Secret Airstrips Destroyed in the Venezuelan State of Apure

Secret Airstrips Destroyed in the Venezuelan State of Apure

Caracas, May 16 (Prensa Latina) Twelve clandestine landing strips were destroyed this year as part of Operation Boquete, in the Venezuelan state of Apure, official sources stated today.



The Boquete Operation began in 2007 with the goal of fighting drug trafficking and, specifically, to destroy the clandestine airstrips used to smuggle drugs.

According to a dispatch from the Venezuelan News Agency (AVN), the head of the Bolivarian National Armed Force's Strategic Operational Command (Ceofanb), Wilmer Barrientos, said that 1.8 tons of drugs were also seized as part of the aforementioned operation there.

Barrientos said that since the Boquete Operation started, 253 people have been arrested and 54 aircraft have been seized.

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http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1418871&Itemid=17

Transnationals' profits from LatAm & Caribbean reached 113 billion in 2011

Colombian Women demand their rights and propose their own agenda in the peace process

Colombian Women End Meeting With Peace Proposals

Bogota, May 15 (Prensa Latina) More than 2,000 women joined their efforts to demand their rights and propose their own agenda in the peace process.

During the 2nd National and International Meeting of Women for Peace and Dignity, held in the locality of Florencia, in the southern department of Chaqueta, nearly 80 social organizations of 17 departments reached the conclusion that it is necessary to change the country's development model for achieving peace.

"We want to participate in the negotiation table, that we are heard and we reach a Constituent with social justice, Maria Mora, one of the delegates that participated in the meeting, which took place in one of the most affected regions by the armed, political and social conflict for the last 50 years, told Telesur.

The meeting was comprised by three days of debates in 12 thematic tables, where women collected different proposals that will be sent to the negotiation table of the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army, with venue in Cuba since November 2012.

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http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1415091&Itemid=1


Their first meeting was at the end of April 2013.

Venezuela's Election System Holds Up As A Model For The World

Venezuela's Election System Holds Up As A Model For The World

This article is by Eugenio Martinez, who covers elections for Venezuela’s newspaper El Universal and is the host of the weekly TV show El Termómetro.

5/14/2013

...the slim margin propelled Capriles on a quest for lost votes, a crusade to prove electoral irregularities and cast doubt on the outcome. This campaign has exposed deep political rifts among our citizens when it is essential that the people of Venezuela have the greatest confidence in the election process.

Venezuela employs one of the most technologically advanced verifiable voting systems in the world, designed to protect voters from fraud and tampering and ensure the accuracy of the vote count. Accuracy and integrity are guaranteed from the minute voters walk into the polls to the point where a final tally is revealed.

The system Venezuela uses has some of the most advanced and voter-friendly security features in modern elections. Voters use a touch-sensitive electronic pad to make and confirm their choices. After confirmation, the electronic vote is encrypted and randomly stored in the machine’s memories. Voters audit their own vote by reviewing a printed receipt that they then place into a physical ballot box.

...

By mutual agreement between the contenders, 52.98% of the ballot boxes are chosen at random, opened, and their tallies compared with the corresponding precinct counts. This audit step ensures that no vote manipulation has occurred at the polling place. The extent of this audit, the widest in automatic elections, leaves little room for questioning.

...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2013/05/14/venezuelas-election-system-holds-up-as-a-model-for-the-world/

Venezuelan Soldiers to Patrol alongside Police to Fight Crime

Venezuelan Soldiers to Patrol alongside Police to Fight Crime
By Tamara Pearson


The plan involves national guard, police, and people’s guards working together (MIJ)


Merida, May 15th 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government announced that it is implementing a short term plan, called ‘Safe Homeland’, to fight crime. Members of the Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) will patrol areas of Venezuela with the highest crime rates.

The government began implementing the plan on Monday, with 3,000 soldiers patrolling four key areas of Caracas. From next Monday, the plan will be extended to Lara, Zulia, and Carabobo states, and in a third phase, will integrate a further 10,000 soldiers, 9,000 National Bolivarian Police, and 1,500 People’s Guards. The plan is part of the Full Life Mission, which the government launched mid last year.

Venezuelans have long perceived crime as one of the most urgent issues the country faces, and both Nicolas Maduro and Henrique Capriles made promises and campaigned around the issue in the lead up to the 14 April presidential elections.

“We began the deployment yesterday, we were in Petare, and we saw that the people had high expectations, that it was really positive when they saw their army arrive in their streets, on the corners... to integrate itself with the people, with the hope that we can immediately address the issue of security,” said Miguel Rodriguez, minister for justice and internal affairs.

