05 - 30 - 06

HUGO CHAVEZ EYES NEW ANDEAN INTEGRATION FORMULA

     KALASASAYA TEMPLE, BOLIVIA  -- Hugo Chávez deems it necessary "to think about something new" following the "death" of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), and suggested creating an Andean Bolivarian Confederation intended to achieve political, economic, social and "even military" integration among Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela, "and I do not know whether Colombia would join us. We will see."

    Chávez' proposal came Sunday, during his weekly radio and TV show "Aló, Presidente," aired from Kalasasaya Temple, in Bolivian Sacred Town of Tiwuanaku. Bolivian ruler Evo Morales joined Chávez during the last two hours of the live satellite transmission. Chávez explained that in 1826 Simón Bolívar had plans to create a federation, a sort of "union, with a confederate government, with a structure, with a mega state." "He made this proposal in parallel to the Panama Congress."

     "I think this formula is still alive. I think this is not insane. If anyone wants to call me crazy, then let them call me crazy. I do not find it insane to propose a sort of Andean Bolivarian Confederation. CAN is dead. Who killed CAN? The empire. CAN never went beyond being a trade alliance that favored the wealthy elites above all. But Bolívar's intended plan was to create a bloc of republic," Chávez explained.  He reminded that a few days ago, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe suggested creating an Andean Bolivarian Community.

 OLLANTA HUMALA: ANYTHING CHAVEZ SAYS IS "IRRELEVANT" 

      LIMA, PERU  -- The Peruvian people know the "characteristics" of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, and therefore anything he says "is irrelevant," Monday claimed Peruvian nationalist presidential candidate Ollanta Humala, disregarding Chávez' latest insults against Humala's rival Alan García. On Sunday, in Bolivia, Chávez said García, seen as the favorite to win Peruvian presidential election on June 4th, "wants to become president to continue stealing and stabbing the Peruvian people, God forbid."

    After reiterating his support for Humala, Chávez branded García as a "real thief, demagogue, irresponsible, and liar." Monday Humala tried to mitigate rejection from Peruvian politicians and media against Chávez' remarks, AP reported. President Chávez' statements are "irrelevant. We all know President Chávez' characteristics, and it is quite clear for the Peruvian people." "We nationalists are not subject to foreign interests," Humala added.

    When asked if Chávez would stop interfering in Peru, Humala replied: "Of course he will. The electoral process belongs to the Peruvian people. In this sense, I am asking all countries not to interfere in the process taking place in Peru and this includes Venezuela, obviously."

05 - 29 - 06

COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT ALVARO URIBE RE-ELECTED IN A LANDSLIDE

      BOGOTA, COLOMBIA  --  Law-and-order President Alvaro Uribe was re-elected in a landslide Sunday in Colombia's most peaceful elections in more than a decade, strengthening the U.S. ally's mandate to crack down on armed groups and drug traffickers. The Harvard-educated Uribe's win marks the first time in more than a century that an incumbent Colombian leader has been elected to a second term and bucks a trend of leftist leaders taking office across South America in recent years.

    With 85 percent of ballots counted, the conservative Uribe scored a stronger than expected 62 percent of the vote, easily surpassing the 50 percent needed to win in the first round and exceeding pre-election expectations.

    In second place, with 22 percent of the votes, was Sen. Carlos Gaviria of the leftist Alternative Democratic Pole party. Gaviria's strong support confirms the rise of the democratic left in this violence-wracked South American nation. In third place was Horacio Serpa, of the century-old Liberal Party, with just below 12 percent.  >>>  Full Story

05 - 28 - 06

INDONESIA QUAKE KILL MORE THAN 3,500; HOSPITALS OVERWHELMED; LACK OF EQUIPMENT HINDERING RESCUES

      JAKARTA, INDONESIA  --  More than 3,500 people have died in a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck central Java in Indonesia early Saturday, and casualty figures are expected to rise. Finding the dead and injured, and removing rubble from collapsed buildings is being complicated by a shortage of earth-moving equipment and electric power outages in the area.

     Most of the dead are being found in Bantul, a district just south of the historic tourist destination of Yogyakarta, about 249 miles (400 kilometers) southeast of the capital, Jakarta.  The National Disaster Coordinating Agency said that there were more than 2,000 deaths and nearly 1,900 people injured in Bantul alone. Yogyakarta and other communities also reported deaths.  "Currently there are probably up to 150,000 people displaced from their homes," Brook Weisman-Ross, disaster coordinator for Plan International, told CNN from Yogyakarta.

        The injured are being treated in the streets because hospitals are overwhelmed and because of fears of buildings collapsing amid another earthquake, said Puji Pujiono of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.  Relief workers, faced with power outages and few generators, are waiting for daylight and reinforcements to begin working again, said Malcolm Johnston, a representative of the International Federation of the Red Cross in Bantul.

05 - 27 - 06

PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR: CHAVEZ IS HIGH IN THE RANKING OF ATTACKS

      WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke in an ironic manner Friday at US Georgetown University about the harsh words of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. The Prime Minister claimed that he had not been treated this way since the school.

    "The only thing I could tell about President Chávez is that he has the best line of insults among world leaders," the British leader said during a conference at the renowned university in Washington, where he is paying a two-day visit.

    Early February, Chávez called Blair a "laborer of imperialism," and demanded him to return the Falkland Islands to Argentina. Previously, Blair had asked Chávez to respect the international laws. During the recent European Union-Latin American Summit held in Vienna, Blair asked Chávez and Bolivian President Evo Morales to use hydrocarbons responsibly and work in cooperation with foreign investors.

RUSSIA: NO INTERNATIONAL BAN PREVENTS SALE OF WEAPONS TO HUGO CHAVEZ

    ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA  --  Russian Defense minister Serguei Ivanov Friday said in St. Petersburg that "there is no legal, international restriction" preventing Russia from providing weapons to Venezuela, particularly warplanes. "Venezuela has the right to resort to any country to purchase weapons," Ivanov told reporters following a meeting with his German counterpart Franz Josef Jung. "I know negotiations about this issue have not started," the Russian official added.

    Ivanov reminded that Venezuela initialed an agreement to purchase weapons from Spain "that has not been honored (yet)." "Russia is to meet strictly all the obligations it may undertake following initialization of any agreements, not only in the military field, but also in the energy sector," Ivanov stressed.

    Hugo Chávez recently aired his plans to buy Russian military aircraft amid tensions with Washington. He accused the US of stopping Venezuela from upgrading and revamping the US-made F16 jets Venezuela owns. Caracas recently purchased 100,000 Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles, as well as several dozen Russian military choppers.

HUGO CHAVEZ DISCLOSES US PLOT AGAINST EVO MORALES

       LA PAZ, BOLIVIA  -- Covered with a crimson poncho and wearing a flower wreath around his neck,  Hugo Chávez denounced during a rally in Bolivia a plot to overthrow his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales. He charged US President George W. Bush directly with the attempt. "If the US President is worried because democracy is being eroded in Bolivia, this means that he gave already the green light to conspiracy."

    The head of state urged Bolivians to take the streets. "Should anybody order to topple Evo, we ought to stop the coupster, send him to jail immediately, in accordance with the constitutional order. Should anybody willing to tumble Evo, the Bolivian people ought to go out to the streets, because the streets belong to the people and you know what to do."

    Based on his personal experience, Chávez asked Bolivians to be on the alert. "I have undergone in Venezuela the ordeal of conspiracy, economic sabotage, oil strike, terrorist acts, all of this prompted from Washington."

05 - 26 - 06

THOMAS SHANNON SAYS HUGO CHAVEZ' INFLUENCE IN THE HEMISPHERE IS LIMITED 

     BRAZILIA, BRAZIL  -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez would not be very successful in his attempt at furthering a wave of leftwing governments in the elections that are being held this year in Latin America, a US senior official said Wednesday.

    Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon noted also little support of voters and leaders to the Chávez' agenda.

  "There are natural limitations to the ambitions of Chávez or anyone who tries to manage a political agenda throughout the hemisphere," Shannon told Reuters. "Eventually, these elections will be defined by domestic issues, instead of foreign mediation," he stated during a telephone interview from Brasilia.

CUBA NAMES NEW MINISTER OF AUDITING AND CONTROL

    HAVANA, CUBA  --  Cuba announced changes in the leadership of its ministry of auditing and control on Wednesday in the Communist Party's daily newspaper Granma. Gladys Bejerano has been designated the new minister, replacing Lina Pedraza, who will be given "other responsibilities" within the Communist Party, Granma said. No reasons were provided for the shakeup.

    Bejerano has served as vice minister of auditing and control since 2001, and previously held other positions with the party and Cuban Council of Ministers, the newspaper said. The changes come amid a massive anti-corruption campaign led by Castro.

THE CUBAN DICTATOR MEETS WITH PRIME MINISTER OF ST. LUCIA KENNY ANTHONY

    HAVANA, CUBA  --  St. Lucian officials will sign two agreements with Cuba and ask the communist-run island for help filling a cement shortage during an official visit to the country this week, the nation's leader said. Prime Minister Kenny Anthony said he will sign the deals on arts and tourism. He also said he would ask Cuba about buying cement since St. Lucia, like some other Caribbean countries, was experiencing a shortage of the product.

    Anthony, government advisers and business representatives left Monday night for Cuba and will return Thursday. Anthony was expected to sign the agreements on Wednesday. Cuba and St. Lucia have had diplomatic relations for more than two decades. Cuba has provided a number of scholarships to St. Lucian students and St. Lucians have received free eye care from Cuba. St. Lucia, an island in the southeast Caribbean Sea, is home to 168,000 people.

05 - 25 - 06

HUGO CHAVEZ READY TO STEP DOWN IF THE SUPREME COURT, APPOINTED BY HIM, DECIDES THAT HE QUIT OFFICE TO RUN FOR REELECTION

      CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  ASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Pursuant to the National Constitution, there is not need to quit office in order to run for reelection, President Hugo Chávez said during a press conference with the local media. "If the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) were to decide that I should quit office to run for reelection, then I would abide by the order. (Vice-President) José Vicente (Rangel) would take office and I would walk down the street. Anyhow, we will win the elections with 10 million votes," he noted.

