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Aug
25
2010
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Venezuelans Despair Over Rampant, Deadly Violence

This article was originally posted by VOA News

Venezuela has stopped publishing official crime rates, but murders, kidnappings, assaults, and robberies have skyrocketed during the past decade.

Funerals of murder victims are a daily sight in Venezuela, where hospitals treat an unending stream of assault victims. Far from containing the violence, police increasingly find themselves targeted by criminals. Every day, mourners crowd Caracas’ morgue, including this sister of a slain officer.

“What security can there be if armed officers are killed? Where does that leave the rest of us?” she asked.

The relative, who declined to be identified, notes that rarely are criminals apprehended, much less convicted.

“Tens of thousands of crimes, and where is the justice?” said the relative.

A non-governmental monitoring group, the Venezuelan Violence Observatory, reports the country suffered more than 16,000 homicides last year, more than triple the total in 1998 when President Hugo Chavez was first elected. The group says 2009 saw more violent deaths in Venezuela than in war-torn Iraq and civil war-weary Colombia combined.

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Jul
21
2010
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After Chavez’s insults, Venezuelan cardinal proposes calm and respectful dialogue

This article was originally posted by Catholic News Agency

After declining an invitation made by Cilia Flores, the leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly, to explain some of his recent statements that were met with insults and attacks from President Hugo Chavez, the Archbishop of Caracas, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, has proposed that calm and respectful talks be held between representatives of the bishops’ conference and lawmakers during the coming days.

The Archdiocese of Caracas issued a statement saying the cardinal declined the invitation to meet at the congressional building because the current circumstances and the chances of social unrest outside the Capitol building mean that the necessary calm and respect for holding such a meeting cannot be guaranteed.

The archdiocese said that in response to the invitation made by Flores, Cardinal Urosa proposes holding a meeting between lawmakers and bishops at another time and place agreed to by all the parties “in order to discuss the mission of the Church in Venezuela and the content of the statements questioned during the debate at the Assembly.”

Cardinal Urosa “reaffirms his recognition and respect for the Institutions of the State, as well as his encouragement to continue working with dedication as a Bishop of the Catholic Church for the common good and the peace of the Venezuelan people, who are mostly Christian and Catholic. Likewise, he thanks all the institutions and people who have shown him their support and solidarity,” he said

 
Jun
12
2010
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Guillermo Zuloaga of Globovisión ordered arrested in Venezuela

Venezuelan authorities issued an arrest warrant Friday for the owner of a television channel that takes a critical line against President Hugo Chávez.

Intelligence agents arrived at a home owned by Guillermo Zuloaga seeking to arrest him and one of his sons Friday night, but their whereabouts were unknown, defense lawyer Perla Jaimes said.

Zuloaga is president and majority shareholder of Globovision, the country’s only remaining channel on the airwaves that is stridently opposed to Chávez.

According to the Associated Press, a court issued the warrant for the businessman and his son, also named Guillermo, citing accusations of illegally keeping 24 new Toyota sport-utility vehicles stored at a home owned by Zuloaga, Attorney General Luisa Ortega said. Zuloaga and his son are charged with usury and conspiracy.

See the What will Chávez do next video, to view the chavista attacks on Globovisión.