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Obama outburst in Pennsylvania Shame, shame, shame TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Salena Zito ABC News is reporting that Barack Obama launched into a fiery offensive tonight in a speech before the United Steelworkers Union in Steelton, Pa. Obama, in response to Sen. Hillary Clinton criticisms of his 'bitter' remarks, said "Shame on her, shame on her, she knows better."

Telephone Call from Chavez to "Reyes" Allowed Colombians to Locate FARC Camp Elpais.com.co-EFE A telephone call that the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, would have made to the guerrilla leader "Raul Reyes,"1 permitted location of the encampment, according to reports from Colombian intelligence, RCN Radio divulged today. The telephone call took place Wednesday the 27th of February, the day in which four Colombian Congressmen (Gloria Polanco, Luis Eladio Pérez, Orlando Beltrán, Jorge Eduardo Gechem), kidnapped for almost seven years, were liberated.2 "Chavez, emotionally moved by the liberation of the kidnapped prisoners, called Reyes (alias of Luis Edgar Devia) and told...

The rule of law is disappearing in Venezuela Marcel Granier, President of Radio Caracas Television (Inter-American Press Agency) The reaction of President Chavez is verbally violent and crude each time someone dares to have a different opinion. ____________________________________________________ President Chavez verbally announced his decision to close Radio Caracas Television, a channel which for more than 53 years and with the best facilities draws the greater audience, moreover of being the television broadcaster that employs the most people in Venezuela. Thus culminates a long chain of aggressions against journalists, employees, managers, and shareholders of the independent media. He is trying to...

Chávez lashes out at Mexico On the same day the Calderón administration took steps to ease rocky relations with Venezuela and Cuba, Venezuela´s Hugo Chávez on Thursday hurled personal insults at his Mexican counterpart Wire reports El Universal Viernes 02 de febrero de 2007 On the same day the Calderón administration took steps to ease rocky relations with Venezuela and Cuba, Venezuela´s Hugo Chávez on Thursday hurled personal insults at his Mexican counterpart. Chávez´s ire was raised as he attacked Calderón for comments the latter made in Davos, Switzerland, last week criticizing countries that "nationalize industries" and "interfere in the...

(12:07 p.m.) Rosales announces front against authoritarian pretensions of the government Caracas. - The Governor of the State of Zulia and ex-presidential candidate, Manuel Rosales, warned the national government today that the Venezuelan people will fight to safeguard their democratic principles when facing the coming presidential announcements which they are awaiting. The leader assured everyone that the citizens are not so defeated as they would make themselves out to be and he guaranteed that he will work jointly and in an organized way against any authoritarian pretension. He said that the activity of an organized society with clear objectives will...

The Christian Democratic Organization of America warns about risks of Populism and calls upon related parties to work to remove rulers like Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro from power. By: Jose Contreras and Adolfo Sanchez Venegas Sunday 28 January 2007 | Hour of publication: 12:47 p.m. The Christian Democratic Organization of America (ODCA) will promote the transition to democracy in Cuba and the liberation of political prisoners and will strive for the recovery of those governments in Latin America which are in the hands of the Left, the President of the body, Manuel Espino Barrientos, indicated. In a press conference,...

(03:02 PM) Enabling Law approved in first discussion Caracas. - The National Assembly this afternoon approved unanimously and in first discussion a law which enables President Hugo Chavez to legislate by decree during [a period of] 18 months. The second debate will be carried out next Thursday, a day in which its definitive passage is forecast. Chavez was authorized "to dictate by decree . . . with the force of law, with statutory urgency," the President of the National Assembly, Cilia Flores, said after deputies approved the petition of the Chief Executive by a show of hands, as reviewed by...

Ecuador aligns itself with Venezuela, Bolivia, and Cuba In speeches against imperialism and neoliberalism, the presidents of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, and Bolivia, Evo Morales, and the Ecuadoran President-Elect Rafael Correa, who should assume the government of his country Monday, expressed common ideological and political agreement Sunday. Chavez, Morales, and Correa, who also exalt the figure of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, met together in Zumbahua, an indigenous [Ecuadoran] locality 90 kilometers south of Quito, for a symbolic inauguration of Correa before the indigenous peoples [of Ecuador]. In a speech before a multitude congregated in the central plaza, Correa emphasized that "[Latin]...

Rosales: Chavez wants to terrorize people so they do not vote Caracas. - In a press conference with foreign correspondents, the opposition candidate, Manuel Rosales, qualified as a great "irresponsibility" of President Chavez that he is threatening and intimidating the people of Venezuela through phrases attacking the communications media and the collective body of the Venezuelan people, furthermore that he is inventing coup d'états and supposed plots or acts designed to raise tensions in the street. "What we are reading between the lines are two things: the first is that he wants to terrorize people so they do not...

Carter Center will limit itself solely to observing system of automated voting Caracas. - The representative of the Carter Center in Venezuela, Hector Vanolli, made known today that he signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the members of that organization, which will function as watcher in the presidential elections, and the rectors of the National Electoral Council (CNE). "It established an agreement by which the Carter Center deploys in Venezuela a mission of an exclusively technical character, whose only focus of attention is going to be the system of automated voting." He explained that due to the limited character...