    "I expect them not to play again the dirty trick of last December (concerning withdrawal from parliament elections) and keep their candidacy. If they are to hold primary elections, then the country urges them to exercise their democratic rights." "We will act according to what they do. The country should be asked, in the face of all constitutional processes, if it agrees on a president running as candidate for indefinite re-election. I think that the course of democracy will not be changed at all. People have the ultimate decision. Firstly, they will decide in the referendum, if any," Chávez added.

HUGO CHAVEZ ANNOUNCES FULL MEMBERSHIP IN MERCOSUR

    CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  Hugo Chávez submitted full incorporation of Venezuela in Mercosur. "The protocol on Venezuela's adhesion to Mercosur was approved last night (Tuesday) in Buenos Aires," the ruler said. "This is history. I invite the good Venezuelan journalists to record the history. Venezuela has joined Mercosur. This is a fundamental step. For seven and a half years, we have been working on it with devotion and passion."

    The Adhesion Protocol notes that the negotiation process reaffirmed the importance of Venezuela's inclusion in Mercosur in order to consolidate South American integration as part of Latin American unification. "At any time, integration should be a tool to further comprehensive development, fight poverty and social dropout. It should be based on complementation, solidarity and cooperation," the document pointed out.

VIEWERS RECEIVE US TV SIGNALS IN HAVANA

       HAVANA, CUBA  --  TV viewers in the Havana area have been able to get reception from US broadcasters CBS, Univision, and Telemundo, reportedly starting the afternoon of May 8.    The lucky viewers welcome any programming other than the drab government-produced local fare.  "This is great," said Ezequiel Robaina, who said he had been able to watch the Univision newscast out of the network's Miami affiliate station the night before.

    The signals are typically received at night. During the day, people can be seen discreetly tweaking antennas in the rooftops. Carlos and Victos Goicoechea said as they tried to raise their antenna: "We haven't slept watching the outside channels. We need this to go on, because I don't have the ten dollars to pay for cable, and this is free."

05 - 24 - 06

SECRETARY RICE IS CERTAIN THAT CHAVEZ IS A MATTER OF CONCERN IN LATIN AMERICA

      WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is convinced that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and his "irresponsible" way of ruling cause much concern in Latin America. This is evident from recent clashes with Peru and nationalization of the Bolivian gas.  "Chávez and Venezuelans have faced bad winds: their interference in places such as Peru, that recalled its ambassador; worry about nationalization of the Bolivian gas and somewhat tough words said in this regard," Rice told an US radio station during an interview.

    "There is major concern in Latin America about this trend, not because of leftwing governments, but of those who rule irresponsibly," the senior official added. As before, Rice underscored that the United States does not have any troubles with Latin American leftwing governments. In this way, she answered to a question about why the region elects today rulers who are more like Chávez and less like US President George W. Bush.

"SOONER OR LATER THE UNITED STATES IS TO INVADE VENEZUELA"

    CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  It is "funny" that US President George W. Bush has expressed concern about Venezuela and alleged meddling in foreign countries' affairs, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Vice-Minister for North American Affairs Maripili Hernández said, and considered it a self-criticism. "Sooner or later" the United States is to invade Venezuela with the aim of grabbing the "most important proven oil reserve in the world," Hernández added.

    "We are not talking about now, or today or next month. But sooner or later, the US will require what Venezuela has -its oil- in order to keep its standard of living with such a high consuming level. Willingly or forcefully, they will come for our oil, they will come for us. We must have that clear," she admonished. When Bush said that intervening in other countries elections is not good, he was probably reflecting on his own country practices, as "US intelligence services have done so in Latin America since last century," the official insisted.

VENEZUELA FORMALIZES WITHDRAWAL FROM G-3

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  The Venezuelan Government formalized its withdrawal from integration group G-3, composed also of Mexico and Colombia, government authorities reported. "It has been decided to denounce the Agreement on Economic Complementation No. 33 (G-3) under Article 23-03," in line with the announcement of President Hugo Chávez last Sunday, a press release from the Foreign Ministry stated.

    "Far from being a complementation agreement, as expressed in the preamble, it is a Free Trade Agreement that was created in the years of prevalence in our country, and around the world, of a neo-liberal vision only in the commercial interest. Preference on the sake of our countries, as it should be, was given in it," the paper pointed out.

    "The new orientation that not only Venezuela, but other fellow countries have been defining in terms of integration is based on complementation, cooperation and solidarity. Rather than competition among our nations, is based on respect for sovereignty. It is paving a way that answers to the historical expectations of our countries."

05 - 23 - 06

PRESIDENT BUSH WORRIED ABOUT VENEZUELA DEMOCRACY

      WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- US President George W. Bush expressed Monday concern about erosion of democracy in Venezuela and Bolivia. In a clear reference to his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez, the ruler criticized interference in the polls of third countries. "Let me say it clearly: I am concerned about the erosion of democracy in the countries you mentioned," Bush answered to a participant in a rally of the Chicago's Restorers Association on the situation in Venezuela and Bolivia.

    Apparently in reference to President Chávez, but without naming him, Bush warned against "intended meddling in the elections of other countries in the hemisphere," Efe reported. "I will recall the people that intervening in other elections to attain goals in the medium term is not in the interest of the neighborhood," Bush explained in clear reference to Chávez' support to Peruvian candidate Ollanta Humala and Nicaraguan Daniel Ortega.

    Bush proposed as an alternative the Central American standard and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA.) Good relations with the United States would be helpful for these peoples, he pointed out.

CHAVEZ WARNS AGAINST RISING OIL PRICES IN THE EVENT OF US ATTACK ON IRAN

    CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  "If US President George W. Bush steps in Iran, the price of oil barrel will go up to USD 100," Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said during an interview with German weekly WirtschaftsWoche, published Monday.

    "There is not enough oil to cope with the US wastefulness. This is the actual reason behind the coup attempt on us. They wanted our oil. Next they planned to go after Iraq and ultimately Iran." The Venezuelan ruler repeated that a price of USD 50 per barrel is fair.

     He dismissed the claims of having helped Iran to build the atomic bomb. "This is ludicrous. We do not have any experience in the creation of the atomic bomb. I am convinced that Iranians do not intend to build any. It was the United States, which threw atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki."  "Iran is different. And I know it due to my longstanding friendship with the Iranian people, former President Mohamed Jatami and President Mahmud Ahmadineyad," he added.

OAS SECRETARY JOSE MIGUEL INSULZA CALLS CHAVEZ "RAUCOUS," BUT NOT A THREAT 

       SANTIAGO DE CHILE, CHILE  --  Hugo Chávez is not the only talkative ruler in the hemisphere, but he is "raucous," Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza said.  "I do not think that Chávez is a threat. I think that he just has his own ideas and I wish they will be clarified, discussed and explored," Insulza, who has been the OAS incumbent for one year, stated during an interview with Chilean daily newspaper El Mercurio, AP quoted.

     "If Chávez considers that Latin American integration systems are not satisfactory, he should bring forward this subject in the debate with his partners at the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and Mercosur," Insulza suggested.

    With regard to Chávez' threat to break off relations with Peru if Alan García is elected President, he mentioned: "Probably after the elections the words will go with the wind. "Yes, perhaps he does it in a more boisterous manner than others, but he is not the only one," Insulza answered to a question on Chávez' way of talking about the internal affairs of foreign countries.

05 - 22 - 06

VENEZUELA SAYS WILL PULL OUT OF G-3 TRADE BLOC WITH MEXICO, COLOMBIA 

      CARACAS, VENEZUELA --  Hugo Chavez said Sunday Venezuela will pull out of a trade bloc with Colombia and Mexico, its latest move to abandon trade deals with countries that have free-trade pacts with the United States. Chavez said he was withdrawing from the so-called G-3 bloc to "safeguard the national interest" as Venezuela joins another trade group, Mercosur, with other left-leaning governments including Argentina and Uruguay.

    "We have already decided to leave the so-called G-3," Chavez said in his weekly TV and radio program, broadcast from the eastern state of Bolivar. Chavez last month pulled out of the Andean Community trade bloc because Colombia and Peru - two of the group's four members - signed free-trade deals with Washington. Chavez has said Colombia's free-trade deal with the U.S. threatens to flood Venezuela with cheap U.S. imports that would harm local industries.

    Chavez said he had ordered his foreign minister, Ali Rodriguez, to proceed with the formalities to withdraw from the trade bloc. The Venezuelan leader has said he is aiming for a new sort of regional integration based on socialist principles. Chavez, along with his close friend Cuban President Fidel Castro, has proposed a decidedly anti-capitalist trade bloc for the region, which Bolivia also has joined under newly elected President Evo Morales.

CIA WARNING OF "INFOWAR" THREAT

    WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Foreign governments may be building secret trap doors for entry into Government and Corporate computer networks, with the help of their programmers doing US and global Y2K-related work, as part of the growing arena of information operations.

    The term "information operations" includes such nefarious arts as network hacking, denial-of-service attacks or insertion of computer viruses ( among others) in order to gain access to or disrupt computer networks, now central to national defense as well as modern banking, commerce and the civic telecommunications infrastructure.

    The U.S. Department of Defense has stated that it has also experienced network-based attacks coming from Russia. Others, like Cuba and Bulgaria, are working on computer-virus weapons.  Maynard recommended that Information Technology (IT) departments of CORPORATIONS closely examine the Y2K code that went in their systems and also run extensive checks on network security

STATE ORDER TO DEMOLISH NEWSPAPER OFFICE STIRS CONTROVERSY IN VENEZUELA

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  A state legislature's order to demolish the offices of a newspaper strongly critical of President Hugo Chavez and his allies has sparked a dispute over whether political considerations had a hand in the measure. The newspaper Correo del Caroni has repeatedly angered pro-Chavez Gov. Francisco Rangel with its critical reports on his state government, and in March he said officials were investigating whether the newspaper's offices were built on state lands 28 years ago.

