Tag Archives: WNVz

Apr
6
2012
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In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 4/6/12

In this week’s roundup… Hugo Chávez travels to Cuba to undergo radiation treatment, and returns Thursday to his home state of Barinas on Thursday; MUD candidate Henrique Capriles embarks on a three-month, “house-by-house” tour of the country; a poll shows Chávez and Capriles in a statistical tie ahead of the presidential election; the European Union bans Venezuelan airline Conviasa from flying in the EU due to “numerous safety concerns”; poor maintenance at the refineries of state-run oil company PDVSA raise safety concerns; cables released by Wikileaks show that Cuban spies with direct access to Chávez are playing a key role in supporting his regime; and the construction of a 170 feet tall mausoleum to hold the remains of Simón Bolívar causes confusion and outrage.

120404085229 chavez castro story top In Case You Missed It… Articles Roundup Week of 4/6/12
Courtesy of: CNN

Venezuelan leader returns to Cuba for treatment, Associated Press

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez traveled to Cuba on Saturday for another round of cancer treatment, saying he will be in Havana for several days and then return home. Chávez boarded the presidential jet on Saturday night accompanied by one of his daughters. His aides and military chiefs saw him off at the airport.

Insight: The man who would beat Hugo Chávez, Reuters

In an uphill battle to end President Hugo Chávez’s 13-year grip on the South American nation at an election in October, Capriles has an ace card – youth – and he knows how to play it. The sinuous, 39-year-old governor of Miranda state has embarked on a three-month, “house-by-house” tour of the country designed as much to show off his energy as his ideas. Still trailing Chávez in all polls, he certainly needs it.

Venezuelan Leader Tied With Rival in One Poll, but Other Results Differ, Wall Street Journal

CARACAS—A recent slate of public-opinion surveys show widely varying assessments of the presidential election for Venezuela’s polarized electorate. Most of the polls have President Hugo Chávez in the lead, but one set of results shows him with a 30-percentage point advantage over opposition candidate Henrique Capriles, while another had the rivals running neck-in-neck ahead of the Oct. 7 vote.

Venezuela Carrier Conviasa Banned by EU in New Blacklist Update, Bloomberg

The European Union banned Venezuelan airline Conviasa from flying in the 27-nation bloc under the latest changes to a list of unsafe carriers. The EU said “numerous safety concerns” resulting from accidents and European ramp checks justified the prohibition on Venezuela’s state airline.

Venezuelan refineries only receive 19% of maintenance, El Universal

The poor condition of oil facilities is among the criticisms made of the current management of state-run oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa). Frequent events in oil refineries have been attributed to their employees’ incompetence or lack of maintenance. Maintenance works were affected in 2011 by the shortage of inputs and materials.

WikiLeaks: Cuban spies support Chávez’s regime, El Universal

Cuban spies with direct access to President Hugo Chávez play a key role in supporting his regime. These spies constantly inform the president on the opposition’s moves, any rumors in the barracks and any sign of potential treason within revolutionary lines, say reports from WikiLeaks quoted by the New Herald. These reports include information from the United States Department of State and analysis from the private intelligence firm Stratfor.

Chavez returns to Venezuela after radiation treatment, CNN

President Hugo Chavez returned to Venezuela early Thursday morning after a second round of radiation treatment in Cuba. Appearing healthy and walking unaided, Chavez held court on the tarmac of the airport in Barinas, telling well-wishers who had gathered to welcome him that his treatment went well. “So far there has been no adverse reaction to the treatment; the body has assimilated it well,” Chavez said. He was greeted by members of his family, government officials and supporters.

Ramp? Mall? Ship? No, a Titan’s New Tomb, The New York Times

The 17-story-tall white-tiled mausoleum being built to hold the remains of the national hero Simón Bolívar looks to many people here like the world’s biggest skateboard ramp. To others, it evokes a parking garage, a shopping mall, a bridal veil, a sailing ship or a drive-in movie screen. Some simply call it an outrage. But to its creators, it is an eloquent tribute to the father of the nation, the quasi-mythical inspiration for President Hugo Chávez’s socialist revolution.

 
Mar
30
2012
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Chavez Threatens To Nationalize Banks That Support His Political Opponents

hugo chávez Chavez Threatens To Nationalize Banks That Support His Political Opponents

In the past, What’s Next has reported on previous threats by the Chávez administration to nationalize companies that do not acquiesce to his demands. One of his most common targets has been banks. Just last January, he vowed to expropriate banks that refused to aid a government agricultural program. A pugnacious Chávez called one bank’s president and threatened to nationalize his company “whenever I want.” In May 2011, Chávez expropriated lots, parcels and apartments belonging to banks under the control of Fogade, the national Deposits Guarantee and Bank Protection Fund.

