Tag Archives: Latin America

Jan
7
2011
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In Case You Missed It…Articles Roundup Week of 1/03

This week marked the beginning of a new year and a new National Assembly for Venezuela: the Chavistas no longer have the supermajority of the past five years and an opposition dedicated to restoring true democracy is growing stronger with 65 legislators seated. With detailed reports about a failing economy coming out every day, and tensions bubbling between the U.S. and El Presidente, 2011 promises to be a “year of great battles.”

In case you missed it, here is the latest of Venezuela in the news:

FACTBOX-Key political risks to watch in Venezuela

A volatile political scene since parliament gave President Hugo Chavez the power to rule by decree, jockeying ahead of the next presidential election, and a weak economy are risks to watch in Venezuela in 2011.

A Grim Forecast in Venezuela Newsweek

There’s method to this show of muscle. Until now, the president—whose allies hold 95 percent of the legislature—has played Parliament like a flute. But with a new, more independent National Assembly being sworn in on Jan. 5, he had to boost his powers while he could. This is the fourth time in 11 years that Chávez has sought extraordinary powers.

Without ambassadors, US-Venezuela tensions grow AP

The United States and Venezuela are starting the year without ambassadors in Caracas and Washington due to an intensifying diplomatic dispute that is likely to persist and boost President Hugo Chavez’s long-standing antagonism.

Chavez, Clinton Shake Hands, Chat Amid Tensions AP [Video]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton shook hands and chatted briefly [during Rousseff’s inauguration] in a rare cordial encounter amid a diplomatic dispute between the two nations.

Soto Rojas: “Larry Palmer may not come to our country” El Universal

National Assembly (AN) Speaker Fernando Soto Rojas said on Thursday that Larry Palmer, the nominee for US ambassador to Venezuela, may not enter the country because he disrespected the Venezuelan State and President Hugo Chávez.

Venezuela: Economy shrank 1.9 percent this year Bloomberg – Businessweek

Venezuela’s economy has shrunk 1.9 percent in 2010, declining for a second year, but is recovering and headed for growth in 2011, the Central Bank said Thursday.

Venezuela December Inflation Up 1.8% -Central Bank The Wall Street Journal

Venezuela ended 2010 with an inflation rate of 27.2%, higher than the 25.1% rate of 2009, according to statistics released Thursday by the Central Bank of Venezuela.

Venezuela Chavez Rebuts Higher Inflation Talk, Warns ‘Speculators’ WSJ

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez rebutted claims that his government’s recent move to devalue its currency would lead to higher inflation and warned of a crackdown on “speculators” raising prices.

Venezuela’s Bolivar Slides in Black Market After Devaluation Announcement Bloomberg

Venezuela’s bolivar fell in the unregulated market after the government devalued the currency by unifying the country’s two official exchange rates.

Curtailed Powers Greet Venezuelan Lawmakers Wall Street Journal

Venezuela’s new National Assembly will be seated Wednesday, but recent moves by President Hugo Chávez have rendered the legislative body practically powerless and set the stage for months of confrontation between the populist president and an embittered opposition.

Stronger opposition at the Venezuelan National Assembly El Universal

Venezuela’s National Assembly -a unicameral Congress- is to start sessions on Wednesday amidst high expectation for a stronger presence of the opposition in a parliament where, nevertheless, the pro-government faction will prevail.

Chavez spurred Morales to seize oil: cables AFP

Bolivian President Evo Morales was “emboldened” in his effort to nationalize his country’s energy sector by Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, who pledged technical assistance and other aid for the effort, leaked US cables showed Wednesday.

 
Dec
10
2010
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In Case You Missed It…Articles Roundup Week of 12/6/10

WikiLeaks continues to expose President Chávez’ antics, publishing details of his ties to Russia and involvement in funding election fraud efforts in Nicaragua. The leaked cables also disclose that the state-owned oil company PDVSA, perceived as the saving grace of the shrinking Venezuelan economy, has been scrambling to attract foreign partners. The Venezuelan financial crunch appears to more serious than analysts expected or previously predicted.

In addition to news of international corruption and economic crisis, Globovisión pushed back on President Chávez’s takeover of a fifth of its shares. The government’s open war against private property continued this week. Taking advantage of the needs of flood victims, President Chávez ordered the seizure of nearly 36 hectares of privately owned land. In Venezuela, no crisis goes un-politicized!