    The predominantly pro-Chavez state assembly later determined there were irregularities in the construction of the newspaper's office in Ciudad Guayana, and on Thursday approved an "eviction and demolition" motion. Rangel denied on Saturday that his differences with the newspaper had anything to do with the legislature's decision in the southeastern state of Bolivar.

    "I had nothing to do with that," Rangel told reporters. "That was a sovereign decision by the assembly." It remained unclear how soon authorities intended to act on the order, and newspaper executives couldn't immediately be reached for comment. But the Inter American Press Association expressed concern.

05 - 21 - 06

U.S. WITNESS IS CALLED A CUBA SPY

      MIAMI, FLORIDA  --  A key witness in a major weapons case against one of Fidel Castro's sworn enemies was stopped by the Coast Guard 40 miles from Key West in 1999 as he attempted to return to Cuba. With him were a crock pot, a VCR and photographs of a Cuban exile paramilitary training camp in Miami-Dade County. Was Gilberto Abascal spying for Cuba?

    At the time, U.S. officials determined that Abascal and a married couple with him who brought along their 3-year-old, U.S.-born daughter on the ''small pleasure craft'' were simply homesick, disillusioned expatriates, according to federal court records filed Friday. The FBI decided there was no nefarious reason for the group to have photos of Alpha 66's Miami-Dade operations.

    Abascal and his friends were returned to Miami after they maintained that the photos were only meant to show dissidents on the island that exiles in Miami were continuing their fight to help free the country from communist rule. But Alpha 66's leader and the widow of the group's former leader disputed that notion Friday. >>>  More

GUARDS QUELL CAPTIVES' UPRISING

     GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA  --  In a series of disruptions spanning 18 hours across the prison camps here, captives staged suicide attempts and fought U.S. guards with light-bulb shards, broken fans and metal bars they had ripped from their barracks, the U.S. military disclosed Friday. At one point, to quell a five-minute brawl between 10 detainees and an equal number of soldiers, a U.S. Army rapid strike force fired pepper spray and rubber bullets.

    Two other detainees were in comas at the Navy hospital Friday after overdosing on drugs in what commanders characterized as a calculated, coordinated martyrdom mission. ''These are dangerous men and determined jihadists,'' declared Rear Adm. Harry Harris, commander of the detention center housing about 460 detainees.

    Harris described Thursday's events as ''probably the most violent outbreak'' at the Pentagon's 4-year-old interrogation and detention center. They also come at a time of increased international pressure on the Bush administration to close this prison complex.    >>>  More

05 - 20 - 06

ecuador denies axis with venezuela, cuba or bolivia

      QUITO, ECUADOR  --  Ecuador has not taken sides with Cuba, Venezuela or Bolivia, Foreign Minister Francisco Carrión said, and warned against demonizing Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.  Rather than supporting Venezuela or Bolivia, the idea is to favor Ecuador. There is no axis at all, the official told TV channel 4.

    In the words of the Foreign Minister, in the diplomatic area, Ecuador "can speak with everyone, with Mr. Chávez, who should not be demonized. It can speak with Mr. (US President George W.) Bush; with Mr. (Peruvian President Alejandro) Toledo, or with Mr. (Bolivian President Evo) Morales. It can speak with everybody."

    Additionally, he labeled as cordial the relations with the United States, which came to a standstill following the Ecuadorian decision to terminate unilaterally an agreement with US Occidental company. As a result of this move, discussions to execute a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) were discontinued. Carrión clarified that the Ecuadorian decision about Occidental was not an unfriendly action. 

VENEZUELA WANTS TO BUY RUSSIAN JETS

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  Venezuelan ambassador to Russia Alexis Navarro said Caracas expects to negotiate the purchase from Russia of new warplanes, a Russian news agency reported Friday. The information came a few days after the United States a ban on US weapons sales to Venezuela.

    Navarro said Hugo Chávez wanted to visit Russia in August-September this year, Interfax informed. "We are waiting for a Russian reply," Navarro said. Some Venezuelan pilots have already tested military aircraft Su-27 and Su-30, Navarro claimed. "They liked the jets a lot... Now we are waiting for negotiations to begin," he added.

    If the deal were achieved, it would become the latest step in a series of Venezuelan purchases of Russian weapons. Caracas has bought 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles -despite Washington objections-, and on April a commander of the Venezuelan Army said they planned to buy around three dozens of military helicopters. On Monday, Washington prohibited the sales of US military goods and services to Venezuela, which further deteriorated their tense relations.  

VENEZUELA NAVY CONDUCTS "ANTI-INVASION" MANEUVERS

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  The Venezuelan National Armed Force used for the first time the MI17V5 choppers -which Venezuela purchased recently from Russia- in defense maneuvers to face a theoretical invasion. The drill was conducted at the Paraguaná Refining Complex -the world's largest refinery- two days after Caracas denounced that Washington planned to attack Venezuela.

    Four thousand people -comprising civilians and military- took part in the first stage of the operation, called "Integral Defense Patriotic Navy" that lasted two days, AFP reported. "The enemy forces performed a disembark known as administrative, as it took place at the principal port or dock Guaraná, besides the helicopter-borne operation conducted in Russian MI17V5 choppers," official news agency ABN informed.

    The manner was deployed for the third consecutive year. The drill simulates a disembark and invasion of small coastal towns, and the resistance of military and civilians who have been trained in the previous weeks for such purposes.

05 - 19 - 06

HUGO CHAVEZ LEAVES LIBYA; CALLS FOR FRONT AGAINST US "HEGEMONY"

       TRIPOLI, LIBYA  --  Hugo Chávez Thursday afternoon left Tripoli following a 24-hour visit to Libya, where he talked to his Libyan counterpart Muammar al-Qadaffi, and made a call to unite against "the US hegemony", an official source said. Chávez' visit to Libya came two days after US announced resumption of diplomatic ties betweenTripoli and Washington, following three decades of separation.

    Libya and Venezuela initialed a general cooperation agreement, the Libyan official source said without elaborating, AFP reported. Earlier, Libyan Foreign Affairs minister Abdel Rahman Chalgham said Caracas and Tripoli were to sign a cooperation agreement in the fields of education and culture. Late Wednesday, Chávez urged countries worldwide to join a front against "US hegemony," following a first meeting with Qadaffi.

    "In Venezuela, we are a free people. We do what we want and our economy is independent," Chávez told reporters. "We are against imperialism and against US." This was Chávez' second visit to Libya since 2004. 

VENEZUELA ENVOY WORRIES ABOUT U.S. INVASION

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Recent actions by the United States against Venezuela appear to be part of a recurring pattern that in previous cases involving other countries has led to a U.S. military invasion, Venezuelan Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez said Thursday. Alvarez expressed disappointment that there has been no followup to what he said had been a promising initial diplomatic exchange with Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon in March. Shannon heads the State Department's Latin America bureau.

    The only U.S. response, Alvarez told a news conference, was a House of Representatives resolution criticizing Venezuela's counterdrug record and this week's U.S. suspension of arms sales to Venezuela. "No country, no government and no organization of any kind has pointed out Venezuela as a state that sponsors terrorism," he said. " "To include Venezuela in a list of state of terrorism would be embarrassing for the United States."

    As for the possibility of U.S. aggression against Venezuela, Alvarez said the "only way for Venezuela to resist a military invasion would be through non-traditional mechanisms - because we do not have any possibility to counteract a military invasion with weapons." Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has warned his countrymen repeatedly that the United States is planning to invade Venezuela. The Bush administration has denied the allegation.

VENEZUELA DENOUNCES "CYNICISM" OF US IN WAR ON TERROR

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  Venezuelan ambassador to the United States Bernardo Álvarez Thursday denounced Washington "cynicism" and doublespeak in the fight against terrorism, as the US "without any grounds" is accusing Venezuela of failing to cooperate with US, while Washington has failed to extradite terrorist anti-Castro activist Luis Posada Carriles. "It is cynical to hear them (US) say that we are not cooperating (in the war on terror), and at the same time they have remained silent on a widely known terrorist who was captured in the US," Álvarez told reporters in Washington.

    "It is cynical because they claim, without producing any formal evidence, that we are not cooperating with them. In parallel, they have disregarded (Venezuelan) request (for extradition of Posada Carriles) based on international laws, the US-Venezuela bilateral convention on extradition, and even the US laws," Álvarez stressed. On Monday, the US State Department prohibited the sale of military goods and services to Venezuela because of Caracas failure to cooperate with Washington to fight against terrorism. Venezuela has been requesting Posada Carriles' extradition from US for more than one year now for his involvement in a bomb attack against a Cuban airliner in 1976 that killed 73 people.

05 - 18 - 06

FBI INFORMANT IN THE CASE OF SANTIAGO ALVAREZ AND osvaldo mitat ARRESTED ON BATTERY CHARGE

       MIAMI, FLORIDA  --  The federal government's star witness in the high-profile weapons case against two Cuban exiles, Santiago Alvarez y Osvaldo Mitat, has been arrested on a battery charge stemming from a parking dispute at a Hialeah Gardens condominium complex. Police charged Gilberto Abascal earlier this month with a misdemeanor after he allegedly grabbed a condo association president by the jaw and pushed him against a wall because the man had placed a ''no parking'' warning on Abascal's motorcycle.

Abascal, 40, parked his motorcycle in a no-parking zone at the Royal Palm Condominiums, sparking the confrontation, Hialeah Gardens police say. Abascal told a police officer that ''he only grabbed the victim to stop him from placing the no-parking sticker on his motorcycle windshield,'' according to the May 1 arrest form. The arrest was cited in Miami federal court by the U.S. Attorney's Office as part of the evidence that prosecutors are sharing with defense attorneys in the weapons case against defendants Santiago Alvarez and Osvaldo Mitat. The trial could start later this month or this summer in Fort Lauderdale federal court.