Rosales says that he is tied with Chavez in the polls Caracas. - The opposition candidate Manuel Rosales assured today that the polls reflect a technical tie between his candidacy and that of President Hugo Chavez. "The most important thing in a poll, and it's what the experts indicate, translates itself in the tendencies" and "at this moment they reflect what can be defined as a technical tie, (because) I don't know if he (Chavez) is a few points ahead or if I am," Rosales said in an interview with a German television station replayed by the Globovision network,...

Chavez threatens private television stations with closure Caracas. - President Hugo Chavez warned Friday that he is disposed to close those television channels who lend themselves to spreading messages of "hate" and non-recognition of the authorities during the December 3 election campaign, AP reported. "A television channel which lends itself to the spreading of the messages of terrorism, of hate, of war, or calling for the non-recognition of the authorities, it has to be closed," Chavez declared during an event held with sympathizers on the Island of Margarita. Chavez denounced that "new destabilizing plans" existed for the next elections...

Venezuela's presence in Mexican presidential investiture unconfirmed Mexico City. - The government of Venezuela still has not confirmed whether it will send a representative to Mexico to the presidential investiture of Felipe Calderon, the 1st of December, according to the official list circulated today by the Mexican presidency. The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, who is seeking reelection in the elections which will be carried out in his country the 3rd of December, up to now has avoided recognizing Calderon's victory, among other reasons since he considers there were "strange things" in the Mexican elections. According to information released...

Government compiles proof of the presence of the FARC in Ecuador The Foreign Minister, Maria Consuelo Araujo, and the Minister of Defense, Juan Manuel Santos, say they will have shown in brief that the insurgents are taking refuge in Venezuela and Ecuador Sunday, 22 October 2006 Last Thursday, President Alvaro Uribe denounced [the fact that] the guerrillas Raul Reyes, the alias of Luis Eduard Devia, is hiding in Ecuador, and Ivan Marquez, whose true name is Luciano Marin Arango, is doing so in Venezuela. After the statements, Ecuadoran authorities asked the Colombians for evidence that Reyes, the FARC's principal...

Chile Last Hermogenes Perez de Arce Could the prinicpal promoter of Bolivian pretensions against Chile be seated in the Security Council, thanks to Chile? Of course I am accustomed to Chileans not paying attention to me, and that is one of the worst defects of this country, but now it results in something particularly grave. Why do we continue speaking of the vote in the Security Council of the UN as a "matter of international politics," of whether or not to support "a government which intervenes in the internal affairs of other countries," of which "Chavez sets forth a...

COPEI1 denounces CNE for wanting to bring "mute" international observers Caracas. -- The Secretary General of COPEI, Luis Ignacio Planas, complained strongly that the government, through the National Electoral Council (CNE), wants to bring "mute" international observers for the December presidential elections. "It does not make sense to make an effort, and that we Venezuelans, with our money, should pay the passage and the per diem expenses of the observers so that they come to engage in electoral tourism in Venezuela." The question is "how can they impede the watchers from saying that which they observe in the Venezuelan...

Lara: It was an error of the opposition to compete with Fitcar Caracas. -- The planners of the electoral campaign of opposing candidate Manuel Rosales "committed a serious error to put themselves in competition with the International Caracas Tourism Fair (Fitcar) 2006, in the judgement of the Minister of Communication and Information, William Lara. After traveling throught the different pavilions which are located on the Francisco de Miranda Air Base, [Lara, who] also serves as the National Coordinator of National Tactical Command(CTN) of the Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) asserted that the public attendance at the Rosales meeting today came mainly...

IAPA worries that Venezuela "is going the way of Cuba" "It is itself creating a repudiation against the media with the motto 'kill the messenger.'" "The strong rhetoric worries [the IAPA], but it rules out some type of immediate rupture." Mexico City -- The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) showed its preoccupation with Venezuela directing itself towards a similar scheme as that of Cuba of the persecution of freedom of expression on the part of the state. It also warned that in countries like Mexico the press is the victim of organized crime. "It worries us that Venezuela is...

Rosales will lead "Caracas Avalanche" Saturday Pedro Pablo Peñaloza El Universal (Caracas) The director of the First Justice Party, Liliana Hernandez, member of the campaign command of Manuel Rosales, summoned the followers of the opposition candidate to concentrate themselves next Saturday in Libertador Avenue [in Caracas]. Hernandez specified that the act of support for the Governor of the State of Zulia1 will be named the "Caracas Avalanche" and it is scheduled to begin at 10:00 in the morning. "The idea is that, besides demonstrating in favor of the victory of the National Unity candidate [i.e. Rosales], we are calling...

Rosales accuses "Fat Fish" of the Government Opposition candidate Manuel Rosales attributed the events which occurred in La Paragua1 to "the fat fish of the government, who have a big business in [the sale of] gasoline, contraband gold, and diamonds." In a visit to Trujillo, where he carried out a campaign visit, Rosales condemned the acts. "It is one of the most clear manifestations of how an authoritarian government stimulates criminal acts and insecurity in Venezuela. The deed in La Paragua is the action of a few spineless military men, who are not the majority, who felt themselves handsome...