Venezuela Week in Review-April17th-HOV

Hands Off Venezuela Campaign- http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org


The Campaign is happy to report that we now have the signatures of support of 50 Members of Parliament (MP's) in Pakistan http://www.marxist.com/Latinam/signatures_venezuela.html and in Canada, Alexa Mc Donough ( MP-New Democratic Party) who is Foreign Affairs Critic is putting forward a motion of support for the goverment of President Hugo Chavez and calling for the strengthening of bilateral relations of the two countries.

Week in Review-April 17, 2004


April-11-2004 In Easter Demostrations in Germany, Hans-Gerd Offinger spoke about the need for support of Venezuela in a rally in Wiesbaden. Please go to site to read article.


April-12-2004 The Carter Center ( one of a myriad of "fifth column" organizations being used against the Venzuelan process ) sided with the electoral panel of the Venezuela's Surpreme Court demanding that the 870,000 fraudlent signatures of the re-call effort be valid.The Courts, constitutional panel has ruled that the electoral chamber does not have jurisdication, and has ruled against the accepting the signatures. We are urging that you send e-mails to the Carter Center asking them to stay out of the internal affairs of the election process.

E-mails should be address to Dr.Jennifer Mc Coy ,Director of the America's Program at ktorran [at] emory.edu and carterweb [at] emory.edu also please cc to Javier Montes Jmontes [at] oas.org .


April-13-2004 50 armed members of Accion Democratica (AD the so-called opposition) party attacked and vandalized the public, Simon Bolivar Hospital in Maturin (Monagas State), destroying a baby incubator, operating rooms and other equipment.Within hours members of the community surrounded the hospital demanding National Guard (GN) action.Order was restored peacefully.This is just one of the many recent acts of violence in the region by this terrorist group.

In a large demostration of support President Chavez, in a speech put the blame on the Bush adminstration for the coup 2 years ago.Go to website to read the article " On the Second Anniversary of the Defeat of the Coup in Venezuela."


April-14-2004 An article in the Miami Herald revealed that Felipe Rodriguez, former National Guard General (GN) and a leader of the "Comandos de la Libertad" admitted to plotting the overthrown of President Hugo Chavez.


"Comandos de la Libertad" has been accused of the bombings of the Spanish Embassy and Colombian Consulate in February of 2003.Two members of the group are are in the Krome Detention Center in Miami awaiting extradition.

President Hugo Chavez in a press conference called the re-call effort dead in the water and that the so-called opposition had lost.


April-15-2004 The Senate of Colombia petition the Organization of American States (OAS) to invoke the Democratic Charter against Venezuela.The Charter provides for member states foreign ministers to intervene in political crisis and Human Rights violations.

Colombia is using this as a pretext for support of an invasion of Venezuela.In Colombia, staging area's are now being built and funding, training and arming of troops is happening under the U.S. Plan Colombia.Spain's former goverment sold to President Uribe 60 tanks and daily he is making inflammatory statement's against President Chavez and Venezuela.

The Coordinadora Democratica (CD) is lobbying member states of the OAS to support Colombia's claims.


WE ARE CALLING for our supporters to send e-mails to the Secretary General of the OAS ( former Colombian President Cesar Gavirla Trujillo 1990-1994 ) to not to invoke the Charter and stop being a pawn for U.S. imperialism in Venezuela, Haiti and the region. email- Fjaramillo [at] oas.org , SCanton [at] oas.org and Jmontes [at] oas.org


April-16-2004 Jose Gerado Cruz Shilling has called for the nationalization of the telephone company,Ca Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela (CANTV) which is the largest privately owned corporation in Venezuela.

Saying "It is better to struggle and fight against those escualidos (squalid ones-opposition) that want to give away the country." The company has made cuts in telephone services without justification, massive phone card increase's and billing people for international calls that were not made.

CANTV was privatize by previous goverments. He also stated " We know the objectives of the bandits, we know what guides them- they want us to be a North America protectorate."

April-16-2004 Hands Off Venezuela public meeting in Manchester, England sponsored by Youth for International Socialism.


For more on the Campaign- email us solidarity [at] handsoffvenezuela.org