Rodriguez said that he “heard” taxi and motorcycle-taxi organisations say that they would increase their working hours now, as they felt “more tranquil with the presence of armed forces soldiers”.

Coordinator of the plan in El Valle, Caracas, Alfredo Jacobozzi, said there they were implementing it on two fronts; the first with patrols of police and armed forces, and the second with citizen attention points. There, “any denouncement made about crimes will be attended to”.

Luis Karabin, director of the National Bolivarian Police, said that during the first day of implementing the plan in Caracas, two criminal gangs were disbanded, and weapons, drugs, munitions, falsified documents and military uniforms were confiscated.

According to Rodriguez the plan is “designed” to last “around six months”, when armed forces soldiers will be substituted by police offices and the People’s Guard (part of the National Bolivarian Guard – GNB).

Vice-president of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza, emphasised that the plan isn’t a “repressive program, nor is it focused on patrols and surveillance, but rather on operations that promote living together, in order to create territories free of violence”.

“Let’s imagine spaces that are full of culture, of happiness, sport, living together, of the democratisation of technology. Let’s imagine these spaces with active grassroots power, with food operations and all sorts of activities that help to guarantee the [right] conditions for peace and for justice,” Arreaza said.

Rodriguez also explained that the “social-political” aspect of the plan will begin next week, with the National Anti-Drugs Office (ONA) helping out. “We know that many people’s memories of the Armed Forces is of how it was under the fourth republic, repressing people, but now the soldiers come from the people and are with the people,” he explained.

Further, Rodriguez also informed that the Venezuelan national executive is checking over municipal and regional police forces to verify that they are applying the new policing model. He said that so far they had identified 14 municipal police forces that will be closed because “they are very far from (applying) the standards established for the new police”.

He said the police forces lacked equipment, and often only functioned as private security for a mayor or governor.

“They are police that have severe problems of organisation, discipline, and crime. For example, with the Miranda police force (run by opposition governor Henrique Capriles), there are no patrols seen anyway. We checked their investment plans, and over the last few years all they bought were five bicycles. I’m not inventing this, they are in the police reports,” Rodriguez said.

Published on May 15th 2013 at 8.35pm

This work is licensed under a Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives Creative Commons license

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/9340

Potato Farmers in Colombia Rebel Against Trade Laws, Rising Production Costs

Potato Farmers in Colombia Rebel Against Trade Laws, Rising Production Costs
Written by Joe Shansky
Wednesday, 15 May 2013 14:58


Famers and laborers protesting in Colombia gather to read an official statement.

We’re stuck in Tunja, a colonial town about three hours outside of Bogotá, way up in the Colombian mountains, covered with rolling hills, above the clouds, majestic beyond words.

Not a bad place to be stuck for a few days.

The roadways both in and out of Tunja are blocked. The main bridge, called Puente Boyacá, connects Tunja to the road running south to Bogotá, as well as to the opposite path heading north, where Chris and I are trying to go. Puente Boyacá is shut down because of the papero (potato farmers) protests.

The day before we arrived, reports quickly spread of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of farm owners and rural laborers staging a blockade. Their cars and tractors lined the bridge, stopping traffic from passing through, a brazen act of civil disobedience against the Colombian government, and specifically the Department of Agriculture. Puente Boyacá has historical significance in the area: it is where Simón Bolívar defeated the Spanish army, in a decisive battle for independence from colonial rule.

The farmers are demanding cheaper inputs, a better price for their crop, and that payment be based on the quality of the product, rewarding growers for a higher quality product.

It´s around noon when we arrive at the bridge. The bridge blockade is down on this particular day, while negotiations take place in Bogotá, although the protesters are still gathered in full, and growing.

Approximately 150 people are standing at a precipice below the side of the road, looking up the hill at Puente Boyacá. Most of the demonstrators are gathered in small groups. Some carry sticks and wear militant red bandanas over their faces, but most of the crowd is unarmed.

A young man, who turns out to be part of a group of local students who came in support, is yelling and gesturing wildly, taking advantage of the few cameras present. He´s riling up the farmers and the laborers who have joined in as well, who, at this point, have been at the blockade for over 24 hours.

Facing them down, literally, on the above precipice, are around thirty state police, dressed in full riot gear. Further up the road are another fifty police officers. The previous day, they had responded to the blockade with water cannons. According to local news reports, water cannons were used against sticks and rocks. It ended with anywhere from five to thirty protesters detained, who are still absent from the on-going demonstrations the following day.

We find a mostly peaceful scene, aside from the occasional jeers directed at the police. (When the rain starts, there is a lot of hollering, and riot police back down from their posts to take shelter. It's a mini-victory of sorts).

