Two former Puerto Rico law enforcement officers sentenced for scheme to smuggle heroin to inmates

Two former Puerto Rico law enforcement officers sentenced for

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 11:13 AM

Caribbean News Now!: News From Puerto Rico

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Two former Puerto Rico law enforcement officers sentenced for scheme to smuggle heroin to inmates

March 8, 2014

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A former state marshal and a correctional officer in Puerto Rico were sentenced on Thursday for attempting to smuggle heroin to inmates in exchange for payment. Joel Torres-Velazquez, 49, was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison.

• First utility-scale solar photovoltaic installation completed in Panama
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• Commentary: To march or not to march; to play mas or not to play mas!

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US: Central America/Mexico corridor still main route for smugglers

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 11:12 AM

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US: Central America/Mexico corridor still main route for smugglers — by far A new U.S. State Department report suggests that the Central America/Mexico corr ... PR to issue $3B in GO bonds; deal will bring constitutional debt limit into play

Issued: March 7, 2014 CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela is coming under increasing international scrutiny amid violence that most recently killed a National Guardsma ...

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Governor: Panel to tackle brain drain, informal economy, labor participation

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 11:11 AM

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Governor: Panel to tackle brain drain, informal economy, labor participation Alejandro García Padilla announced Friday the creation of a working group to dra ...

Issued: March 7, 2014 LOS ANGELES — Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto said Thursday that he is not the creator of bitcoin, adding further mystery to the story of h ...

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Protests continue after Venezuelan diplomatic win

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 11:11 AM

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Protests continue after Venezuelan diplomatic win Issued: March 8, 2014 CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelans returned to the streets in protest Saturday, while the government continued to celebrate a diplomatic victo ...

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Caricom bloc leaders to eye economic benefits of marijuana legalization

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 11:11 AM

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Caricom bloc leaders to eye economic benefits of marijuana legalization GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Researchers with a Caribbean trade bloc have found that dec ...

Issued: March 10, 2014 Sea Star Line LLC and Horizon Lines LLC have agreed to resolve allegations ... James Driscoll matched the Puerto Rico Open record with a 9-under 63 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead after the second round. Obama: West won't let Kremlin carve up Ukraine WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama ordered the West's first sanctions in response to Russia's military takeover of Crimea on Thursd ...

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Paulson & Co. paying $260 million for Condado Vanderbilt, La Concha hotels

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 11:10 AM

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Paulson & Co. paying $260 million for Condado Vanderbilt, La Concha hotels Paulson & Co. Inc, a New York-based investment firm, confirmed Monday that i ... Encanto Group buys in Palmas del Mar, plans to spend $200M in development The Encanto Group investment firm has acquired properties and the marina within ...

Inter American University of Puerto Rico has signed a heads of agreement wi ... CNBC has published a column by Francisco De Armas, principal at Caribbean I ... Issued: March 10, 2014 Puerto Rican attorney, author and human rights activist Luis Nieves Falcón died early Monday morning after a long battle with leukemia. He w ... Issued: March 10, 2014 The Teachers Federation is poised to strike if the Puerto Rico Supreme Court allows pension reform to stand. More choices, more rides bring transit renaissance Issued: March 10, 2014 LOS ANGELES — With more trains and buses to take, and the appeal of using travel time for pursuits other than dodging traffic, Americans are ... Colorado collects $2M in recreational pot taxes Issued: March 10, 2014 DENVER — Colorado made roughly $2 million in marijuana taxes in January, state revenue officials reported Monday in the world's first ac ... Razor thin margin in El Salvador presidential vote Issued: March 10, 2014 SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Authorities in El Salvador began the final count of votes Monday in a presidential runoff whose razor-close marg ...

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Survey: Sluggish 2Q job market for PR

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 10:52 AM

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Survey: Sluggish 2Q job market for PR Employers in Puerto Rico expect to hire at a sluggish pace during the second qua ...

PR university students launch rocket Issued: March 11, 2014 A group of engineering students from San Juan’s Polytechnic University have ... American Airlines and JetBlue Airways Corp. are ending an agreement that allowed travelers to add connections to their itinerary on each oth ... Democrats clock all-nighter with climate talk Issued: March 11, 2014 WASHINGTON — Democratic senators clocked an all-nighter, working in shifts into Tuesday morning to warn of the devastation from climate chan ... States wrestle with developing, restricting drones Issued: March 11, 2014 BRIGHAM CITY, Utah — Law enforcement, government agencies and others are itching to use drones for everything from finding lost hikers to tr ... Global growth forecast to remain sluggish Issued: March 11, 2014 PARIS — A leading international economic body is warning global growth is likely to remain sluggish as a slowdown in the developing world un ... Ukraine's Crimea seeks to become independent state Issued: March 11, 2014 KIEV, Ukraine — The Crimean parliament has voted that the Black Sea peninsula will declare itself an independent state if its residents vote ... How can a jetliner disappear? In the ocean, it’s not that hard Issued: March 10, 2014 KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — In an age when people assume that any bit of information is just a click away, the thought that a jetliner could si ...

