Posted on 03/01/2003 5:32:35 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
Chavez Steps Up Repression of Opposition
Feb. 28: Procedures to try seven PDVSA executives were finalized Wednesday by the Ministry of the Public leading to arrest warrants for the accused. The Secret Intelligence Service and the Political Police will be in charge of the arrests.
Charges against the oil industry executives include damage to the oil industry, interruption of energy and gas supplies, and possibly civil rebellion.
Given that the accused attend the court hearing they will face up to eight years in prison as a result of the vandalized facilities that belong to PDVSA. It is unsure, however, whether the damage was caused by the strikers or by the military, which was ordered to invade the commercial and industrial buildings of PDVSA at the beginning of the strike on Dec. 2.
Civil rebellion sentences range from 12 to 24 years and are much harder to prove, but they are based on the loss of income to the government caused by the two-month strike. Defense lawyers of the oil executives argued that the Ministry of the Public is in no way legally in allowed to request hearings and stated that the “Court [that ruled the hearing] has distanced itself from the norm” (www.eluniversal, Feb. 27). Additionally, the group of lawyers has been denied access to public files on the executives’ cases, a normal procedure under Venezuelan law.
The Vice President of Congress, Ricardo Gutiérrez, who presides over a largely pro-Chavez house, requested that all consequences of the acts be displayed. The anomaly of having a member of the legislative power voice opinions on judicial procedures did not go unnoticed.
Protests against the “vicious judicial system” were spurred by the detention orders Thursday in front of the attorney general’s office. Antonio Ledezma, leader of an opposition party, said in front of the building: "We know that they are not the only ones on the lists. We realize that the oven of judicial terrorism is cooking yet another menu of detentions against leaders of the civil society, but Chavez needs to know that there are not enough prisons to incarcerate all Venezuelans who oppose his regime” (www.eluniversal.com, Feb. 27).
Fifteen men armed with automatic machine guns who were wearing political police uniforms surrounded the house of Alfredo Pena, major of Caracas, in a clear act of intimidation. Pena, a former collaborator of the president, was one of the first victims of the government as it ordered military intervention in December seizing guns held by the Metropolitan Police, under the majors’ command.
Meanwhile, negotiations have completely halted after the government refused to attend Wednesday’s meeting. Government officials declined to meet at the negotiating table due to security reasons fearing a protest that was planned to pass close to the meeting facility.
However, the government’s stance with regard to peace became quite clear as it harshly criticized Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States and leading moderator of the negotiating effort, by asking him to “find himself a place of his own” (www.eluniversal.com, Feb. 24). A government spokesman said "any attempts to extrapolate national concerns to the international arena are not welcome” (Ultimas Noticias, Feb. 25) and added that they do not accept foreigners to “meddle into internal affairs” (www.elnacional.com, Feb. 25).
An opposition press release reminded the public that the negotiations, supported by the international community, did not bring about the failure of the executive, legislative and judicial powers or their autonomy. On the contrary, an opposition spokesman said, “the negotiations table was implemented in accordance with all public powers and on presidential request” (www.eluniversal.com, Feb. 27).
Colombian Terrorists' Threat to Americans
Feb. 26: The often-ignored terrorist threat America faces in Latin America is now making headlines.
The leftist Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) killed one American and one Colombian officer after a U.S. plane with intelligence license plates crash-landed in the Colombian jungle Feb. 13. The largest guerrilla group now holds the survivors, three Americans, hostage.
FARC is now saying the hostages will be spared only if its requests are met. The Marxist guerrilla group asks the Colombian Military Forces to “immediately cease any kind of rescue operations, as well as all flights above the crisis area” (www.eltiempo.com, Feb. 24) in the province of Caqueta and strongly condemns all U.S. military help to Colombia.
The terrorist group wants include the three American hostages in the bid for guerrilla prisoners against the release of a group of Colombians, among them ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, kidnapped by the terrorist group. The U.S. government’s policy, however, is not to negotiate.
State Department spokesman Charles Barclay said: “We know about the FARC’s requests. We ask that the American citizens be released immediately and would like to remind the FARC that they are responsible for their well-being and security” (www.eltiempo.com, Feb. 25). The Colombian government too refuses to meet the guerilla’s requests and has announced that it would keep the 4,000-man military presence in the province. These men work together with the 70 “green cap” and the 200 special units that flew into Colombia to train the armed forces.
Pentagon officials announced Saturday that President Bush had approved sending more U.S soldiers to help in the search. However, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Gary Keck said, “"We are not discussing numbers at this time." (www.wsj.com, Feb. 24).
The announcement that extra military forces were being sent to Colombia spurred criticism among congressmen and other key officials in the South American country as it was believed that 150 extra men were being sent, thus surpassing the 400 allowed by the Colombian Congress in accordance with the Plan Colombia. The senate would need to approve of U.S. soldiers in excess of 400 men.
Barclay, however, clarified the confusion by stating that the extra help would not exceed planned numbers.
The U.S. plans to limit its operations to training Colombian military forces much in the way it trained the Afghani Northern Alliance, as well as to participating in rescue operations.
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