English Edition Nº 69 by Correo del Orinoco

Pg. g 7 | International

Pg. 8 | Opinion

Honduras reconciliation accord broken, according to ousted President Zelaya

Saul Landau and Nelson Valdez on changes in Cuba

FRIDAY | June 24, 2011 | No. 69 | Bs 1 | C ARACAS

ENGLISH EDITION The artillery of ideas

Humanizing prisons a priority for Venezuela

Historic Dudamel concert in LA

Prison riots have left Venezuela in a state of seige this week as the government tries to implement widespread reforms in the penitentiary system

Housing Mission advances Venezuela’s major public housing program, the “Grand Mission Housing Venezuela”, is entering its second phase in order to verify registrants and prioritize housing needs. The program sets to build 2 million new homes over the next 6 years and help those left displaced by torrential rains last year. This stage of the program counts on heavy community involvement and housing brigades to ensure the mission is conducted in a participatory, transparent way.

The National Guard and Ministry of Interior Relations and Justice have been attempting to quell a dangerous prison riot in a maximum security prison not far from the nation’s capital, Caracas. With an overriding principle of respect for human rights, government authorities have so far rescued thousands of prisoners who had been forced by gunpoint to obey criminal leaders running prison gangs. The incident comes as the government is undertaking a mass reform in the penitentiary structure, seeking to humanize and improve prison conditions and end internal mafias. Opposition forces and private media have attempted to manipulate the situation in an effort to destabilize the country. | pages 2-3

page 4

Politics

Wikileaks reveals Catholic Church role against Chavez A new lot of secret documents evidence the clergy’s efforts to oust the Venezuelan President. | page 5

Politics

President Chavez recovering well Despite media myths, the Venezuelan head of state is on the path to recovery and still in charge. | page 5

Social Justice

Successful Afro-descendents forum in Caracas Afro-descendents from around the world gathered in Venezuela this week. | page 6

A Law to punish past state crimes in Venezuela

n Tuesday, a draft law to punish politically-motivated state crimes from 1958-1998 was passed in first discussion by the Venezuelan National Assembly. From 1958 to 1988, the period of so-called “representative democracy”, thousands of Venezuelans from leftist movements were tortured, disappeared, murdered and persecuted. The draft law considers three main aspects; first, to discover what happened in each case of death and forced disappearance during that period; second, to ap-

ply justice so all those responsible are held accountable; and third, to honor victims’ families by including this part of Venezuelan history in curricula, making public the revolutionary struggle of the 70s, 80s and 90s in Venezuela. The law also aims to create a Commission of Truth and Justice, an investigation initiative made up of 8 members of different government criminal investigationrelated agencies and 9 families or friends of victims of the 1958-1998 state crimes. Additionally, the Law Against

Silence and Oblivion, as it is known, includes declassification of documents archived in police and military agencies, which will clarify the executions of at least 4,000 people. The whereabouts of over 1,000 disappeared people are also expected to be revealed. Besides torture and execution, state crimes include forced disappearances, which were first implemented in Venezuela under the government of Raul Leoni (1964-1969, Acción Democrática party). T/ YVKE

ustavo t Dudamel D d l will ill llead d the combined forces of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela - joined by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and community choruses - in a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, known as the “Symphony of a Thousand”, at the historic Shrine Auditorium for a spectacular performance with over 1000 musicians and singers. A roster of vocal soloists will also take part. This performance, which takes place February 4, 2012, is part of the LA Phil’s Mahler Project, in which Dudamel leads Mahler’s nine completed symphonies with the LA Phil and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela in the US and Caracas. In addition to these symphonic performances, the Mahler Project will also feature the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela on the Symphonies for Youth Concert Series, and will bring members of the Venezuelan group together with LA Phil musicians to perform on the chamber music series. Throughout the Mahler Project the Simon Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela will also engage in community and education events.

2 | Impact

NoÊÈ ÊUÊFriday, June 24, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Venezuelan Forces respond to gang violence, disarm prison State response to the current prison crisis in Venezuela has been based on a premise of respecting human rights and not engaging lethal violence, despite deadly force employed by some prisoners

n response to a confrontation last week between rival gangs in Venezuelan prison El Rodeo I, the Venezuelan government has sent state security forces to disarm gang members and “preserve the lives of other prisoners” in both El Rodeo I and El Rodeo II penitentiaries. The altercation – which left 22 prisoners dead and over 50 injured – has prompted the government to initiate a series of measures in order to take the Revolution into the nation’s jails and regain control of the country’s prison system. Vice-President Elias Jaua described the intervention by state forces as a ‘necessary’ measure and emphasized the government’s commitment to safeguarding the prisoner’s human rights. “This undertaking isn’t to massacre prisoners, it is to protect their lives from a small group that have wrested control of the internal management of the prison and have committed a massacre in the past few days - resulting in 21 deaths (now confirmed at 22)”, said Jaua. Combining both direct and ‘humanizing’ measures in order to address the problem, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last week also approved 413 million bolivars ($96 million) in order to completely reform the penitentiary system. The Vice-President also highlighted that the government is addressing the problem from a systematic point of view - “we are working so that our people have the best material conditions so that their children can move forwards and don’t end up in prison. In that exclusionary system, only the poor are sentenced”, he explained.