HUGO CHAVEZ CANNOT SELL US F-16 AIRCRAFT TO IRAN

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Venezuela cannot sell US F-16 aircraft or any other defense equipment to Iran or third countries without the prior consent of the Government of US President George W. Bush. Previously, retired General Alberto Müller Rojas, a member of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez' chiefs of staff, had suggested this possibility. The alleged sale of US F-16 to Iran or other countries is not permitted, US Department of State Spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

    "Without the express, written consent of the United States, these defense items, in this case F-16, cannot be transferred to a third country. And even if such a request were made, it would not have any echo in the US Government," he noted. The official asked the Venezuelan Government to stop "throwing fiery rhetoric, aimed at deviating attention" and focus instead on anti-terrorist efforts.

VP RANGE: VENEZUELA NOT INTERESTED IN BUYING US WEAPONS

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  Venezuela is not interested in purchasing weapons from the United States, because it can do it, in a sovereign manner, from any other country around the world. A press release issued by the Vice-President's Office labeled as hypocrite and immoral the US decision to prohibit sale of weapons and military equipment to Venezuela. Vice-President José Vicente Rangel does not view the move as something new, but as the ratification of an action that had been implemented already.

    Rangel feels that the claim of terrorism "is very feeble" as there is no rationale for it, and thinks that alleged refuge of Colombian rebels in Venezuela is unfounded. The official criticized the statement issued by the US Department of State for considering it an "anti-terrorist policy a la carte." While foreign countries are accused of protecting terrorists, the United States provides them with shelter in its territory. "No country in the world should act as judge of others," he added.

05 - 17 - 06

CUBAN DICTATOR FIDEL CASTRO SAYS HE'LL RESIGN THE DAY CRITICS PROVE HE HAS MONEY IN FOREIGN ACCOUNTS

       HAVANA, CUBA  --  Cuban dictator Fidel Castro said he'll resign the day critics prove he has money in foreign accounts, in a special television appearance to rebut a Forbes magazine report naming him one of the world's wealthiest rulers. The 79-year-old dictator said Monday on the communist government's daily public affairs program Mesa Redonda, or "Round Table," that he has showed throughout his life that he's uninterested in material possessions.

    "Why would I want money, especially now that I'm going to be 80 years old?" Castro said. "Why would I want money now, if I never wanted it before?" He called the report "rubbish," saying "all this makes me sick." "I've been listening to this wickedness for nearly half a century - I don't pay much attention," said Castro, dressed in his trademark olive green military uniform. "Neither lies nor slander are worth anything." Yet later on the program, which lasted four-and-a-half hours, Castro pounded the table emotionally, saying, "If they can prove I have an account abroad ... containing even one dollar I will resign my post."

U.S. GOVERNMENT BANS WEAPONS SALES TO VENEZUELA

     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Bush administration has banned all U.S. weapons sales to Venezuela because President Hugo Chávez has allegedly stopped cooperating on counter-terrorism programs, maintained close ties with Cuba and Iran and done too little against Colombian guerrilla groups that operate within its borders.

    ''This a step we undertake with enormous reluctance,'' Thomas Shannon, the assistant secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, said Monday. He added that the decision came after ''years'' of failed attempts to develop better ties in areas like energy and counter-drug and terrorism activities. “Venezuela has a relationship with Cuba and Iran, two state sponsors of terrorism that we find worrisome, especially in terms of intelligence liaison relationships.'' Those ties ''limited our ability to conduct certain actions in the region focusing on terrorist organizations,'' Shannon noted.

HUGO CHAVEZ DERIDES U.S. BAN ON WEAPONS SALES

     LONDon, ENGLAND  --  Hugo Chávez Tuesday labeled as "imperial abuse" the United States decision to prohibit the sales of US weapons to Venezuela. Hostilities between the two nations grew worse following Chávez' statements to BBC during his visit to London that US is "an impotent empire." He said he would disregard the prohibition.

     "The North American empire is becoming a paper tiger," the Venezuelan ruler said. "If the empire is actually taking actions against us, first, they are ratifying their imperial abuse and despair, and second we are not attaching importance to this. They are an impotent empire," Chávez asserted. Venezuela ensures it is fighting guerrillas, particularly rebel groups in the Andean region, but Monday Washington claimed Caracas is not cooperating with the US war on terrorism.

CUBAN migrants RETURNED TO THE ISLAND AFTER REACHING FLORIDA BRIDGE FRUSTRATED WAITING FOR THEIR GOVERNMENT APPROVAL

       HAVANA, CUBA  --  A group of Cuban migrants sent home after reaching an abandoned bridge in the Florida Keys said Monday they are becoming frustrated waiting for final Cuban government approval to leave for good. Members of the group were traveling from the central province of Matanzas where they live to Havana, where they will seek an appointment early Tuesday morning at the U.S. Interests Section, migrant Ernesto Hernandez said by telephone.

    "It has been 48 days, we have the U.S. visa, we have passports," said Hernandez. He said all they lack now is the "white card," the exit permit that Cubans must get from the communist-run government to leave the island. The 14 members of the group applied for the exit permits about six weeks ago at Cuba's migration office in Matanzas Province. Hernandez said the approval process generally takes 15 days.

    In the meantime, said Hernandez, group members have quit their jobs as instructed by Cuban authorities in preparation for their migration to the United States. They have even turned in their monthly food ration cards. "But we remain without a response from the Cuban side," he said. Hernandez said they decided to travel to Havana to make sure American officials knew they were still awaiting final Cuban government approval.

05 - 16 - 06

PRESIDENT BUSH TO CALL ON 6,000 GUARDSMEN TO BOLSTER  BORDER SECURITY

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  President Bush is sending 6,000 thousand National Guard troops to bolster patrols along the Mexican border, a move designed to win support for immigration reform from get-tough conservatives in his party. Bush, in a speech to the nation Monday, is proposing to use the troops in a supportive role to the Border Patrol while it builds up its resources to more effectively secure the 2,000-mile line between the U.S. and Mexico, White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

    Snow said the effort would use only "a very small percentage of the Guard," which numbers about 400,000 members around the country. White House officials say it would involve fewer than 10,000 Guardmen. In a signal of the high stakes on the issue, Bush was to make the announcement at 8 p.m. EDT, in a rare prime-time speech from the Oval Office. He planned to follow up the address with a visit Thursday to the border, in Yuma, Ariz., to further press his case.

    The broadcast networks ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and the cable networks Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC planned live coverage of the speech, set to run less than 20 minutes. Though some Republicans defended Bush's plan, others on both sides of the aisle expressed concern about overextending a National Guard force that is already tied up in Iraq and must be at the ready for disaster relief.

ALAN GARCIA: CHAVEZ INTENDS TO DOMINATE SOUTH AMERICA

     LIMA, PERU  --  Former Peruvian President and current presidential candidate Alan García warned that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has launched a strategy to dominate South America, by supporting a number of presidential hopefuls in the region. "A strategy to dominate South American countries is under way based on Venezuelan oil, the political model of Mr. Chávez, who in some countries uses his active and verbal support for some candidates as an instrument," García told radio station RPP.

    In García's view, Chávez' political model "can only take us to a violent setback in the possibility to join world markets and the possibility to build important works such as the Inter-oceanic way." He also rejected the fact that Bolivian ruler Evo Morales branded the salutation of his Peruvian counterpart Alejandro Toledo during a summit in Vienna over the weekend as "part of a buffoonery," AP reported.

    "Both Chávez and Morales commonly use exaggerated terms at all times just to draw the attention," García added.

HUGO CHAVEZ DENIES IRAN PLANS TO BUILD NUCLEAR BOMBS

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  -- Hugo Chávez Monday showed conviction that Iran is not building nuclear weapons and insisted that any attack against that country would push oil prices beyond USD 100 per barrel.

    "We do not think that any country has the capacity to ban nuclear energy. Unfortunately, Venezuela does not have nuclear energy. Brazil and Argentina are developing it. I am sure that Iran is not developing any atomic bomb or thinking about a war. They want peace, just like us," Chávez said in a joint news conference with London mayor Ken Livingstone, during the second day of his visit to the United Kingdom.

    Regarding a likely US military action against Iran to stop its controversial nuke program, Chávez said "the world should make every possible efforts to avoid the insanity of an attack against Iran." "Europe has a major role to play" in solving the Iranian crisis. Chávez also warned Washington: "If an attack is launched against Venezuela, forget about Venezuelan oil."

05 - 14 - 06

CONGRESSMAN LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART CONDEMNS NEW THREATS AGAINST  MARTHA BEATRIZ ROQUE AND REQUESTS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE CUBAN OPPOSITION LEADER

       MIAMI, FLORIDA  --  Congressman Lincoln Díaz-Balart (R-FL), upon receiving a copy of the letter sent by Martha Beatriz Roque to Amelia Rodríguez Cala concerning the new threats that the Cuban dictatorship has made against Martha Beatriz, and her possible incarceration, issued the following statement today:

    "It is condemnable that, in the same week that the United Nations, in an immoral manner votes to include the Cuban dictatorship in its new 'Commission on Human Rights', in an act of limitless cynicism and confirming the gangster-like nature of the Cuban regime, Martha Beatriz continues to be threatened by thugs of the dictatorship.

    I ask all the diplomats in Cuba and the members of the international press in Havana to visit Martha Beatriz and that they maintain a permanent presence outside of her home to monitor and denounce any new act of aggression against the Cuban opposition leader," concluded Díaz-Balart.      >>>  More

OLLANTA HUMALA ACCUSES HUGO CHAVEZ OF MEDDLING IN PERUVIAN AFFAIRS

     LIMA, PERU  -- The father of the Peruvian presidential candidate Ollanta Humala met with the leader of the pro-government Venezuelan Revolutionary Movement Tupamaro José Pinto, following the first electoral round in Peru, in order to define their "political guidelines."

    President Hugo Chávez' support is obviously making a serious damage to him (Humala)," the virtually elected congressman for Unión del Perú Daniel Abugattás conceded openly. Most Peruvians reject Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who has repeatedly expressed his support for Ollanta Humala and whom Lima accuses of interfering with Peruvian internal affairs, a survey showed.

