freedom and protection of rights and dignity" said White House spokes woman, Emily Lawrimore.
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

President Chavez Arrives in Cuba for an Interchange of Ideas

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:39:08 -0430

Mérida, September 22, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- Sunday night Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez arrived in Havana, Cuba, to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro and Cuban revolutionary leader and ex-president, Fidel Castro, for a brief discussion and analysis around the world political situation.

Chavez said the conversation served to increase the interchange of ideas with the revolutionary leader.
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

United Socialist Party of Venezuela Raises Over US$500,000

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:36:05 -0430

Mérida, September 22, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)- This past Saturday the United Socialist Party of Venezuela's (PSUV) raised over half a million dollars in its "One day's wage for the Revolution" fundraising campaign for the upcoming regional and municipal elections that are to take place November 23.

The day was going to be last Saturday, however, it was postponed by a week in order to prioritise mobilizations in support of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez after the revelation of a coup plan.
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

Venezuela Assists Hurricane Affected Countries

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:30:37 -0430

Mérida, September 1, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- On Sunday Hugo Chavez announced that the Venezuelan government would send water and food to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and also offered help to Cuba since Hurricane Gustav passed through these countries.

The announcement was made during transmission of Chavez’s weekly Sunday talk program, Alo Presidente number 319.

In Cuba, hundreds of thousands have mobilised to help with hurricane recovery. Food supplies have been badly affected, and many areas were flooded. No lives were lost, though.
By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com