PRISONS EVACUATED, WEAPONS SEIZED Thousands of inmates were evacuated to other detention centers throughout the country when gangs put up violent resistance to the operation and a fire broke out in El Rodeo I. So far the total number of inmate casualties is unknown - two officers have lost their lives as a result of the violence. Vice-Minister of Prevention and Citizen Security for the Ministry of Interior Relations and Justice, Nestor Reverol, confirmed that the fire broke out in an ‘empty area’ of the prison and that no inmates were burned – as some sectors of the Venezuelan opposition have claimed. There are currently around 1000 prisoners remaining in each of the two prisons – with gang leaders in El Rodeo II refusing to cooperate with the Venezuelan authorities despite days of sustained dialogue. Friday los “Pranes” and el “Carro” – the two principal gangs

in the prison - have attacked officers and held other inmates hostage as they fight to keep control of the penitentiary. Venezuelan Human Rights Official Gabriela Ramirez confirmed that 90% of the prisoners that remain in El Rodeo II are under intense pressure from gang leaders and reported that rescued inmates stated they “wanted peace”. Calling on the leaders to abandon their violent attitudes and to turn themselves over to authorities, Ramirez reassured them that their human rights would be respected. “Please boys, we are waiting for you here, with hand on heart, for the lives of each one of you. We don’t even want you to scratch yourselves! We want you to come out in a decent condition and without any trauma”, she said to the prisoners. Following 6 hours of dialogue with inmates, Commander General of the Bolivarian National Guard, Motta Dominguez, confirmed that his forces had confis-

cated a total of; 7 semi-automatic guns, 5 shotguns, 20 pistols, 8 hand grenades, 45 kilos of cocaine, 5000 ammunition cartridges, 100 mobile phones and 12 kilos of marijuana the operation began on Friday. Venezuelan Defense Minister General Carlos Mata specified that Venezuelan forces had acted within the “framework of the law” to “guarantee the human rights of the inmates” and uphold the fundamental right to life. Reports suggest that the situation is calm in both detention centers, but that a hostile atmosphere prevails in El Rodeo II. The Bolivarian National Guard now has complete control over El Rodeo I. OPPOSITION AND PRIVATE MEDIA EXPLOIT SITUATION The National Assembly has confirmed this Monday that it will launch an investigation in response to allegations made by prisoners in El Rodeo against human rights organizations. Following their evacuation, some

prisoners have asserted that certain NGOs - in collaboration with private media outlets - deliberately and strategically fomented the violence within the prison. In a televised interview with state channel VTV, one of the prisoners – who wished to remain anonymous – stated that many opposition NGOs are communicating with ‘El Carro’ and informing them what steps to take in order to create a “crisis”. “The directions that they receive in the prisons come from a lot of opposition human rights groups, what they want is to create chaos in order to provoke a penitentiary emergency at a national level”, revealed the prisoner. Maria Mercedes Berthe, Director of Fundamental Rights for the Public Ministry, communicated that at this stage the government couldn’t categorically state whether these allegations held truth or not. “They are making these declarations in their capacity as witnesses. On the basis of this, we will keep investigating in order to find out the truth of these events”, announced Berthe. The Venezuelan opposition and their private media channels have received strong criticism for exploiting the situation for political gain and releasing inaccurate information surrounding the operation in an attempt to destabilize and discredit the government. Vice-President Elias Jaua condemned the inappropriate behaviour of some members of the opposition outside the penitentiary as an insult to the Venezuelan people. “There they are, taking photos and giving false hugs to the poor women agonizing over their sons inside El Rodeo...Wretches! Don’t play with the Venezuelan people’s pain”, implored Jaua. Venezuelans gathered at 10 am last Saturday morning in Plaza Madariaga, Caracas, in order to manifest their support for the Bolivarian National Guard and their actions in El Rodeo. As of today, the tense situation persists in El Rodeo. T/ COI P/ Agencies

NoÊÈ ÊUÊFriday, June 24, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Security

Behind the Venezuelan prison riots: the state of Venezuela’s prisons today O

ne week into a deadly prison riot at one of Venezuela’s most notorious urban prisons, government officials are continuing their efforts to bring the riot and kidnapping to a close through dialogue. Having already transferred the majority (2,500) of El Rodeo Prison’s inmates to nearby prisons, authorities said they are negotiating directly with the Pranes prison gang in an attempt to secure the release of the remaining 1,000 prisoners. Since clashes began late last Thursday night, the official death count includes one prisoner and two members of the National Guard. In addition, 38 people have been wounded- 18 prisoners and 22 members of the security forces. According to a National Guard spokesman, 36 inmates were “rescued” from “violent prisoners” on Monday afternoon, though gunshots were reported late Monday night. Another 39 were rescued on Tuesday. At midday Tuesday, the names of the 2,500 transferred prisoners were made public so as to calm uncertainty among prisoner’s families. PRISON VIOLENCE According to the International Center for Prison Studies (ICPS), the 43,461 people currently held in Venezuelan prisons place the country’s prison population rate at 149 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants. Countries in the region with higher prison population rates (based on the same per 100,000 figure) include the United States (743), Chile (305), Guyana (284), Brazil (253), Mexico (200), and Colombia (181). While Venezuela’s per capital prison rate is lower than some in the region, violent clashes are commonplace; with figures from an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) hearing that refer to 476 dead and 967 wounded in 2010 alone. A year earlier, the Venezuelan Prison Observatory (OVP), which receives funding from the US government, published their 2009 report placing the total number of prisoners killed and wounded that year at 366 and 635, respectively. While these figures are troubling,

