Venezuela detains Colombian “assassins”

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Venezuela detains Colombian “assassins”



Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:22AM GMT

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Alasdair Baverstock, Press TV, Caracas

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Nine Colombian paramilitary fighters have been detained in Venezuela by government authorities, charged with planning to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro. This is the latest in a series of disputes between the two countries, whose ties have become as strained as ever since Maduro became president.

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Laura Blanco, a who moved to Venezuela in search of a better life, is one of 4 million Colombians who did the same during Hugo Chavez’s presidency.


Laura loves her life in Venezuela, but while social relations between the self-titled “brother countries” continue to be friendly, the tensions on a political level remain as difficult as ever.

Earlier this week nine Colombian paramilitaries, armed with Russian AK-47s, shotguns and grenades, were arrested on their way to Caracas by Venezuelan authorities.

The fighters are accused of planning to assassinate President Maduro.

This is the latest event in what President Maduro has described as Colombia’s “dirty war” being waged against his government.

Colombia's government has offered no comment, and the Colombian embassy in Caracas refused to speak to PRESS TV.

Colombia was quick to recognise President Maduro following his disputed win in April’s election, with President Juan Manuel Santos present at his inauguration.

Yet the formal reception of Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles in Bogot last month was described by Maduro as a “knife in the back”.

The opposition leader is a thorn in Maduro’s side, claiming the new president is illegitimate, and his reception in Bogota has caused a series of backlashes.

The most prominent of these was the removal of Venezuela’s intermediary diplomat at the Colombian government’s negotiations with the FARC terrorist group.

Despite the ongoing tensions, President Maduro has expressed his desire to “rebuild” ties with his neighboring nation.

Relations between Colombia and Venezuela remain as strained as ever. Yet President Maduro built very strong ties with Colombia during his six years as foreign minister under Hugo Chavez: a demonstration of diplomacy which offers hope for a future relaxing of tension on the South American political scene.
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Bank of the South Holds “Historic” Meeting in Venezuela

By RYAN MALLETT-OUTTRIM
TAGS

Bank of the South
Mérida, 13th July 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – The first operational meeting of the Bank of the South (Banco del Sur) was held in Caracas on Wednesday, amid calls for more Latin American nations to join the initiative.

Held in the headquarters of the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV), representatives of six of the seven Bank of the South member states attended the meeting including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela. The only member state not represented was Paraguay, which was suspended from the initiative last year, following the ousting of the former president, Fernando Lugo.

Venezuela's foreign minister Elías Jaua stated that the purpose of the meeting was “to flesh out the structure” of the bank, including discussion on a timetable for capital contributions from member states and the process of appointing directorships. In the opening ceremony of the talks, Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patiño described the meeting as a “historic event”, and encouraged other nations in the region to consider joining the bank.

“The doors are open at the Bank of the South to other neighbouring countries,” Patiño stated.

The bank was first launched in December 2007, following calls from the former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez for an alternative to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, with a focus on financing infrastructure and social development projects in the region. The initiative was furthered in September 2009, when members formally agreed to provide start-up capital of US$20 billion.

On Wednesday, Patiño cited investment in roads and energy infrastructure on the continent as likely examples of projects to be undertaken by the bank once it becomes fully operational.

“Progress in Latin America will be tremendously enhanced by the birth of this wonderful institution,” he said.

Jaua described the bank as one of many initiatives “in the context of that beautiful experience of unity in diversity that is the Union of South American Nations.”

The bank is likely to become operational after representatives hold a second meeting in July, Venezuelan Finance Minister Nelson Merentes has told Venezuelan media.

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Venezuelan President Calls for Dialogue With Private Sector, “Special Economic Zones” and Streamlined Currency Exchange

By RYAN MALLETT-OUTTRIM
TAGS

Currency
Exchange rate
Private sector
Mérida, 26thApril 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government hopes to encourage more foreign investment and a better relationship with the business community, President Nicolas Maduro stated yesterday.

Announcing the creation of a “National Savings Fund for Foreign Exchange”, Maduro said the government hopes to make currency exchange easier not only for businesses, but also “travellers, students” and Venezuelans living abroad.

In a meeting with business leaders in Zulia state, Maduro indicated that changes to current currency controls are needed not only to “overcome the parallel dollar”, but also address a backlog of currency exchange applications.

According to Maduro, there are pending applications for currency exchanges at the government rate dating back to 2011.

He also invited the private sector to work more with the government to contribute to the “development of the productive forces and the country's economy”, and announced plans to create “Special Economic Zones” in some regions. These zones would be granted special tax conditions, as well as other incentives to encourage foreign investment. Although he gave few details, Maduro indicated that they would be modeled on those that developed during China's trade liberalisation of the 1980's.

Maduro stated that more details will be announced soon, and Finance Minister Nelson Merentes will hold a series of meetings with business leaders across the country from 2 May. The meetings will focus on issues related to currency exchange, though Maduro also stated that the government will prioritise tackling inflation.

“We are in a transition process towards building a socialist economic model that merits the promotion of a special plan of a productive economic revolution, and that includes the participation of different sectors,” he said.

Maduro described the private sector as having the financial and political freedom to participate in an “economic revolution” to raise productivity and self sustainability.

“We have a strong and powerful domestic market with purchasing capacity, because we have a population with job security, good income and strong wages...Now we need a production system to respond to this,” he said.

PUBLISHED ON APR 26TH 2013 AT 12.23PM