Now, the cancer-stricken Chávez is far less lively, but equally keen on continuing his economically-damaging policy of expropriations. This time, however, his target is not companies who refuse to go along with his government policies, but those who he perceives as supporting “the opposition.”

“I have a list of private banks that are financing the opposition’s destabilizing plans,” said Chávez. “It wouldn’t be bad at all to issue a decree and bring those firms under state control. Large national and some international companies that earn more than enough money here.”

Aside from the fact that it’s oddly undemocratic to refer to one’s political opposition as “destabilizing,” Chávez has also proposed to ramp up the policies that continue to adversely impact his country’s economy. Price controls, expropriations and other policies have eroded Venezuela’s private sector as indicated by the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, which ranked Venezuela’s economy 174 out of 179.

 
Mar
28
2012
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U.S. State Department Warns Travelers of Surging Violence in Venezuela

venezuela U.S. State Department Warns Travelers of Surging Violence in Venezuela

Amidst increasing reports of violence in the South American country, the U.S. State Department recently issued an advisory with a series of warnings for U.S. citizens travelling to Venezuela.

According to the official document released by the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, violent crimes, such as murders, express kidnappings, extortion, robbery and drug trafficking have increased dramatically, and are increasingly being perpetrated against foreign travelers.

But for citizens and visitors alike, the State Department report paints a concerning picture of the security situation in Venezuela:

“Violent crime in Venezuela is pervasive, both in the capital, Caracas, and in the interior. The country’s overall per capita murder rate is cited as one of the top five in the world. According to the non-governmental organization, Venezuelan Violence Observatory (VVO), 2011 was the most ‘violent in Venezuela’s history.’ According to its data, there were 19,336 homicides in 2011, up from 13,080 murders in 2010, an increase of almost 30%. The Venezuelan National Counter Kidnapping Commission was created in 2006, and since then, official statistics have shown alarming increases in reported kidnappings throughout the country. According to the governmental Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales, y Criminalísticas (CICPC) statistics, 1,150 individuals were kidnapped in Venezuela during 2011, with reported kidnapping incidents increasing 29% over 2010.”

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is in Cuba receiving radiation treatment after the removal of a second, unknown type of cancer, blasted the report, implying that Venezuela’s public security is far better than that of the United States. He also mentioned that he “inherited” these violent problems way back when he took office over 13 years ago.

Of course, Chavez’s government has declined to release murder statistics for many years, but in early 2011, the Venezuelan Justice Minister mentioned that the 2010 murder rate was 48 homicides per 100,000 residents, putting it near the top of those in Latin America.

For comparison purposes, in 2010 the U.S. murder rate was reported as 10 times less than that of Venezuela, at 4.8 per 100,000 people.

Tourists have been specifically warned about traveling through the Maiquetía airport, an international hub serving the capital of Caracas, which is described by the state department as “dangerous,” and “rampant” with corruption. At this well-known hot-spot for crime, several unsuspecting travelers have fallen victim to organized criminals posing as airport officials. The report gave sobering details about the epidemic of night kidnappings from Maiquetía, where travelers are taken and held for ransom in roadside huts. Indeed, the Embassy advises travelers to only arrive and depart during daylight hours.

Moreover, an increasing numbers of robberies have been reported in airport security checkpoints, and the Embassy advises travelers to keep all valuable belongings and important documentation in their carry-on luggage. In addition, U.S. travelers are encouraged not to sign any documents in Spanish while passing through customs, and to be wary of credit card fraud, which is prevalent in Venezuela.

Additional warnings have been issued for any trans-border travel between Venezuela and Colombia, due to increasing reports of “cross-border violence, kidnapping, drug trafficking, smuggling, and cattle-rustling [that] occur frequently in areas along the 1,000-mile long border between Venezuela and Colombia.”

These warnings come after a series of high profile incidents that include an assassination attempt against opposition presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles, and the shooting of the Chilean council’s daughter by Venezuelan police, an incident that resulted in her death.

With six months until the Venezuelan presidential elections and President Chávez frequently traveling to Cuba for medical care, one wonders how this surge of violence in the country will affect voter opinion in the upcoming elections.