they can be considered an improvement if compared to prison violence in 2008 (422 dead, 854 wounded) and 2007 (498 dead, 1,023 wounded). Overcrowding appears to be a major factor triggering Venezuela’s levels of prison violence. According to InsightCrime.com, Venezuela has the capacity to house 14,500 inmates in a total of 34 prisons nationwide, but with almost 44,000 prisoners the country is nearing three times as many prisoners as capacity to house them. El Rodeo I and II, for example, were originally designed to house 750 prisoners, one fifth of the actual 3,500 they were holding at the time riots began on Thursday. In late April of this year, prisoners at El Rodeo also took 22 officials hostage in what they claimed was a protest against a tuberculosis outbreak in the prison. Earlier this month, clashes between gangs at El Rodeo left 22 prisoners dead, and the recent spat of violence is said to have begun after government forces began a search and seizure operation to unarm El Rodeo’s prison population. The high prison populations reflect government attempts to satisfy the general population’s

frustrations with elevated crime rates across the country, especially in urban centers. The current government is making more of an effort than previous governments to combat corruption in the security forces and state institutions, as well as violence against women, and street violence. Meanwhile, it is also implementing a “prison humanization” program which includes a prison orchestra, cultural classes, job training, and allowing non-risk prisoners to leave prisons during the day. It is also encouraging community policing, with an emphasis on crime prevention. Unfortunately though, changes have been slow in coming. CONTEXTUALIZING PRISON VIOLENCE In April this year, Venezuela’s National Assembly unanimously passed a new Penitentiary Code bill aimed at reducing violent crime in the country’s prisons. According to Correo del Orinoco, the newly enacted legislation has four core principles: respect for human rights, the classification of inmates, the establishment of sanctions for those who violate accepted norms in the treatment of those serving time, and the de-

velopment of alternative sentences related to conditional freedom, study and work. Blanca Eekhout, vice president of the National Assembly, called for an end to gang-related prison violence, affirming that the current Venezuelan government’s efforts to “humanize prisons” are only possible if authorities are able to dismantle the “prison gangs that have become an institution within prison walls, a drama throughout the continent and throughout our history”. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Venezuelan National Assembly president Fernando Soto Rojas put the current prison violence into context. Referring specifically to El Rodeo, Rojas said, “What is happening in our prisons is not separate from a concrete, historical reality, above and beyond the responsibilities the revolution has” in bringing the current prison violence to a halt. “We want to know how these weapons, including weapons of war, entered the prisons, and this question must be investigated in depth, no matter who might fall (politically) as a result”, he said. OPPOSITION OPPORTUNISM Eekhout also accused the Ven-

ezuelan opposition of “opportunism” surrounding the El Rodeo prison violence, saying that opposition statements to the press have served only to heighten tension among prisoners’ families and are part of an “irresponsible, permanent attempt to destabilize” the country. Members of the Venezuelan opposition have jumped at the opportunity to highlight the suffering of poor and working families – the Chavez government’s base of support – people who have relatives confined in overcrowded prisons. These “opportunists,” she said, “are the vultures of Venezuelan politics. They have never respected the country, never believed in the capabilities of our people, and would love nothing more than to see another massacre against prisoners…like what we all saw in Catia (1992)”. On 27 November 1992, under the government of then president Carlos Andres Perez, Venezuelan authorities stormed El Reten de Catia – a Caracas prison built to temporarily house 700 prisoners but held 4,000 at the time – killing somewhere between 63 and 200 prisoners. According to Amnesty International, “the National Guard is alleged to have entered the prison [El Reten de Catia] firing indiscriminately”. Venezuelan Vice-President Elias Jaua went even further, calling opposition spokespeople who have in recent days visited the perimeters of El Rodeo “a miserable lot”. “There they are…taking their photos, giving fake embraces to the impoverished women who are living a great deal of anxiety, waiting to get information about their sons locked up in El Rodeo Prison”, he said. Jaua speculated that if a prison riot of this nature had occurred during “the 4th Republic” (19581998), “hundreds of prisoners would have already been killed, since the security forces would have been sent in at once to massacre prisoners”. T/ Juan Reardon www.venezuelanalysis.com

4 | Economy

NoÊÈ ÊUÊFriday, June 24, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Second stage of state Housing Mission underway in Venezuela Venezuela’s ambitious public housing program, “Grand Mission Housing Venezuela” is entering its second phase set to prioritize housing needs and verify those registered

his Monday, the second stage of Venezuela’s housing mission got underway in five of Venezuela’s states. With the initial phase now complete, 2000 teams of brigadiers will visit the families that registered during the first part of the mission in order to assess citizen’s living conditions and inform residents of how to participate in “Living-Venezuelan Assemblies”. Each team will be made up of 4 brigadiers; one registration brigadier to operate GPS technical equipment, one activist from the Francisco de Miranda Front, one member of the Bolivarian National Militia and one social movement spokesperson. “That means that 8000 brigadiers will visit the homes of 1,250,000 registered families”, informed Ricardo Menendez, Minister of Science, Technology and Intermediate Industries. The registration volunteer will enter the head of the family’s ID