    Sixty-one percent of 2,000 respondents nationwide in Peru said they had a negative image of the Venezuelan ruler, according to the survey conducted by pollster Apoyo. Bolivian opposition groups have voiced concern about the arrival of 675 Venezuelans in Bolivia in December-March, concomitantly with close links between La Paz and Caracas since the inauguration of President Evo Morales.

05 - 13 - 06

CUBAN EXILES, EXPERTS OPPOSE BILL TO DRILL FOR OIL IN CUBAN WATER

       MIAMI, FLORIDA  --  Cuban exile groups and petroleum experts on Friday criticized U.S. congressional bills that would allow American companies to sign deals with Cuba for offshore oil exploration, calling it an impractical, political ploy. The bills were sponsored by Republican lawmakers Jeff Flake and Larry Craig who are seeking to crack the U.S. embargo with Cuba. Craig maintains the prohibition on trade with Cuba "has accomplished just about zero" and introduced the legislation Thursday as gas prices continue to rise.

    Alfredo Mesa, executive director of the Cuban American National Foundation, called the proposal "more of the same." "Their only interests are economic interests in Cuba," he said, referring to those in favor of opening trade with the island. "They don't have any concerns for the human rights abuses in Cuba."

    U.S. companies are prohibited from doing business with communist Cuba under a 45-year-old embargo. But since the discovery of oil deposits off Cuba's northern coast two years ago, Spain has already begun oil drilling, and Canada and Norway have signed deals for exploration. Cuban authorities in February met with American oil executives in Mexico to discuss possible investment opportunities on the island should current U.S. restrictions be eased or eliminated. 

VP RANGEl calls peruvian president alejandro toledo "a tramp"

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA  -- Venezuelan Vice-President José Vicente Rangel called Friday Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo a "tramp, looser." Previously, Toledo had accused his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez of meddling in the hemisphere and using "his wallet of petrodollars to take over as the president of Latin America," Efe reported.

    "A tramp, a failed ruler like he (Toledo), cannot but have such an expression," Rangel said during the National Third Special Meeting of pro-government political Podemos party, held in Caracas Hilton Hotel. "Chávez' integration policy is not based on oil dollars, but it is the Bolivarian message of Latin American union," the official explained.

    Additionally, Rangel praised Marco Aurelio Garcia, the international advisor to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. "He conceded that there was absolutely nothing about what was said at the beginning." Garcia had denied that he criticized the influence of Chávez in Bolivia.

05 - 12 - 06

US PLEASED WITH UNITED NATIONS LEAVING OUT VENEZUELA

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  United States voiced Thursday satisfaction because the new United Nations Human Rights Council took out Venezuela and Iran, even though Cuba and other countries with a doubtful record on human rights are part of it, AFP reported.

    "While the Council as a whole is an enhancement over the former Human Rights Commission, a number of the elected members lack a true commitment to safeguard and promotion of human rights," US Department of State Spokesman Sean McCormack stated in a press release. Last Tuesday, through the secret vote of the 191 members of the UN General Assembly, countries such as Tunisia, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Cuba were elected to take part in the new body, despite being the traditional targets of human rights organizations.

     "At the same time, we are pleased that the international community decided not to elect some candidates with a very poor record of human rights, such as Iran and Venezuela," McCormack added.

VP RANGE: UNITED STATES NOT TO CLAIM THE MORAL HIGH GROUND

     CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  Vice-President José Vicente Rangel rebutted the remarks of US Department of State Spokesman Sean McComarck. "The United States should swallow its words, because it is not morally entitled to judge Venezuela in the area of human rights." McCormack had expressed his government satisfaction with the fact that Venezuela failed to join recently the new United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, after getting 101 votes. In his opinion, MacCormack is not qualified to speak of human rights.

    "It is a genocidal government that bombs unarmed cities, tortures people in prisons under its control, such as Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo. It is a government used to transfer with absolute impunity political prisoners from a country to another in Europe. In its own territory listens illegally to telephone calls and threatens the Hispanic community with enforcing a law, turning its members and employers into criminals."

PRESIDENTE CHÁVEZ DENIES CRISIS DUE TO NATIONALIZATION IN BOLIVIA

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  On arriving in Austria, where the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean Summit will be held, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez denied an energy crisis due to the nationalization of hydrocarbons in Bolivia. Additionally, he briefed on a new integration system -the Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas (ALBA.) "Rather than a proposal is an ongoing mechanism which is stinging the US Empire and its lackeys."

    With respect to the controversy resulting from Venezuela's withdrawal from the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), the ruler ratified continued relations with Colombia and Peru. "We made a great effort to save CAN, to re-launch it. There were seven years of fight. But CAN passed away when the United States executed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Colombia and Peru." In his opinion, the point is that Venezuela trusts in Mercosur and, most important, "Latin American integrity."

05 - 11 - 06

humala's wife: hugo chavez is loose-tongue

       LIMA, PERU  --  Nadine Heredia, the wife of Peruvian nationalist candidate Ollanta Humala, said Wednesday that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is loose-tongued and was annoyed at his comments on the electoral process in Peru, AP reported.

     "I am a bit annoyed. I can understand that Mr. Chávez is a plainsman in nature, he is loose-tongued, as it were, but I think it is enough. It seems to me that he realized it already," Heredia pointed out during an interview with TV channel Canal 9, targeted at housewives. Heredia's reaction seems to be a reply to the perception in Humala's party that the support voiced by Chávez and his railing on Alan García, Humala's challenger in the second round, has rather affected adversely the nationalist candidate.

    Chávez' intervention was countered in Peru and resulted in distant relations for considering that the Venezuelan president meddled in the Peruvian politics.

LULA REJECTS CHAVEZ' MEDDLING IN SOUTH AMERICA

       BRAZILIA, BRAZIL  --  Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez that his regional interferences are jeopardizing both integration and a project to build a South American gas pipeline, Tuesday said the Brazilian Foreign Affairs minister Celso Amorim before the Congress. Amorim's remarks came during a hearing before the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the consequences for Brazil of Bolivia recent move to nationalize its hydrocarbons.

    A large portion of the hearing focused on Chávez' influence and role in South America. Several senators lashed out at Chávez' presence in a quadrilateral presidential summit held last week in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. During the meeting of the presidents of Argentina, Néstor Kirchner; Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Bolivia, Evo Morales, and Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, they addressed the issue of energy security following nationalization of Bolivian huge gas resources on May 1st, Efe reported.

     Amorim justified Chávez' presence at the meeting as necessary for South American energy integration. "But yes, President Chávez was advised of our discomfort and the personal discomfort of President Lula for some of his (Chávez') actions," the Brazilian diplomat explained. Some senators hinted that Chávez is trying to use state oil giant Pdvsa to train Bolivian staff who are then going to operate oil and gas facilities the Brazilian state oil firm Petrobras owns in Bolivia.

VENEZUELAN FOREIGN MINISTER SURPRISED AT LULA'S REMARKS

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry was taken by surprise by the remarks of Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorín at the Parliament, and of presidential counsel Marco Aurelio García.

     In a press release, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry labeled as disrespect the fact that the Brazilian officials echoed the "reactionary media" concerning the alleged influence of Chávez on the decision of his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales to nationalize hydrocarbons.

    Additionally, the Ministry regretted criticism of the involvement of state oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) staff in Bolivia to provide technical assistance upon request, and denied a Brazilian protest against Venezuela.

The Ministry emphasized that in the Puerto Iguazú Declaration, the Presidents of Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela undertook to foster joint investment in order to favor Bolivia´s comprehensive development. "For such lofty purpose, and nothing else, the involvement of Pdvsa officials in Bolivia can be explained," the communiqué stated.

US AMBASSADORS THINK THAT MONEY EMPOWERS PRESIDENT CHAVEZ

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  IAMI, FLORIDA  --  US Ambassadors think that money empowers President Chávez Nominee US ambassadors to Argentina, Guyana and Suriname agreed on Wednesday on saying that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has a high profile, but not necessarily influence, in those countries due to his economic power.

    The remarks were made during a confirmation visit at the US Senate presided over by Senator Norm Coleman, of the External Affairs Committee. Coleman asked for their opinion on how they expected to find the countries appointed with regard to the efforts made by Chávez towards hemispheric leadership. Earl Anthony Wayne, proposed by President George W. Bush as ambassador to Argentina, made reference to a facility of economic cooperation with Venezuela.

    He noted that Venezuela has bought almost USD 2.8 billion in Argentinean debt, bilateral trade grew last year and progress has been made concerning the Venezuelan request to join Mercosur.

05 - 10 - 06

SEVERAL U.S. SENATORS BLASTED THE ATTACK ON CUBAN DISSIDENT MARTHA BEATRIZ ROQUE AND DEMANDED CUBA ALLOWS ITS CITIZENS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  Several U.S. senators -- including two who are considering running for president -- on Monday condemned Cuba for the ''beating and intimidation'' of well-known Cuban dissident Martha Beatriz Roque in late April. U.S. senators Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Bill Nelson of Florida led the charge to introduce a resolution Monday blasting the attack on Roque and demanding that Cuba allow its citizens to exercise their rights.

    Also listed as co-sponsors are potential presidential candidates Democrat Joseph Biden and Republican John McCain. ''The Senate condemns the brutality of the regime of Fidel Castro toward Martha Beatriz Roque, a 61-year-old woman in frail health,'' the resolution reads. It also says the Senate “calls on the regime of Cuba to release the hundreds of political prisoners still held today and to stop the intimidation of dissidents and their families.''