In case you missed it, here is the news out of Caracas:

WikiLeaks: Russia sold Chávez over 100 anti-aircraft missiles, El Universal
Russian officials told United States officials in 2009 that they had “sold Venezuela, up to that moment, 100 man-portable anti-aircraft missiles, one of the weapons that Washington considers most destabilizing in the region,” according to diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks and published by the Spanish newspaper El País.

Ortega has received ‘suitcases full of cash’ from Venezuela, leaked cables say, Los Angeles Times

The Nicaraguan president also is believed to have used money from drug traffickers to finance electoral fraud, according to diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks. President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua has received “suitcases full of cash” from Venezuela and is believed to have used money from drug traffickers to finance electoral fraud, according to secret U.S. diplomatic cables disclosed this week.

WikiLeaks Cables: Oil Giants Squeeze Chávez as Venezuela Struggles, The Guardian

Venezuela’s tottering economy is forcing Hugo Chávez to make deals with foreign corporations to save his socialist revolution from going broke. The Venezuelan president has courted European, American and Asian companies in behind-the-scenes negotiations that highlight a severe financial crunch in his government.

US cable: Cuba to be insolvent within 2-3 years, AP

A newly released confidential U.S. diplomatic cable predicted Cuba’s economic situation could become “fatal” within two to three years, and detailed concerns from other countries’ diplomats — including China — that the communist-run country has been slow to adopt reforms.

Venezuela’s Chávez Threatens To Take Over BBVA Unit, Other Banks, Fox Business

Amid a housing shortage in Venezuela, President Hugo Chávez threatened to expropriate the local unit of Spanish bank Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. (BBVA, BBVA.MC) and other banks if they don’t ensure that homes and apartments they finance get lived in immediately.

Nelson Mezerhane: “Government tries to silence Globovisión”, El Universal

The businessman, who is residing in the United States, warned: “Sindicato Ávila is not part of the group of companies owned by Banco Federal, which you (President Hugo Chávez) arbitrarily seized for the sole benefit of your government.”

Chávez puts pressure on news network, Business Report
Venezuela’s government on Monday took control of a fifth of shares in Globovisión, an opposition television network opposed to President Hugo Chávez, the state news agency said.

Datanálisis: Más del 70% de la población continúa rechazando las expropiaciones, Noticias 24

El presidente de Datanálisis, Luis Vicente León, explicó que más de 70% de la población continúa rechazando las expropiaciones. Un 63% de la población piensa que con la expropiación de Agroisleña se hará más crítico el abastecimiento de alimentos.

Chávez Eyes Private Land to Help Flood Victims, VOA News

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez says the government will seize private land and tourist resorts to house the thousands of people made homeless by the worst flooding in 40 years. Mr. Chávez ordered the government to seize nearly 36 hectares of privately owned land near the national airport and authorized the building of thousands of housing units.

Group: Near 14,000 murders in Venezuela last year, The Washington Post
Close to 14,000 people were murdered in Venezuela last year and the figure could be significantly higher, a prominent human rights group said Thursday, alluding to the rampant crime that has become a central concern of Venezuelans.

 
Oct
25
2010
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Nuclear inter-governmental agency warns that verification is mandatory

nuclear Nuclear inter governmental agency warns that verification is mandatoryThis article was originally posted by El Universal.

Hugo Chávez said Saturday that Venezuela would not accept any external monitoring of its nuclear development plan, the Secretary General of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Opanal), Gioconda Ubeda Rivera, said that verification is mandatory.

The Costa Rican diplomat, who resides in Mexico, the host country of Opanal responded to questions from the Venezuelan leading newspaper El Universal. Opanal is an inter-governmental agency created by the Treaty of Tlatelolco (1967) to ensure that the nuclear non-proliferation obligations of the Treaty be met in Latin America and the Caribbean.“Countries that use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes are required to comply with a series of international agreements such as the Safeguards System of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which provides for the verification,” Ubeda said.

 

The senior officer added that the “verifications are one of the natural procedures established worldwide for the states that develop nuclear energy to allow the implementation of the IAEA safeguards.”

“The Treaty of Tlatelolco has 33 Member States from Latin America and the Caribbean. All of them signed the safeguards agreements with the IAEA, and all of them most comply with the control and verification rules adopted by the agency,” the Opanal secretary general said.

Ubeda said that “it is absolutely normal” that Venezuela intends to start developing the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in cooperation with Russia. She said that every country has the right to do so, provided that it fulfills international obligations.