number and the number of family members and their occupation onto the GPS system - as well as upload a photo and description of living conditions at the house. Satellite technology will also allow the GPS to register the geographical location of the residence. Brigadiers have an incredibly important role to play since their “work will be to propel communal organization”, informed Minister of Housing and Habitat Ricardo Molina. “It is the people that will advance the process, but with the technical and socio-political assistance of the revolutionary government”, he added. Brigadiers will work every day from 8 am to 4 pm, including

weekends. This will give them the opportunity to carry out visits to residents who are not available during the working week. Marlenis Gonzalez, a brigadier who participated in the first phase of the mission, specified that “it is a tough job. But we trust the mission, and this registration and verification process is important so that we know who is really in need of a house”. Community councils and brigadiers organized as “construction communes” will also take charge of building work. Earlier this month, thousands of brigadiers received official state certificates allowing them to receive appropriate safety clothing and equipment in order to begin construction.

It is expected to take approximately two months for the brigadiers to visit all the families residing in the 277 wards of the Capital District, Falcon, Miranda, Vargas and Zulia. Provided that the area in which they live is safe and not susceptible to landslides, Molina confirmed that families would also be offered the option of receiving state funding to renovate their existing family homes. Renovations include works such as refurbishing kitchens and bathrooms and the construction of new rooms and floors. Oswaldo Calandra who lives in Las Tunitas, Catia del Mar, said he had not been able to refurbish his family home due to his economic situation. “If I renovate, I don’t eat”, he said. “LIVING-VENEZUELAN” ASSEMBLIES AND POPULAR POWER The second phase of the housing mission involves the important step of creating “LivingVenezuelan” Assemblies. These community-based assemblies will be responsible for finding suitable land for construction and creating projects to address the housing problem in response to the needs of that particular neighbourhood. “Once they have been identified as members of a particular neighborhood, people can then

begin to organize themselves as communities in order to start collectively investigating a decisive solution to the housing problem”, stated Molina. Working under the coordination of the Housing Ministry, the Ministry of Communes and Social Protection, as well as the Ministry of Science, Technology and Intermediate Industries, these assemblies will begin to organize immediately. This Saturday, public ‘Informative Assemblies” were held throughout Venezuela to explain the second phase of the housing mission to the public. Speaking from the first Informative Assembly in Sucre, Petare, Vice-President Elias Jaua reiterated the importance of popular power in the housing project and emphasized the community’s role in prioritizing families to receive houses. “These priorities can only be established through the consciousness of every person registered in the mission”, declared Jaua. “The principal objective is life. To satisfy the basic requisites for life. A full life means to create the material conditions that allow oneself to develop as a human being”, he added. T/ COI P/ Agencies

Venezuela builds world’s third-longest bridge V

enezuela’s Minister of Transportation and Communications, Francisco Garces, announced that a 6.5-mile-long bridge being built across the Orinoco River would make it the world’s thirdlongest. The bridge, which has cost $2.5 billion to build and created 2,050 direct and 10,140 indirect jobs, will be the third across the famous Venezuelan river that runs through the Amazon forest. To date, the bridge is 44.92 percent complete, with 44 bridge pylons having been placed over the 6.5-mile stretch of this great

construction project, informed Garces on Tuesday. The third bridge over the Orinoco River is expected to be concluded by 2015, confirmed Garces, who also stated that it will be a “construction project without limits”. Additionally, he said that an aluminum industrial complex will be created alongside the bridge, as well as a oil refinery and a city. The bridge will join the populations of Caicara del Orinoco in the state of Bolivar and Cabruta in the state of Guarico and will create thousands of new job op-

portunities by improving business and transport in the region. The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in the region and the fifth-longest in the world, stretching 1,330 miles. It originates at the Cerro Delgado Chalbaud, in the Parima range in Amazonas state. The Orinoco basin has a surface area of 989,000 km2, of which 65 percent is in Venezuelan territory, while the remaining 35 percent is in Colombian territory. T/ VTV P/ Agencies

NoÊÈ ÊUÊFriday, June 24, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Wikileaks: Venezuelan clergy deﬁed Pope over efforts to oust Chavez

ope John Paul II, who was fast-tracked for sainthood earlier this year, ordered Venezuela’s clergy to stay out of efforts to topple President Hugo Chavez nearly 10 years ago but Venezuela’s church hierarchy defied him, with the encouragement of the administration of then-President George W. Bush, secret documents show. State Department cables that WikiLeaks obtained and shared with McClatchy Newspapers and other news organizations indicate that church officials at the Vatican briefed US diplomats on the pope’s concerns but acknowledged that the country’s Roman Catholic bishops were likely to ignore the orders. Nearly a decade later, relations between President Chavez and the church remain chilly, and the cables provide insight into how the antipathy became so deep: Catholic prelates not only were trying to unseat Chavez, but also were willing to defy directions from the pope to do so. “The Holy See is concerned about the prospect of civil violence in Venezuela in the coming months, and the pope himself has urged the Venezuelan bishops to ‘cool it’ on political activism and instead to encourage dialogue”, said a confidential cable that Jim Nicholson, who was then the US ambassador to the Vatican, sent Nov. 19, 2002, to the State Department. The cable came months after an April 11 coup in which top