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PR ramps up bond sale to full $3.5B as demand for junk-rated GOs skyrockets

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 10:51 AM

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PR ramps up bond sale to full $3.5B as demand for junk-rated GOs skyrockets With demand for Puerto Rico’s bonds outstripping demand by more than four times ...

Police officer slain in line of duty Issued: March 11, 2014 A police officer was slain and another wounded in a gun battle in Humacao t ... Andrew Loupe faced an unexpected hazard during his final round at the Puerto Rico Open over the weekend. Issued: March 10, 2014 Orders for Puerto Rico’s record $3 billion bond issue opened Monday as the cash-strapped island government returns to the U.S. municipal bon ... Haitians sue UN over cholera epidemic Issued: March 11, 2014 NEW YORK — A new lawsuit has been filed by 1,500 Haitian plaintiffs against the United Nations over a cholera outbreak that has killed thous ...

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Experts: Bond deal buys PR some time

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 10:51 AM

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Experts: Bond deal buys PR some time Financial industry professionals were weighing in Tuesday on Puerto Rico’s recor ... PR fiscal team touts $3.5B bond sale Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla and top fiscal officials lauded the Go ...

Employers in Puerto Rico expect to hire at a sluggish pace during the secon ... Governor: No public employee layoffs Issued: March 11, 2014 Gov. Alejandro García Padilla reiterated Tuesday that government layoffs ar ... Top court appointment ‘very advanced’ Issued: March 11, 2014 The process of picking a replacement for outgoing Supreme Court Chief Justi ... Issued: March 11, 2014 A group of engineering students from San Juan’s Polytechnic University have developed and successfully launched a high-powered rocket from P ... Inter American University of Puerto Rico has signed a heads of agreement with Airways New Zealand for the establishment of an air traffic co ... CNBC has published a column by Francisco De Armas, principal at Caribbean Investment and Acquisition Corp., in which he makes the case for a ... The Encanto Group investment firm has acquired properties and the marina within the sprawling Palmas del Mar resort complex in Humacao. Ways eyed to make planes easier to find in ocean Issued: March 11, 2014 WASHINGTON — For nearly five years, government and industry officials have been exploring a variety ways to make it easier to find airliners ... 50 years later, New York murder still fascinates Issued: March 11, 2014 NEW YORK — Kitty Genovese's screams for help couldn't save her on the night she was murdered outside her apartment in 1964. Fifty ye ... Mexican vigilante movement split by disputes Issued: March 11, 2014 MEXICO CITY — Mexico's vigilante "self-defense" groups have been riven by internal disputes after driving the vicious Knights ... Official: Biden exploring mediation for Venezuela Issued: March 11, 2014 VALPARAISO, Chile — US Vice President Joe Biden has been discussing the "difficult situation" in Venezuela with other Latin Americ ...

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Lawmakers Criticize Latin American Democracies for Inaction in Venezuela - Washington Free Beacon

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 10:50 AM

Alba Bloc - Google News

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Lawmakers Criticize Latin American Democracies for Inaction in Venezuela Washington Free Beacon Maduro and former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez have long used their countries' immense oil and gas reserves to expand the influence of its socialistALBA bloc, which includes authoritarian governments in Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba, and Nicaragua.

Argentina Aligned With Venezuela Goes to Bed With Iran - Guardian Liberty Voice

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 10:49 AM

Alba Bloc - Google News

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Guardian Liberty Voice

Argentina Aligned With Venezuela Goes to Bed With Iran Guardian Liberty Voice The socialist ALBA bloc, which consists of Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia, has strengthened a wave of unprecedented anti-Americanism throughout Latin America. ALBA member countries have thrown out US diplomats and closed US-led counter...

Venezuela: Demonstrations Continue, Gov't Reiterates Call for Dialogue - InSerbia News

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 10:49 AM

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InSerbia News

Venezuela: Demonstrations Continue, Gov't Reiterates Call for Dialogue InSerbia News Regardless, the 29-3 vote showed that the bloc aims for peace and dialogue, not intervention of any kind. The OAS' statement mirrored the statements and thoughts, albeit not as strongly, of other regional unions like the South American UNASUR, MERCOSUR ... and more »

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Venezuela: US Leadership Needed Eurasia Reviewby The Heritage Foundation

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 10:49 AM

Alba Bloc - Google Blog Search

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Via the socialist ALBA bloc—composed of Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Bolivia—the government of Venezuela has spearheaded the unprecedented wave of anti-Americanism in Latin America. ALBA member countries ...

Report: US investigating clerical abuse in Puerto Rico; bishop accused

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 10:47 AM

Puerto Rico Newswire

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A wave of abuse allegations has swept the island since January, according to the wire service.