    Roque was leaving her Havana home April 25 to meet with Michael Parmly, head of the U.S. Interests Section, when a mob of Cuban government supporters swarmed her, knocked her down, punched her and dragged her. During a call to a Miami radio station after the incident, Roque made an emotional plea for international support. ''They kicked me, a strong young man punched me in the eye with his fist,'' she said. “I thought my eye had popped out. They knocked me down and dragged me . . . The world must know this. To my brothers and sisters in Miami, please let the world know.''      >>>  More

VENEZUELA OIL MINISTER SEES NO OUTPUT HIKE AT UPCOMING OPEC MEETING  

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  OPEC is not likely to decide on an oil production hike at its next meeting in Venezuela because the group has little additional capacity it can summon, Venezuela's oil minister said Monday. Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez made the remark about the June 1 meeting in Caracas when asked if OPEC would increase production in an attempt to lower world oil prices.

    "We are not expecting it," Ramirez said during a television interview. "There is not much OPEC can do." The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will "continue reviewing the oil market and our joint policies," at the meeting, Ramirez said. Venezuela is one of the strongest price hawks in OPEC, consistently arguing to control oil production to defend high prices.

05 - 09 - 06

PRESIDENT BUSH CHOOSES AIR FORCE GENERAL TO BE NEW SPY AGENCY CHIEF

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  President George W. Bush's nomination of Gen. Michael Hayden to serve as the next CIA chief ignited a confirmation fight Monday over the intelligence veteran's ties to the controversial telephone monitoring program and his ability to be independent from the military establishment. With Hayden at his side, Bush called on senators to promptly approve the former National Security Agency head, who one year ago was confirmed unanimously to be the first deputy director of national intelligence.

    "Mike Hayden is supremely qualified for this position," Bush said in the Oval Office. Without directly mentioning Hayden's critics, the president added, "He knows the intelligence community from the ground up." CIA Director Porter Goss announced his resignation last week after tussling with Hayden and his boss, National Intelligence Director John Negroponte, about the agency's autonomy and direction.

    Even before Hayden's nomination became official, Republican and Democratic lawmakers questioned whether he was the right choice to head the Central Intelligence Agency. Hayden is credited with designing the NSA's warrantless telephone surveillance program, and its disclosure late last year sparked an intense civil-liberties debate over whether the president can order the monitoring of international calls and e-mails on U.S. soil - without a court warrant.

HUGO CHÁVEZ: U.S. FLEET WON'T SCARE US

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  Hugo Chavez said Sunday that the presence of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Caribbean Sea wouldn't scare Venezuelans, who are preparing to repel a possible U.S. invasion by training to fight a guerrilla-style resistance. "They can pass through the Caribbean with whatever fleet they want, they are no going to threaten us, they are not going to scare us," Chavez said during his weekly television and radio program. "We don't fear the empire."

    The USS George Washington, a nearly 1,100-foot (330-meter) Nimitz-class carrier, was roughly 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of the Caribbean island of Curacao on Saturday as part of navel exercises in the region. Chavez, a former army lieutenant colonel and outspoken critic of U.S. President George W. Bush, has frequently warned that the United States could invade to seize control of this South American nation's immense oil and natural gas reserves.

    Chavez has called on his countrymen to prepare for a conflict by learning to use a firearm and joining the nation's military reserve. He has also accused the U.S. military of trying to threaten Venezuela with naval exercises it is holding in the Caribbean this month. U.S. officials have scoffed at the Venezuelan leader's allegations that Washington is plotting to overthrow his leftist government.

CAPTAIN OF U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIER SAYS VENEZUELA WELCOME TO JOIN IN CARIBBEAN EXERCISES

       ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON  --  The captain of a U.S. aircraft carrier leading a two-month deployment to the Caribbean said Venezuela, whose leader said the naval exercises were intended as a threat, was welcome to participate in an operation designed to strengthen ties with regional allies.

    Capt. Garry White of USS George Washington, a nearly 1,100-foot (330-meter) Nimitz-class carrier that was sailing roughly 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of the Caribbean island of Curacao on Saturday, said the exercises were intended to "promote peace and stability" in the region. "I hope that Venezuela will come out and participate with us," White said aboard the carrier. "But if they don't they're certainly welcome and we hope that we'll be able to have stronger ties with them and every other country in the region in the future."

    "We're not here to focus on any single country, be it Venezuela or any others," White said. "We're here to promote peace and stability in this region." The operation, called "Partnership of the Americas," is being directed by the Florida-based U.S. Southern Command and involves about 6,500 American sailors. The U.S. dispatched the USS George Washington and its group to the Caribbean in April for the exercises focusing in part on drug and human trafficking. Other stops include Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Maarten and Aruba.

05 - 08 - 06

IRAN THREATENS TO QUIT NUCLEAR TREATY

       TEHRAN, IRAN  -- Iran's hard-line parliament Sunday threatened to pass legislation that would force the government to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The move, which would put Iran in company with North Korea, came as Washington and its allies pressed for a U.N. Security Council vote to outlaw Tehran's uranium enrichment program.

     In a letter to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan read on state-run radio, lawmakers said they would have "no option" but to ask the government to withdraw if the U.N. chief and the Security Council "fail in their crucial responsibility to resolve differences peacefully." While the Iranians used the word "peacefully," they were widely seen as referring to a diplomatic solution, short of a Security Council vote and possible sanctions.

    The U.S. is backing attempts by Britain and France to draw up a U.N. resolution that would declare Iran in violation of international law if it does not suspend uranium enrichment - a process that can produce fuel for nuclear reactors to generate electricity or, if sufficiently processed, to make atomic weapons. The Western nations want to invoke Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter that would allow economic sanctions or military action, if necessary, to force Iran's compliance. Russia and China, the other two Security Council members - all of whom have veto power - oppose such moves.

HUGO CHAVEZ SAYS HE MAY SEEK 'INDEFINITE' RE-ELECTION IF OPPOSITION BOYCOTTS VOTE 

       CARACAS, VENEZUELA  --  Hugo Chavez said he could seek "indefinite" re-election through a referendum if the opposition boycotts upcoming presidential elections. Chavez made the remark late Friday, saying if the opposition pulls out of the Dec. 3 vote or makes false claims of electoral fraud to the Organization of American States, "I would call a national referendum to have the people decide if I can continue here indefinitely or if I have to go after six years in 2014."

    Venezuela's constitution allows a president to be re-elected only once in immediate succession. That limit would give Chavez six more years in office if he is re-elected. Chavez, giving a speech in the central state of Lara, said he would ask the nation "if I can or cannot continue presenting my name" in subsequent elections. Polls indicate Chavez is likely to win the elections, and international observers have signed off on recent votes as fair.

    But some opposition members have questioned the recent selection of new directors for the country's electoral council, claiming they are government sympathizers and cannot be trusted. Chavez rejected those charges, saying he knew none of the newly elected members, and accused the opposition of "throwing stones at the arbiter" because they face a certain loss. "Play fairly and legally," he said.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD H. RUMSFELD APPOINTS AN ADMIRAL AS THE NEW SOUTH COMMAND COMMANDER

       MIAMI, FLORIDA  --  Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld is dispatching to Miami another senior aide -- for the first time ever, a Navy admiral -- to run military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Pentagon announced late yesterday that Navy Vice Adm. James G. Stavridis has been selected for a fourth star and the job of commander for the Southern Command -- the Pentagon's Miami-based headquarters for most Latin American military operations.

    He replaces Army Gen. Bantz Craddock, who became Southcom chief in November 2004 after doing the same job Stavridis has now -- senior military assistant to the secretary of defense. No timetable has been set for the change of command. A Southcom spokesman, Army Col. Bill Costello, said Stavridis would first need to undergo Senate confirmation.

    The admiral's Navy biography says Stavridis, an Atlantic Beach, Fla., native, is a 1976 naval academy graduate. From August 2002 until May 2004 he commanded the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group in the Arabian Gulf -- which had a seaborne role in U.S. military operations in Iraq. It was unclear this morning what job Craddock would get next. He is a 35-year career Army officer.  >>> More

05 - 07 - 06

14 CONGRESSMEN join senator bill nelson bid to bar cuban oil research off keys 

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  With efforts to open Florida's coast to energy exploration gaining momentum, more Florida lawmakers are turning their sights south, filing legislation aimed at blocking Cuba from drilling for oil near the Florida Keys. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Miami Republican, and 14 other House members -- 11 of them from Florida -- Friday joined in introducing a bill that would deny visas to any employees of a company or entity that ``contributes to the development of Cuba's oil-exploration program.''

    Their bill, a companion to Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson's Senate bill filed earlier, would also impose sanctions on any individuals -- or companies -- who invest $1 million or more to help Cuba develop its oil and natural gas resources. ''My colleagues and I have been working tirelessly to prevent our own companies from ruining Florida's pristine beaches and delicate ecosystem by exploring and drilling for oil off our coast,'' Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement. “To now have this murderous and totalitarian regime say it wants to drill just 45 miles from Key West is beyond the pale and totally unacceptable.''

    Her co-sponsors include U.S. Reps. Lincoln Díaz-Balart and Mario Díaz-Balart, both Miami Republicans; Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale; Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, and Mark Foley, R-Palm Beach County; Katherine Harris, a Senate candidate, and Jim Davis, a Democratic candidate for governor. Ros-Lehtinen suggested the congressional measures could create enough uncertainty among the foreign companies to affect Cuba's nascent energy exploration program. ''This could have a chilling effect on anyone who wants to have further entanglements with Castro,'' she said.

COLOMBIAN AUTHORITIES BLAME FARC REBELS IN KILLING OF FORMER PRESIDENT'S SISTER

     BOGOTA, COLOMBIA  -- Colombian authorities on Friday said they had evidence that the country's largest rebel group was behind last week's murder of former president Cesar Gaviria's sister. "It is clearly established that this was masterminded by the FARC," the director of the national police, Gen. Jorge Castro told a news conference, referring to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

    Authorities said four men and one women allegedly linked to the FARC were responsible for the killing. Liliana Gaviria, 52, was killed on April 27 as she returned to her home in the western city of Pereira, 175 kilometers (110 miles) west of Bogota in the country's coffee-growing region. Authorities had speculated the assailants killed Gaviria in a botched kidnapping. Her bodyguard was also killed in the assault.