Politics

tion and democratically-elected Presidente, Hugo Chavez. For the Catholic Church, Velasco’s effective blessing of the coup made hopes of a reconciliation with Chavez unlikely. “The Holy See fears a negative reaction to the fact that the cardinal archbishop of Caracas, Velasco Garcia, had signed a document at the Saturday inauguration of presidential usurper Carmona”, Nicholson wrote in a Nov. 22, 2002, cable recounting a meeting he’d had with Archbishop Jean Louis Tauran, the Vatican’s equivalent of a foreign minister.

military leaders captured Chavez and flew him out of Venezuela. Wealthy businessman Pedro Carmona declared himself president. In what became a major diplomatic controversy, the United States publicly supported the coup, even though Chavez had been elected to the presidency. Spain and the Vatican also were silent, evidencing complicity. VENEZUELA’S CATHOLICS IGNORE POPE In the document, Nicholson recounts meetings with the Holy See’s director for Caribbean affairs, Giorgio Lingua. The Vatican diplomat confessed to fears that violence soon would come to Venezuela and said the pope had ordered bishops to seek dialogue with Chavez, who himself had escalated tensions by referring to

the Catholic Church as a “cancer on Venezuelan society”. The pope’s message, however, largely was ignored. “Lingua, smiling, thought the message from the pope ‘might not have sunk in’”, the cable said. “He admitted that Cardinal Archbishop Antonio Ignacio Velasco Garcia of Caracas was perhaps too close to the coup plotters”. In a comment, the cable noted that “the continued activism of the Venezuelan clergy in the face of the pope’s caution does not surprise us”. Cardinal Velasco was at Carmona’s illegitimate swearing-in ceremony in the presidential palace, Miraflores, during the coup. Carmona was forced from office two days later during a mass popular uprising which rescued Venezuela’s democracy, constitu-

President Chavez recovers, approves funds for education

n Tuesday, President Hugo Chavez approved a budget of 647 million bolivares ($150 million) to invest in the renovation and construction of public schools in Venezuela during the 2011-2012 school-year. The directive, signed by President Chavez from his recovery bed in Havana, Cuba, highlights the efforts made by the Venezuelan government in the renovation, expansion and construction of educational centers, whose number will now increase to 11,569 under the coor-

dination of the Venezuelan Ministry of Education. Minister of Communication and Information Andres Izarra also informed on Tuesday that President Chavez had issued a communiqué expressing his regret for the death of Venezuela’s General Comptroller Clodosbaldo Russian, who died this week after a two-month coma from a brain aneurysm. President Chavez is recovering in Cuba after he underwent surgery last week in Havana to

remove a pelvic abscess while completing a tour to several Latin American countries, of which Cuba was the last stop. Several media outlets and anti-Chavez politicians in Venezuela and abroad have attempted to claim the Venezuelan President’s absence has created a “power vacuum” in Caracas. Nonetheless, Chavez is recovering well and conducting government operations from his current location. T/ Agencies

ONGOING TENSIONS Relations between Chavez and the church continued to decline, even after Velasco died on July 6, 2003. A confidential Oct. 19, 2004, cable underscored how deep those divisions had become, recounting an analysis of church-state relations from Cardinal Jose Castillo Lara, a Venezuelan who’d held numerous Vatican posts over 40 years and had recently retired and returned to his native land. Castillo Lara thought Chavez enjoyed the upper hand and that the church would “be less confrontational with the GOV” - the government of Venezuela - “than in previous years”. But he didn’t think that all bishops would conform. “He did not discount that certain bishops, working individually, might be more active with opposition groups”, the embassy noted.

CHURCH SEEKS US HELP TO OVERTHROW CHAVEZ In another confidential cable from January 2005, written by then-Ambassador to Caracas, William Brownfield, archbishop Baltazar Porras requested direct help from the US government to undermine Chavez’s government. “Porras suggested the United States be more public and notorious in its criticism against the Chavez government...Porras also said that the international community needs to work harder to contain Chavez and his plans to export the revolution”. According to the cable, “Porras described Chavez as a ‘long-term problem’” the US government should help “resolve”. The Venezuelan archbishop, known for his opposition to President Chavez, also offered the US Embassy “use of the Catholic Church to facilitate activities” against Chavez. With the Venezuelan government having veto power over the naming of bishops under a 1964 agreement, the Vatican didn’t name a successor to Velasco until 2006, after Pope John Paul II also had died. But the tensions between the Venezuelan government and the Catholic Church remain, as the hierarchy continues to play a major role in the opposition’s political agenda. T/ Kevin G. Hall and COI P/ Agencies

6 | Social Justice

NoÊÈ ÊUÊFriday, June 24, 2011

The artillery of ideas

Fourth International Forum of Afro-Descendents held in Caracas T

his past Sunday in the Hotel Alba, Caracas, more than 600 delegates gathered from around the globe to initiate the 4th International Meeting of Afro-Descendents and Revolutionary Transformations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Forum’s main agenda is the fight against racial discrimination and the role of social movements within that struggle. Announcing the international congress on Saturday, Venezuelan vice-president of the National Assembly, Aristobulo Isturiz, declared, “As of tomorrow and until the 22nd of June, we will be discussing in numerous work groups, the different problems that affect African populations”. The congressman also highlighted the importance of the event, as African and Indigenous peoples have historically been “the most exploited populations” in Latin America. In efforts to further consolidate regional integration, delegates announced that they will also submit the conclusions of the forum, under the format of the “Caracas Declaration”, to the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) – the counter Organi-

sets an important precedent, and sends a much stronger message than merely instigating progressive public policy. “There is a historical debt to pay with Afro-descendents, victims of exclusion and abandonment, especially where neo-liberalism is still a religion – as is the case in Colombia. This panorama impels us to become the protagonists of change - which is none other than the construction of socialism”, she added.

