Chavez boasts rapid response ... government media failing to highlight advances
VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports: During a break at the Council of Ministers meeting last night, President Chavez linked up by phone to VTV TV presenter Tania Diaz. The main topic of the talk was to announce decrees regarding finishing priority works in Venezuela's ailing electricity sector before the Christmas deadline. Before officially swearing in the new Minister for Electrical Energy, Angel Rodriguez, Chavez issued details of works and money allotted to each insisting that the timetable be complied with and calling on employees and workers to join together in getting the job done.
Chavez was at great pain to announce that his government was not scared of problems and was showing rapid response to each crisis, pointing to recent improvements in the health system, rebooting the barrio Adentro plan, filling public hospitals with supplies and tackling water and electricity deficiencies.
Continuing on his campaign to save energy, Chavez ratified his intention of rewarding households and companies that managed to reduce use of electricity with lower tariffs. One of the immediate measures to come into effect today is an import ban on air-conditioning machines that consume too much energy. Ministries must cut energy use by 20% and Chavez has committed a 50% savings in energy at Miraflores Palace starting today.
The President also scolded ministries and dropped a major hint to his government's news agencies such as Information & Communications (Minci) Ministry, ABN and multiple press offices at ministries that they were not making known advances in the economy and social affairs.
Minister vice presidents of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Rafael Ramirez, Nicolas Maduro) were pulled up for failing to develop the fronts, that is to say, mass movements of students, peasants, workers that are not necessarily linked to the party's Socialist patrols.
The situation with Colombia and the US bases in Colombia were obligatory material for discussion and the President focused on the Colombian government's surrender of national sovereignty to the USA reminding listeners of the stand-off between Simon Bolivar and Santander that eventually lead to the breakup of the Gran Colombia and how Santander invited the Yanks to the Congress in Panama despite the rabid opposition of Bolivar who wanted the congress to unite the Spanish speaking republics of South America,
Tachira State Governor Cesar Perez Vivas came under the spotlight criticized for his frequent visits to Colombia and invitation to the Colombian government to help him with border problems, The Colombians themselves must resolve their own conflicts, Chavez proclaimed, and Venezuela will not accept any paramilitary activity on its side of the border. Perez Vivas, Chavez continued, is in favor of the US-Bogota "half-moon" separatist thesis involving Zulia and Tachira State. According to Chavez, Merida is another target.
During the show Chavez and the Ministers were shown a video in which former Colombian President Ernesto Samper expressed concerns about the military weaponry that will be used in the Palanqueros base in Northern Colombia.
State Governor Perez Vivas was warned that he could be joining other opposition figures seeking asylum in Peru if he continues to defy the national government and continue sabotaging efforts to defend national sovereignty.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue
news.editor@vheadline.com
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