    The FARC has in the past targeted prominent figures for kidnapping in an effort to force the government to release their imprisoned comrades. The group holds some 60 politicians, high-ranking military officials and three U.S. defense contractors who it says it will release in exchange for some 500 incarcerated members of the FARC, including two now sitting in American jails.

05 - 06 - 06

CIA DIRECTOR PORTER GOSS UNEXPECTEDLY RESIGNS

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  Director Porter Goss resigned FRIDAY unexpectedly, nudged from the helm of a spy agency still reeling from intelligence failures before America's worst terrorist attack and faulty information that formed the U.S. rationale for invading Iraq. The decision was the latest in a series of moves by President Bush to shake up his team and reinvigorate his second term. A successor to Goss could come as early as Monday, a senior administration official said.

    Making the announcement from the Oval Office, Bush said Goss' tenure had been one of transition. "He has led ably," Bush said, Goss at his side. "He has a five-year plan to increase the analysts and operatives." Goss said the trust, confidence and latitude that Bush placed in him "is something I could have never imagined." "I believe the agency is on a very even keel, sailing well," Goss said. "I honestly believe that we have improved dramatically."

    The president said Goss' replacement would continue his reforms. "As a result, this country will be more secure," Bush said. "We've got to win the war on terror, and the Central Intelligence Agency is a vital part of the war. So I thank you for your service." When Bush nominated Goss in August 2004, in the midst of the president's re-election campaign, he said he would rely on the advice of the CIA officer-turned-politician on the sensitive issue of intelligence reform. "He knows the CIA inside and out," Bush said at the time. "He's the right man to lead this important agency at this critical moment in our nation's history."

US REPRESENTATIVE CONNIE MACK REGRETS "SOCIALIST AXIS" 

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  Republican Representative Connie Mack, for Florida, denounced Thursday at the Congress the "socialist axis" composed of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia against US interests. During his speech at the House of Representatives, Mack, a member of the External Relations Committee, showed Chávez as one of the biggest enemies of freedom in the world and warned against the effects of recent nationalization of hydrocarbons in Bolivia.

    "This step consolidates the role of (Bolivian President) Evo Morales, along with (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chávez and (Cuban ruler) Fidel Castro in the new Latin American socialist axis against the interests of the United States and free people everywhere," the Republican said, as quoted by AFP.

    "Do not cheat yourselves -the images of soldiers with automatic weapons outside of refineries and gas fields remind us of past military dictatorships. No nation with an economy under the state control can prosper," he admonished.

05 - 05 - 06

LULA, KIRCHNER AND CHAVEZ STRONGLY BACK  BOLIVIA'S NATIONALIZATION OF HYDROCARBONS

       PUERTO IGUAZU, ARGENTINA  -- The presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela ended Thursday afternoon a meeting to discuss the impact of the nationalization of Bolivian hydrocarbons. "It has been an extraordinary meeting," Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez succinctly told reporters on leaving the gathering with his counterparts Argentinian Néstor Kirchner, Bolivian Evo Morales and Brazilian Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

    Official sources confirmed that, following the luncheon, the four heads of state would deliver a press conference, and Foreign Ministers would draft a joint statement. Before the meeting, Chávez acknowledged tensions by Morales' decision to nationalize hydrocarbons, Efe quoted.

    The Venezuelan ruler hinted that the United States fueled strain by saying that "they come from the North to prevent further Latin American union." The Bolivian decision affects adversely the interests of major oil companies, such as Brazilian Petrobras and Spanish Repsol, among others, that have large investments and significant business in the Andean nation.

PERU COMPLAINS OF HUGO CHAVEZ' MEDDLING AT THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  In a boisterous meeting at the Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council, Peru filed a complaint Wednesday against meddling of the Venezuelan Government in Peruvian elections. Venezuelan Ambassador Jorge Valero did not deny the charges and defended the legitimate right to "answer to attacks."

    "My delegation denounces the improper, questionable interference of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela in the exclusive business of Peru, such as democratic, free election of national political authorities," Peruvian Ambassador to OAS Fernando de la Flor said.

    In reply, Valero listed a large number of remarks by Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo and candidate Alan García. The session reached its climax when Chair John Ellsworth, of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, overruled the Peruvian request to disseminate a video of Chávez as evidence, according to de la Flor.

HUGO CHAVEZ RECALLS HIS AMBASSADOR TO PERU 

     LA PAZ, BOLIVIA  --  Hugo Chavez says he will recall his ambassador to Peru in reaction to that country's decision to recall its ambassador to Venezuela in a spat over Chavez's comments over Peru's election, according to the Bolivian government news agency.

    "I have ordered the recall of our ambassador with much pain," Chavez said, according to the ABI news agency in Bolivia, where he was visiting President Evo Morales. "I don't believe it should have come to this, because a candidate there (in Peru) launched an aggression at me and I responded; I have the right," Chavez said Wednesday, referring to Peruvian presidential candidate Alan Garcia.

    Garcia described Chavez and Bolivian President Evo Morales as "spoiled children" and "historic losers" after they criticized Peru for signing a free trade deal with Washington. Last week, Chavez described Garcia and current Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo as "crocodiles from the same water hole" - the remark which prompted Peru to remove its ambassador from Caracas.

05 - 04 - 06

PLANE CRASHES OFF RUSSIA'S BLACK SEA COAST, KILLING 113

       ALDER, RUSSIA  -- An Armenian passenger plane crashed in stormy weather Wednesday off Russia's Black Sea coast as it was heading for a landing, killing all 113 people on board -- most of them Armenians. The Airbus A-320, which belonged to the Armenian airline Armavia, disappeared from radar screens about four miles from shore and crashed after making a turn toward the Adler airport near the southern Russian city of Sochi, emergency official Viktor Beltsov said.

    Officials said all 113 people aboard the plane, including six children, were killed. Armenian airline officials said they believed the crash was due to the weather. Investigators did not believe terrorism was a factor. The crash occurred early Wednesday during a flight from the Armenian capital of Yerevan to Sochi, a resort city on the Black Sea about 350 miles away.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared Friday a day of mourning in both countries, the Kremlin said. The plane with 105 passengers and eight crew members disappeared from radar at about 2:15 a.m. local time, Beltsov said. He said the plane went down while trying to make a repeat attempt at an emergency landing, but the Interfax news agency quoted the Russian air control agency as saying that the plane's crew had not declared any emergency.

POLL SHOWS MEXICAN CANDIDATE CALDERON AHEAD OF LEFTIST LOPEZ OBRADOR

       MEXICO, MEXICO  --  An opinion poll published Tuesday by Mexico's Milenio newspaper showed the ruling party presidential candidate, Felipe Calderon, moving ahead of his leftist rival, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

    Milenio said the poll, conducted April 26-29, showed Calderon of the ruling National Action Party, or PAN, with 36% of voter support, compared with 33% for Lopez Obrador of the left-wing Democratic Revolutionary Party, or PRD. The poll put Roberto Madrazo of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, in third place with 28%.

    The survey was based on 1,500 interviews and had a margin of error of plus-or- minus 2.6%. Other polls have also shown Calderon gaining ground on Lopez Obrador in the past two months, with several showing Calderon in the lead. Milenio's March survey showed Lopez Obrador ahead with 34% of voter support, while both Calderon and Madrazo had 31%. Elections are scheduled for July 2 to choose a successor to President Vicente Fox, whose six-year term ends Dec. 1.

THREE MEXICANS SENTENCED IN CUBA TO TEN YEARS FOR MIGRANT SMUGGLING

     HAVANA, CUBA  --  A Cuban court has convicted three Mexican fishermen of migrant smuggling and sentenced them to 10 years in prison, the Mexican Embassy in Havana confirmed Tuesday. Mexican diplomats were informed over the long May Day weekend of the sentences imposed late Friday by the tribunal in the central Cuban province of Cienfuegos, the embassy said in a statement.

    The statement said Juan Ramon Barco Rivero, Luis Nicolas Chan Campos and Johnny Enrique Fuentes Koyoc will appeal the ruling. Two Cubans were tried alongside the three Mexicans. All five were arrested in Cienfuegos in May 2005. Their one-day trial was held April 12 amid a crackdown on migrant smuggling by authorities in the communist island nation.

    Prosecutors said the defendants attempted to smuggle 17 people, including four children, to Mexico. The Mexicans denied the charges, saying they stopped in Cuba because their boat's engine was damaged in a storm. Cuban authorities say migrant smuggling is a growing problem on the island and a lucrative business for traffickers who charge as much as US$10,000 (7,900) per person. They allege that some smugglers operate from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula with the protection of immigration officials there.

05 - 03 - 06

SECRETARY RICE: CHAVEZ INSISTS IN HAVING BAD RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice Sunday regretted the fact that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is seeking bad relations with the United States, and made a reference to Chávez' remarks against his US counterpart George W. Bush and a recent attack by pro-government groups against US ambassador William Brownfield.

    "We do not intend to have poor relations with Venezuela. We have had good relations historically," said the US diplomat. "But apparently, the Venezuelan Government is making a great deal of effort to ensure bad bilateral relations, unfortunately," she added when asked about growing anti-Americanism in Latin America. "When you do the sort of things they made to our ambassador; when you say this sort of things about the President of the United States, then it is hard to have good relations," Rice claimed.

     US ambassador to Venezuela William Brownfield was attacked last April 7th by pro-government demonstrators that threw eggs and tomatoes at his vehicle when he left a school where he was making a donation of sports goods. Rice stressed that the US is not the only country having tense relations with Venezuela. "Apparently, the Peruvian Government is not very pleased with (Chávez) interferences in Peru electoral affairs.

CHAVEZ, MORALES ADVOCATE "ANTI-IMPERIALIST" COMMUNITY 

       HAVANA, CUBA  -- Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales proposed in Havana to recreate the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and rename it "Anti-Imperialist Community." Bolivia could follow the steps of Venezuela and leave CAN because some of its members, i.e., Colombia and Peru, entered into Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with the United States.