zation of American States (OAS) group due to be officially inaugurated on July 5th in Venezuela. The final document will recommend that CELAC officially recognize the important contributions made by African communities and their descendents to each Latin American nation – a factor which should be reflected in CELAC programs, confirmed Isturiz. SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: AGENTS OF CHANGE From Hotel Alba, Colombian

human rights activist Piedad Cordoba applauded the work of social movements in the region and emphasized their role as agents of change within the struggle for equality and justice in Latin America. When social movements are “conscious of their objectives, nothing can deter them”, she proclaimed. Highlighting the relationship between race and class, Cordoba also emphasized that the presence of ministers with African features in the Venezuelan government

COMMITTEE FOR HAITI The Colombian ex-senator will also play an important role in the Committee for Haiti, one of the initiatives announced at the forum. Other notable figures involved in the committee are Venezuelan Ambassador to Angola, Jesus Garcia, and Norma Romero, Spokesperson for the Network of Afro-Venezuelan Organisations (ROA). Constituted by “revolutionary afro-descendents”, the permanent committee will attend to the needs of the Haitian people – who orchestrated the only successful slave revolution in history and became the first independent

nation in Latin America. Thoughts and ideas relating to the Haitian committee and its development will be drafted up and discussed in the plenary session of the forum. “We are planning a visit to Haiti, a large group of us, in order to support our Haitian brothers and sisters from this division”, said Romero. Delegates from the forum have also disclosed that they will present a counter-initiative to the United Nations, who declared 2011 to be the “international year for people of African descent”. “One year is a very short amount of time, because the problems affecting Afro-descendents are numerous...that’s why we are insisting on having a decade for (people of) African descent”, announced Isturiz. Venezuelan Vice-President Elias Jaua, Minister of Interior Relations Nicolas Maduro and Parliamentary President Fernando Soto Rojas, have also been present at the forum. T/ COI P/ Agencies

Venezuela’s ﬂood victims hold national sports competition O

n Sunday thousands of Venezuelans left homeless during last year’s record-setting rains launched the inaugural season of Venezuela’s Inter-Shelter Games, a national sporting competition between residents of flood-victim shelters. Convened by Venezuela’s Ministry of Sports, over 12,000 people representing 915 shelters in 14 states converged on the main gymnasium of Caracas’ Fuerte Tiuna (a military base within the capital district’s city limits) to kick off Sunday’s sporting event. “These games are an important tool for social transformation, to construct a more just and egalitarian society, and these events are part of a larger effort underway by the Bolivarian government”, said Venezuela’s Minister of Sports and Recreation Hector Rodriguez.

As part of government efforts to dignify life within public shelters for flood-victims, residents have been encouraged to establish ‘Sports and Recreation Committees’. Once committees and

teams are formed, Venezuela’s Ministry of Sports and Recreation provides the necessary sporting equipment based on specific team needs (soccer balls, basketball hoops, etc.), with participation in

the National Inter-Shelter Games intended to further motivate shelter residents. Organized into three different age groups (under 12, 12 to 16, and over 16), the shelter-based sports teams on Sunday faced off in friendly competitions of chess, dominoes, track and field, basketball, kickball, volleyball, soccer, indoor soccer, handball and bolas criollas (a popular Venezuelan sport with roots in Italy’s bocce ball). “We’ve been practicing for over a month”, said 13 year-old chess player Ana Rosales. “I think it’s nice to compete with others because I learn a lot”. While the official inauguration was held in Caracas, the National Inter-Shelter Games are also currently underway in over a dozen states including Falcon, Merida, Trujillo, Sucre, Tachira, Zulia,

Nueva Esparta, Vargas, and Miranda. In Vargas, for example, some 1,300 athletes from 26 different shelters are participating in the national games. In Caracas, meanwhile, over 800 shelterbased sports teams came together on Sunday to compete in 22 different neighborhoods. Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Vargas state governor Jorge Luis Garcia Carneiro said, “These games are intended to extend ties of unity, brotherhood, and love among those people who lost their homes because of the rains”. Over 120,000 Venezuelans are currently living in public shelters established by the Chavez government in the aftermath of last year’s torrential rains and floods. T/ Juan Reardon www.venezuelanalysis.com

NoÊÈ UÊFriday, June 24, 2011

The artillery of ideas

International | 7 |

Honduran President denies “secret pact” with Venezuela lished his own interpretation of the cable on Fox news, in which he accuses, without evidence, President Chavez of trying to “sow chaos in Honduras so it is hospitable territory for his partners in the illegal drug trade and a headache for the United States and Mexico”.