The government is showing some signs of listening, or at least responding, to the transit emergency created by the blockade. After the previous night’s violent turn, representatives of the potato farmers are meeting in Bogotá with the Ministry of Agriculture, to present their demands. Those still facing off with the police are anxiously awaiting results of the meeting. Word is that there will be some news to act on, for better or worse, by 2 pm.

More trucks arrive with campesinos from neighboring municipalities. Each new arrival is greeted with appreciative cheers from the crowd. Tomato, onion, and dairy farmers are joining as well. The morning newspaper, reporting on events the night before, says 10,000 people are participating from the Boyacá region alone, strategically spreading onto other smaller roadways as well.

Shouts of “¡Que mejoren los precios!” ("Better prices!&quot come from all directions. At the current price rate, farmers say, they can no longer sustain their businesses.

People are eager to talk to anyone who will listen.

“It now costs more to grow the food than we can sell it for,” says one man. Chris, himself a farmer in the US, asks for an estimate. “100 kilos sell for 35,000 pesos, (around 20 USD)," the man says. At current market price, this quantity costs COP 60,000 (36 USD) to produce.

The blockade was planned one month in advance. Farm owners and laborers from all over Columbia communicated with each other to set up block points, using a cell phone tree. They say their calls for economic justice have been ignored for too long, and they are fed up.

"All we have is our land,” says a young woman named Senída. “And at these rates, we are losing it fast.” Another man says it's been a year and a half since farmers were able to get a bank loan to pay for basic inputs for the farm, such as fertilizer, pesticides, seed, and fuel for machinery.

Farmers and laborers all frequently speak in anger against the "TLC'' (Trata de Libre Comercio), the international free trade agreement which has allowed an influx of large quantities of cheaper agricultural products from countries like Argentina, Peru, and Canada.

Off of one of the trucks comes a photocopied statement from the farmers, which is quickly passed around. It reads:

"For the Dignity of All Campesinos.

NO to the importation of crops under the free trade agreements.

NO to raising fuel prices.

NO to raising the price of fungicides.

NO to spontaneous fluctuation of food prices.

We will turn our hoes to the State."

Venezuelan Government Announces Measures to Overcome Food Shortages

Venezuelan Government Announces Measures to Overcome Food Shortages

By Ewan Robertson

Mérida, 14th April 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government has announced a range of measures to overcome the increase in food shortages in the country.

In recent months shortages of some basic products such as milk, butter, cornmeal and sugar have been observed throughout Venezuela. Last month shortages reached their worst levels since April 2009, according to the country’s Central Bank.

On Monday night Vice President Jorge Arreaza announced a range of government measures to resolve the problem.

The regulated price of chicken, beef, milk and cheese will be increased by 20% to stimulate production. Most of these products last saw price rises in 2011, with price controls on basic goods introduced to ensure affordability for the poorest Venezuelans.

Other measures focused at increasing production of basic foodstuffs include removing income tax on primary agricultural production, introducing state subsidies for sugar production, and granting increased prices to sunflower oil producers.

The government will also directly invest in a 1,000 hectare greenhouse complex and re-organise state agro-industrial production.

Officials attribute the increase in food shortages to an “economic war” by the private sector against the government, citing high consumption and accusing food makers of reducing production and hoarding food in order to create scarcity.

Meanwhile, some economists and the conservative opposition argue that government price controls on basic goods and the lack of foreign currency granted to food producers are to blame for the shortages.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles criticised the increase in some regulated food prices as “starving (the country)” and accused the government of being “irresponsible and lying”.

The government has also signed deals with Mercosur allies such as Brazil to import around 700,000 tons of foodstuffs in the coming days in a bid to end shortages.

Meetings with the Polar Group

The government is also holding several meetings with Venezuelan food giant Polar to help resolve food shortages in the country.

On Saturday President Nicolas Maduro accused Polar of participating in an “economic war” against the government by reducing production and hoarding to purposefully create scarcity.

According to the company’s own statistics, Polar produces 48% of the products of Venezuela’s basic food basket. Its president, Lorenzo Mendoza, is the second richest person in Venezuela and 329th richest in the world, Forbes magazine states.

On Monday night Mendoza held a press conference in which he called Maduro’s accusations “false” and argued that his company had increased production of cornmeal, the country’s staple, by 10% so far this year.

Venezuelan foreign minister, Elias Jaua, countered Mendoza’s statements, saying that both the government and Mendoza “have responsibility” for food supply in Venezuela. He further argued that Polar could “produce more, distribute more, cooperate with supply, and help against hoarding”.

On Monday night Mendoza and government representatives met to analyse Polar’s production chain to help ensure the supply of basic foodstuffs to the Venezuelan population.