"This morning, I told my fellow Chávez that CAN should be recreated. I even proposed a name -Anti-Imperialist Community of Nations," Morales said during the execution of a number of agreements with Chávez and Cuban ruler Fidel Castro. The three presidents signed last Saturday in Havana what they viewed as a step towards consolidation of the Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas (ALBA) -the Peoples' Trade Agreement (TCP.)

ALAN GARCIA IS CERTAIN THAT PRESIDENT CHAVEZ IS FINANCING HUMALA PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

     LIMA, PERU  -- Peruvian Social-Democrat candidate for president Alan García claimed Monday that his rival in the election second round, Nationalist Ollanta Humala, is getting funding from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, and promised to win the polls regardless of meddling by the Venezuelan ruler in the campaign.

    Humala "has made an agreement with Chávez," he told Radio Programas del Perú (RPP). The candidate urged the Peruvian Government "to investigate through the immigration division how many Venezuelans have entered Peru recently." García promised that, in the event of winning the election, he would not break relations. "We are not planning to declare a diplomatic war against Venezuela or Venezuelans."

BRAZILIAN SECTORS REJECT CHAVEZ' INFLUENCE IN BOLIVIA

       BRAZILIA, BRAZIL  -- Brazilian industrialists and other sectors criticized Venezuelan ruler Hugo Chávez influence both in Bolivia and in the Brazilian diplomatic strategy, following Evo Morales move to nationalize Bolivian hydrocarbons. "Undoubtedly, this nationalist populism in Bolivia is inspired and supported by the Venezuelan President. There is no doubt that there is coordination. Over the weekend, we saw Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba initial a 'people's trade agreement' in Cuba," said Rubens Barbosa, a top leader of the Brazilian Federation of Industries of Sao Paulo (Fiesp.)

    "The irony here is that Brazil not only invited Venezuela to join the Southern Common Market, but it also invited Evo Morales," Barbosa told radio station CBN. Bolivia move to nationalize gas directly affects both Brazilian state oil firm Petrobras and gas consumption in Brazil, a country that is highly dependent on Bolivian gas.

    "Brazil, as the largest consumer of Bolivian gas, should multiply pressures for Morales to make exceptions in his extremist policy," Folha de Sao Paulo said in its editorial. "Morales is another one embracing Hugo Chávez' populist nationalism," the newspaper added. Criticisms come concomitantly with negotiations among Brazil, a champion of regional integration, Argentina and Venezuela to build a giant gas pipeline in South America.

05 - 02 - 06

CUSTOMS INSPECTORS SHAKE DOWN CUBAN VISITORS

       HAVANA, CUBA  --  Cubans who live abroad arriving at Havana's international airport are the preferred target of customs inspectors who solicit bribes to smooth their way.

    The scam usually takes one of two forms. In the first, the inspector will search the visitor's luggage until he or she finds some item whose legality is doubtful, and then in a melodious voice will ask: You wouldn't have a present for us, would you? The going rate is said to be no less than 40 dollars. The second is more subtle; the inspector winks at an unsuspecting visitor who's getting ready to leave the terminal, approaches him or her and asks for a payment of 200 dollars to overlook certain irregularities in, say, the excess weight of the passenger's belongings.

    Should the visitor not prove cooperative, the inspector may call in a policeman to search again for suspected illegal articles being brought into the country. In spite of continuing campaigns by the government to erradicate corruption and the number of inspectors fired, extortion of visiting Cubans goes on over their frequent complaints.

ALAN GARCIA FIRES BACK; COMPARES CHAVEZ WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN

       LIMA, PERU  --  Peruvian candidate for President Alan García compared Sunday Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez with ex Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein and ascribed him a double moral with regard to the United States. "He is a meddler who is breaking fundamental international principles. What does he think he is? Is he a Saddam Hussein who, because of having oil can take ownership of other countries?" García commented based on Chávez' support of Nationalist candidate Ollanta Humala.

    Additionally, Social-Democrat García called Chávez "corrupt and alcoholic" in a new round in the clash following Venezuela's decision to leave the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) a week ago, AFP reported. "I am not afraid of Chávez. I am not a Venezuelan conscript," García emphasized.

   García, who was the Peruvian President from 1985 to 1990 and a friend of ex Venezuelan President Carlos Andrés Pérez, a major political opponent of Chávez, stated, "I will not make further remarks. I will not waste more time with you, Mr. Chávez."

PRESIDENT TOLEDO ASKS CHAVEZ TO LEARN TO RULE IN DEMOCRACY

       LIMA, PERU --  Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo recommended his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez on Sunday night to learn to rule in democracy in order to consolidate true Latin American integration. "Please, learn to rule in democracy, learn to work with us, who have our arms wide open to integrate Latin America, not to disturb it with a checkbook," he admonished.

   "Latin America cannot fall in the trap of easy populism, based on a checkbook in the pocket of petrodollars because of oil high prices." Also, the Peruvian President warned Chávez again "not to meddle in" his country internal affairs, but he expected to meet with him next May 12th, in Vienna, and have a coffee together.

    "I hope that his statements have been just a human rapture and that we can meet on May 12th in Vienna, talk and have a coffee. However, the decision has been made," he said in reference to his government action to recall the Peruvian ambassador to Venezuela. A meeting will be held in the Austrian capital city between Latin American and European Union countries for the purposes of a Free Trade Agreement.

COLOMBIA WILL NOT TAKE PART IN VENEZUELA-PERU CONFLICT

     BOGOTA, COLOMBIA  --  The Colombian Government will not intervene in ongoing hemispheric conflicts or join the polarization between the left and rightwing, President Álvaro Uribe said Sunday in reference to a recent confrontation between Caracas and Lima.

    Day by day "a quarrel is picked in the hemisphere," the ruler said, and added that his country cannot get involved or be marked by obsolete ideological divisions. Division can damage everybody; therefore, much prudence must be exerted, he said. "Today, Latin America is bound to the democratic rule and has left divisions behind. Divisions were valid to counter dictatorships, but are not effective anymore in the face of democracy," he underscored.

ORTEGA PREPARED TO JOIN ALBA IN CASE OF WINNING NICARAGUAN ELECTIONS

       MANAGUA, NICARAGUA  --  Former Nicaraguan President and Sandinist presidential candidate Daniel Ortega vowed that in the event of winning the elections next November 5th, Nicaragua would join the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), composed of Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia. "Unquestionably, we should look southwards, we should seek integration; and ALBA is an open door, it is Latin American and Caribbean integration," Ortega told AFP in Havana.

    The leader of the Sandinist Front for National Liberation (FSLN) noted that Nicaraguan mayors of the leftwing group have signed agreements within the framework of ALBA, an initiative contrary to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) prompted by Washington. "Definitely, joining ALBA is an item in our agenda," he added. Last weekend, Ortega attended a summit in Cuba with the participation of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, Evo Morales of Bolivia and Cuban ruler Fidel Castro.

05 - 01 - 06

SECRETARY RICE SAYS IRAN PLAYING GAMES WITH OFFER 

       WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  The SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE rejects Iran's offer to allow a watchdog agency to inspect the country's nuclear facilities and will press ahead for U.N. penalties against Tehran. "They've had plenty of time to cooperate. I think they're playing games," Rice said.

    Rice said the offer to resume IAEA inspections suggests the Iranians "are indeed somewhat concerned" about actions the Security Council might take to further isolate Iran. Regardless, Rice said the U.S. probably would seek a U.N. resolution that would require Iran to comply with demands that it stop enriching uranium. Rice mentioned a resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which means it can be enforced through penalties or military action.

    "The international community's credibility is at stake here," she told ABC's "This Week." "And we have a choice, too. We can either mean what we say, when we say that Iran must comply, or we can continue to allow Iran to defy." While the U.S. and its European allies are pushing for possible penalties, Russia and China -- veto-wielding Security Council members -- have opposed the idea.

CUBA, BOLIVIA, VENEZUELA REJECT U.S. TRADE PLAN 

       HAVANA, CUBA  --   Bolivia's new left-leaning president signed a pact with Cuba and Venezuela on Saturday rejecting U.S.-backed free trade and promising a socialist version of regional commerce and cooperation. Cuban authorities did not release copies of the so-called Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas signed by Bolivia's Evo Morales, so its contents were unclear.

    Local media reported that it had the same language as the declaration signed last year by Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, which contained much leftist rhetoric, and few specifics, but was followed by closer economic ties between the two vehemently anti-U.S. leaders.  The agreement was "a clever mixture of politics and economics, weighted toward the politics," said Gary Hufbauer, an economist at the Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank.

   The Cuba-Venezuela deal - known by its Spanish acronym ALBA, also the word for dawn - criticized Washington's efforts to expand its free trade with Latin American countries. The U.S.-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas hemispheric trade pact stalled last year, but Washington since has signed nine free trade agreements with Latin American countries.The Cuban, Venezuelan and Bolivian presidents called the FTAA a U.S. effort to "annex" Latin America. Chavez and Morales have warned they could pull their countries from the Andean Community economic bloc if members Colombia, Peru and Ecuador sign pacts with the United States.

NUCLEAR AGENCY SAYS IRAN DEFYING UNITED NATIONS

       VIENNA, AUSTRIA  --  The International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday that Iran has defied a U.N. Security Council call for a freeze on enriching uranium and its lack of cooperation with nuclear inspectors was a "matter of concern." President Bush said "the world is united and concerned" about what he called Iran's "desire to have not only a nuclear weapon but the capacity to make a nuclear weapon or the knowledge to make a nuclear weapon."

    The eight-page report, obtained by The Associated Press, said that after more than three years of an IAEA investigation of Iran's nuclear program, "the existing gaps in knowledge continue to be a matter of concern." "Any progress in that regard requires full transparency and active cooperation by Iran," said the report, written by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei. The finding set the stage for a showdown in the U.N. Security Council, which is expected to meet next week and start a process that could result in punitive measures against the Islamic republic.

    But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said no Security Council resolution could make Iran give up its nuclear program. "The Iranian nation won't give a damn about such useless resolutions," Ahmadinejad told thousands of people Friday in Khorramdareh in northwestern Iran before the IAEA report was issued.