Following claims made by US newspaper El Nuevo Herald last week, the Honduran government has denied that it made a “secret pact” with Venezuela to implement “Socialism of the 21st Century” in the Central American nation

ast Friday, the US daily published an article alleging that an agreement had been made between the current Honduran President, Porfirio Lobo, and Venezuelan business ambassador, Ariel Vargas, during a secret meeting held at the Venezuelan Embassy in Tegucigalpa on the 15th of May. Citing a “diplomatic cable” from Caracas, the article contended that Lobo had privately pledged to call a popular referendum on the formation of a Constituent Assembly, but that he could not do it “openly” for fear of “meeting the same fate” as ousted president Manuel Zelaya. The article also claims that Lobo asked for Chavez’s “patience” while he neutralized opposition to reforms within his own conservative Nationalist party and the Honduran Catholic church. In a public event in the capital of Honduras, Lobo confirmed

that the meeting had taken place but said that no such pact had been made. “Read what it says in the cable, because what the cable says and what other people are saying are two different things...For example, you read the cable, I don’t see any hidden pact”, he stated, adding that “at times not everything that the media reports is correct, because the message changes”. Honduran Vice-President Maria Antonieta Guillen also denied the newspaper’s claims and drew attention to the fact that President Lobo had reiterated that he would not “promote the extreme positions” that had “divided the Honduran

people” in the past few years. “There is an agreement, the Cartagena Agreement, which is the one that has been signed - and the only agreement that has been signed”, said Guillen. Despite the Honduran government’s rejection of the claims, the article has caused alarm within the Honduran rightwing, with most mainstream media reporting that “there was a secret agreement”. Former US diplomat and exrepresentative of USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and the OAS (Organization of American States) Roger Noriega also recently pub-

REPRESSION Following the 2009 coup against democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya – due to his proposal to convoke a popular referendum on the establishment of a Constituent Assembly - Lobo was elected in highly contested elections, dubbed illegitimate by Zelaya and other Latin American leaders. A wealthy landowner, Lobo stood for president against Zelaya in 2005 and lost. Since taking office in January 2010 he has been accused of widespread repression, stifling resistance and carrying out politically motivated murders. Oxfam also reports a 60% rise in cases of femicide since the coup. ZELAYA CONDEMNS VIOLATION OF CARTAGENA ACCORD Although he did not comment on the reports of a “secret pact”, ousted President Manuel Zelaya rejected the “violation” of the Cartagena Agreement following the detention and house arrest of former member of his administration, Enrique Flores Lanza arrested on charges of embezzle-

ment, fraud and falsification of public documents. Lanza accompanied Zelaya when he re-entered the country on the 28th of May and was subsequently detained when a judge reactivated an arrest warrant ordered by the de-facto Micheletti regime in the aftermath of the coup. Brokered in a joint effort between Colombian President Manuel Santos and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez, the Cartagena Agreement signed in May guarantees the safety and freedom of Zelaya and his former government - as well as suspending all detention orders against them. “It is an evident violation of the Cartagena pact...only two weeks after having signed it... [this] really raises controversy over the willingness of Porfirio Lobo’s government to comply [with this agreement]”, said Zelaya. The Honduran “People’s National Resistance Front” (FNRP) have welcomed the return of Zelaya but stated that they refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Lobo regime. Last week Honduran police reported to have found a communal grave when the remains of 15 people – one of whom a trade unionist – were located in northern Honduras. T/ Rachael Boothroyd P/ Agencies

Humala to visit Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela P

resident-elect Ollanta Humala will visit Bolivian President Evo Morales in La Paz on Tuesday, as part of a series of trips in South America by Peru’s incoming president. Humala said that Peru and Bolivia are aiming to more closely integrate their Andean nations. Peru and Bolivia share a native indigenous group, known as the Aymara people. “Integration is very important. Bolivia and Peru share a long history”, Humala told reporters on Sunday. He also indicated that he closely shares President Morales’ view of Latin American “integration and union”. Humala, a 48-year-old former military officer, won the June 5th

runoff vote and will take office on July 28th. Since winning the vote, Humala has visited various nations in South America, beginning with members of Mercosur,

the Market of the South, of which Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay are full members and Venezuela is an associate. Next week, Humala will visit

Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, his office said. Credit Suisse said in a report Monday that earlier Humala “had showed affinity for the policies of the left-leaning presidents of Bolivia, Venezuela, and Ecuador but, during the campaign ahead of the second round, Humala sought to distance himself from these socialist economic frameworks. In the coming days, we will pay close attention to Humala’s rhetoric to see to what extent he may still agree with some of the radical policies being implemented in these countries”. Separately, pollster IpsosApoyo said Sunday that Humala has a 70% approval rating, with 17% disapproving of Humala’s

work so far while 13% didn’t respond. Humala said Sunday that what is more important is the approval rating he has when his five-year term ends. “I am going to make an effort to maintain this (a high approval rating). I think that it can be done if one tries to be coherent with what was said during the campaign”, Humala told reporters. Humala’s original governing plan outlined a radical series of proposals, but during the campaign he released more policy statements that moderated his platform. T/ Robert Kozak P/ Agencies

FRIDAY | June 24, 2011 | No. 69 Bs 1 | C ARACAS

ENGLISH EDITION The artillery of ideas

A publication of the Fundacion Correo del Orinoco • Editor-in-Chief | Eva Golinger • Graphic Design | Alexander Uzcátegui, Jameson Jiménez • Press | Fundación Imprenta de la Cultura

OPINION Realism and Necessity in Havana (not Washington)