Vice President Arreaza later reported that the meeting was “productive”. He also said that Nicolas Maduro was committed to dialogue with the private sector to find a “point of balance” over the granting of foreign currency to food producers for imports.

Nevertheless, Arreaza warned that “economic actors should keep to the margins of party political activity and dedicate themselves to production”.

Maduro is also set to hold a second meeting with Mendoza today, where he has promised to “make him (Mendoza) work for the country’s interests”.

Published on May 14th 2013 at 9.29pm

This work is licensed under a Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives Creative Commons license

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/9312

FAO: Latin American Leads Struggle Against Hunger

FAO: Latin American Leads Struggle Against Hunger


Rome, May 15 (Prensa Latina) Latin America leading the struggle to eliminate hunger, the Director General of the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO), Jose Graziano da Silva, said today.



During the presentation of an accord between FAO and the international organization Slow Food, Da Silva stressed that Latin America is the region that's currently made the most progress in eradicating this scourge.

At the same time, he said that Europe had gone backwards as a result of the economic crisis, since increasing numbers of unemployed people on its continent have to rely to food banks for their meals. The FAO recommended that European governments strengthen their social coverage to provide food for the most needy.

...

The memorandum of understanding signed by the two organizations, provides that, for three years, both groups will unite in their efforts to promote more inclusive local food and farming systems at the national and international level.

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http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1415101&Itemid=2

Colombian Gov't, FARC-EP Resume Peace Talks in Cuba

Colombian Gov't, FARC-EP Resume Peace Talks in Cuba
15 May 2013



Havana, May 15 (Prensa Latina) The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) resume peace talks in this capital, with the agrarian issues under discussion and the expectation to make progresses in the agenda .

After a 11-day recess in the talks started on November 19, the parties begin at the Havana's Conference Center the ninth cycle of a process that has Cuba and Norway as guarantors, and Venezuela and Chile as companions.

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For the parties, this draft represents an important advance, to include issues such as territorial approach to development, infrastructure and land improvement, encouraging agricultural production and social security (health, education, housing, and poverty eradication).

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During the recess, the parties used the time to hold internal consultations and evaluate the progress of talks that as well as the agrarian issue, the agenda also includes political participation, care for victims, the problem of drug trafficking, and the end of armed conflict.

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1413541&Itemid=1

Venezuela's new labour law: The best Mother's Day gift

Venezuela's new labour law: The best Mother's Day gift
By Thomas Ponniah | May 15, 2013

Here is some news that the conservative critics of Venezuela's leftist government will not publicize. The Chavistas announced that a new labour law, part of which will grant recognition to non-salaried work traditionally done by women, will come into effect this week. Full-time mothers will now be able to collect a pension.



While there are a number of criticisms to be made of the Venezuelan government, the genius of the Bolivarian process is that it combines numerous forms of struggle against inequality. The most obvious lies in its commitment to economic redistribution, and measured by the Gini co-efficient, Venezuela has the lowest rate of inequality in Latin America. An equally significant form of struggle against inequality, however, lies in its pursuit of gender equity.

One of the major theoretical criticisms of the economic redistribution model in more general terms, often advanced by post-modern and post-developmental theorists, has been from the vantage point of questions of identity. Theorists like the anthropologist Arturo Escobar have noted that economic growth does not necessarily transform status relations such as those oriented around gender, race, ethnicity, or sexuality; therefore some have contended that attempts at social change should place primacy, or at least equal emphasis, on the politics of difference. The question of difference: how can everyone in society be able to intervene with equal capacity when there is such significant variation in the recognition that we allot to diverse identities in society? Critics of traditional development have argued that the emphasis on economic redistribution, by either advocates of the market or the state, has ignored the crucial role that identity and diversity play in society. Economic re-allocation does not end the identity hierarchies that place women at a lower rung of the status ladder than men throughout Latin America.

....

The Venezuelan government has made many progressive gains, with the most prominent example being the explicitly anti-sexist 1999 Constitution. This set of principles was the result of co-operation amongst members of the constitutional assembly's Committee on Family and Women, the National Women's Council and women's civil society organizations. The constitutional assembly's committee consulted women from every type of political campaign: legal rights, international agencies, academics, labour unions and small business leaders. The Constitution guaranteed women's right to work, to health services, to social security and pensions. Most innovatively it recognized the monetary value of housework by, in principle, supporting housewives' right to pensions. This week that principle has become a reality. Progressives around the world looking for ways to advance gender rights still have much to learn from Venezuela's continuing social revolution.

Thomas Ponniah is an Affiliate of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin America Studies and an Associate of the Department of African and African-American Studies at Harvard University.

http://rabble.ca/columnists/2013/05/venezuelas-new-labour-law-best-mothers-day-gift