Venezuela News Review 08.04.06
By Aleksander Boyd
- AP reports "The State Department accused Caracas city officials of complicity Friday in an attack on the car of U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield in the Venezuelan capital. Pro-government activists bombarded Brownfield's car with fruit and vegetables and a group of motorcyclists chased the convoy, at times pummeling the vehicles with their fists."
- Canadian Broadcasting Corporation misreported the state in which the Faddould brothers and its driver were found, arguing that they were naked. Vcrisis sources in Venezuela report that the lawyer of the Faddoul family, who is a relative of theirs, denied the bodies were nude.
- The Chavez regime, through Alvin Lezama Pereira director of Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL), urged news channel Globovision to comply with articles of the Gag Law, known as Ley de Responsabilidad Social en Radio y Televisión.
- President of Globovision Guillermo Zuloaga Núñez politely replied citing constitutional rights to maintain a constant flow of information, even if it affects the 'image' of the administration.
- Stabroek News reports "Netherlands Defence Minister Henk Kamp, who had told the Dutch Parliament that Mr Chavez was looking "with big eyes" at the Netherlands Antilles. According to the Associated Press, Mr Chavez dismissed the suggestion as ridiculous, and described it as "a worldwide campaign of the United States against us." As for Mr Kamp, the President said he was "a pawn of Washington."
- Venezuela's Attorney General Isaias Rodriguez informed that Edgar Ricardo Velásquez Martínez, Julia Maibely Carter Tovar, Franklin Eduardo Aular Martínez, Luvis Eneida Márquez Machado and Richard José Betancourt Febres have been arrested in connection with the Faddoul brothers assassination.
- The yearly deployment and naval exercise of US military in the Caribbean represents, according to some media, threats against Hugo Chavez. Chavista analysts, such as tax fraudster Eva Golinger, argue that these psychological warfare attempts seek to destabilise her boss' regime.
- Spanish Minister of Defence Jose Bono has been dismissed by Rodriguez Zapatero amid disagreements over Catalunya's Independence Estatute and the fawning relationship that Zapatero maintains with the Chavez regime. Bono shall be replaced by José Antonio Alonso.
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