The reshaping of Cuba “Revolution is grasping the historic moment, changing all that should be changed.” Fidel Castro

fter more than half a century some myths need dispelling about US-Cuba relations and Washington’s demand for “changes”. On the Cuban Revolution Ernest Hemingway said: “I think the people [of Cuba] now have a decent moment and I don’t believe that they ever had one before. (“Lo que dice el novelista Hemingway”, Noticias de Hoy, January 25, 1959) In Washington, Hemingway’s description amounted to naïve idealism, tolerating unacceptable behavior from an upstart bunch of rebels. Hemingway, however, lived in Cuba, and understood what the State Department feared. Fidel and company took independence and social justice seriously. To accomplish these agenda items, Cuba began to treat US properties disrespectfully (real estate, agribusiness, utilities and telephone and banks). In March 1960, before the Soviet Union entered the equation as a major player, President Eisenhower ordered the CIA to overthrow the revolutionary government. This plan morphed into a terror war before and after the April 1961 Bay of Pigs fiasco. In October 1960, US Ambassador Phillip “Bonsal turned up one Thursday looking very serious. He brought Ernest an important, although informal message from Washington D.C. The US government was beginning to think very seriously of breaking off diplomatic relations with Cuba”, wrote Hemingway’s granddaughter. Washington wanted him to “terminate his residence in Cuba”, and “also publicly declare his displeasure with the Castro government”. Valerie Danby, who worked for Hemingway, recalled that Bonsal agreed with Hemingway, “but added that in Washington they saw

things differently and that he could find himself obliged to face reprisals. He was exposing himself to being considered a traitor”. (Valerie Hemingway, Running with Bulls: My Years with the Hemingways – Ballantine, 2003). In his January 2, 1961 speech, Castro demanded Washington reduce its embassy staff in Havana from some 300 to 11, the number of Cuban diplomats in Washington. Eisenhower used that remark as a pretext to break relations. In reality, Cuba’s nationalizing of US property (even with offers of payments) went beyond the pale. In 1954, Ike had ordered the CIA to axe the Guatemala government under President Arbenz for lesser “offenses”. The impressive US record for using violence in Latin America to maintain its hegemony (Monroe Doctrine and Roosevelt Corollary) has endured for half a century during which US officials tried or encouraged Cuban exiles to assassinate the Cuban president, and sabotage strategic Cuban installations: terrorism. Ironically, Washington has continued to accuse Cuba of human rights violations (rights more sacred than life?), subversion and terro-

rism. Cuba’s crime from the outset of the revolution was disobedience. Washington punished. This pattern will continue, unless Cuba “adjusts” (unlikely) to US demands: surrender. China, Brazil, Russia and Spain (Venezuela gives oil aid), however, have, by making substantial investments, acknowledged steps taken by President Raul Castro to move the economy and political structure of the island into the 21st Century because he and most Cubans recognize that as necessary. As Cuba’s economy opens to different forms of enterprise, the State has begun to decentralize its power bases toward provincial and municipal governments, better equipped to manage the changing economy. In small cities like Remedios and Caibarien local governments oversee development projects, and keep half the income and taxes generated by the new local enterprises. Norway has provided assistance for such local community initiatives in

larger cities including Havana. The US media has not reported on such efforts, nor has it explored the implications behind a TV series showing US officials in Cuba delivering sophisticated communications equipment to Cuban agents. Cuban police surreptitiously filmed these activities, but didn’t arrest either the Americans involved or the Cubans who received the equipment. Was Cuba sending a message to Washington? The US media also hasn’t covered Cuba’s state-controlled media’s opening of space for criticism. Juventud Rebelde now includes astute columnists like Jose Alejandro Rodriguez and Luis Sexto (a Progreso Weekly contributing columnist) and publishes harsh opinions of Cubans confronting the vicissitudes of daily life. Granma, the Communist party daily, prints citizens’ complaints against administrators and bureau-

cratic inefficiency. Indeed, state officials now feel social pressure to respond publicly to such grievances. Radio Progreso’s “Punto de Vista” deals with demands to which the government has not responded. Radio Rebelde’s noontime “Hablando Claro” holds debates and offers criticisms of public services, and routine economic mishaps. At a monthly forum discussion of the magazine TEMAS on the proposed economic changes an uninvited guest joined the debate. The debate moderator recognized the famous (in the US, not in Cuba) anti-government blogger Yoani Sanchez (despite her blonde wig and dark glasses), and asked for her opinions. The audience laughed and replied to her remarks. Cuba in 2011 has also become “Bloggers Island”. In the widely read Catholic Espacio Laical, blog academics and Party members share thoughts. Two Cuban bishops reflected this new dialogue at a meeting with other clergy in Uruguay. “The country [Cuba] is taking steps not exactly like those in the past. This indicates it is possible for us to achieve a democracy with our own characteristics and with its own way of governing”. (Bishops Juan de Dios Hernández and Emilio Aranguren, La República, Montevideo, May 21, 2011). Washington (deaf to the Bishop’s words) demands did not provoke Cuba’s moves toward decentralization and her opening of space for expression and non-State initiatives. Necessity, not US posturing, triggered these moves. Despite President Barack “Change” Obama’s lack of response, Cuba will continue to pursue much needed reforms. Saul Landau and Nelson Valdes Saul Landau’s feature-length film WILL THE REAL TERRORIST PLEASE STAND UP is distributed by CinamaLibreStudio.com. Nelson Valdes is Professor Emeritus, University of New Mexico.