Gateway to the Russian invasion by CNNInternational

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 10:46 AM

PR Videos - Review

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	Gateway to the Russian invasion  CNN's Anna Coren travels to Kerch where Russian troops are moving in.	From: CNNInternational Views: 1      0 ratings
	Time: 02:06	More in News & Politics

James Tuller discute problema de la criminalidad en Vieques

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 9:31 AM

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El Jefe de la Policía se reunió con el alcalde de Vieques, Víctor Emeric, y con el comisionado especial para el Desarrollo Sostenible para Vieques y Culebra, Carlos Severino

El superintendente de la Policía, James Tuller Cintrón, se reunió con el alcalde de Vieques, Víctor Emeric, y con el comisionado especial para el Desarrollo Sostenible para Vieques y Culebra, Carlos Severino. (Archivo)

El superintendente designado de la Policía, James Tuller Cintrón, se reunió hoy, viernes, con el alcalde de Vieques, Víctor Emeric, y con el comisionado especial para el Desarrollo Sostenible para Vieques y Culebra, Carlos Severino.

Tuller dialogó con los funcionarios sobre la incidencia criminal en esa isla municipio, donde varias muertes violentas se han vinculado a pugnas de grupos implicados en el trasiego de sustancias controladas.

La Policía informó también en un comunicado de prensa que Tuller entregó dos patrullas para el uso de los agentes estatales en la isla municipio. Uno de los vehículos es una unidad nueva que fue adquirida con fondos federales. La otra es patrulla usada, recién restaurada.

“Queremos dotar a nuestros agentes con todas las herramientas necesarias para que puedan cumplir en labor con el mismo compromiso que los caracteriza y con sentido de urgencia que venimos dándole a nuestra gestión”, declaro Tuller Cintrón.

Sobre los planes anticrimen discutidos entre los funcionarios para bajar las querellas de Delitos Tipo I, no se reveló nada en el parte de prensa.

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Puerto Rico has become ungovernable | Law enforcement, government agencies and others are itching to use drones for everything... - CB | Laser-Pointing Case Leads To 14-Year Sentence

States wrestle with developing, restricting drones

By : The Associated Press

cbprdigital@gmail.com

BRIGHAM CITY, Utah — Law enforcement, government agencies and others are itching to use drones for everything from finding lost hikers to tracking shifting wildfires. But privacy watchdogs are urging state legislatures to step in and head off any potential privacy violations.

Everyone agrees Puerto Rico has become ungovernable

By : MELINDA K. ROMERO-DONNELLY & ROSARIO FAJARDO

melinda@caribbeanbusiness.pr; rosario@caribbeanbusiness.pr; cbprdigital@gmail.com

Edition: March 6, 2014

Policía integra trata humana a los delitos tipo I

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 4:06 PM

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Por <a href="http://Primerahora.com" rel="nofollow">Primerahora.com</a> 03/12/2014 | 02:12 p.m.

La Policía comenzó a reportar en los pasados días los delitos de trata humana en las estadísticas de crímenes Tipo I.

La orden fue impartida por el superintendente designado de la Policía, James Tuller, mediante carta a los carteles de distrito, según informó la senadora Rossana López, quien preside la Comisión de Derechos Civiles, Participación Ciudadana y Economía Social del Senado de Puerto Rico.

“Desde el primero de enero de 2013, el Negociado Federal de Investigación (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés) incorporó dos instancias del crimen de trata humana: el 'comercial sex acts' y el 'involuntary servitude' dentro de las estadísticas que recopila de los servicios de policía de los estados y territorios de Estados Unidos, mediante el programa Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR). Por lo tanto, desde el 2013, la trata humana es un delito Tipo I y no estaba siendo integrado a las estadísticas por la Policía de Puerto Rico. Sin embargo, gracias a la diligencia del superintendente designado Tuller, ya este vil crimen está siendo monitoreado”, indicó en declaraciones escritas.

Con la directriz impartida, los cuarteles deberán remitir a la División de Estadísticas de la Criminalidad de la Policía todo caso reportado en violación a los estatutos relacionados a la trata humana en la isla. El delito será contabilizado junto a los asesinatos, el principal crimen categorizado como de Tipo I.

Según la senadora, el incumplimiento de la Policía fue identificado durante unas vistas públicas realizadas hace varios días en la que se evaluó un proyecto que enmienda la “Ley para la Seguridad, Bienestar y Protección de Menores”, con el propósito de añadir la trata humana en cualesquiera de sus modalidades como una de los formas de maltrato.

Dijo que establecer estadísticas no resuelve el problema, “sin embargo, brinda dirección a la hora de identificar patrones de abusos para desarrollar estrategias que sí ayuden a la erradicación de este terrible crimen”.

Estimados de la Organización para la Seguridad y la Cooperación en Europa establecen que el tráfico ilegal de seres humanos podría ya haber superado al de armas, al haber alcanzado en el 2005 un volumen de negocio superior los $32,000 millones anuales. Se estima que se han explotados 2.5 millones de personas, la mayoría de ellos son mujeres y niños, dijo la senadora.

Presidente de la Cámara de Representantes hace llamado para donar sangre

M.N.: Donate good blood, Mr. Perello, not the "bad blood"... 

Líder cameral asegura estructura de la Policía está colapsada

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 3:56 PM

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Por Maribel Hernández Pérez 03/12/2014 | 03:11 p.m.

El presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, Jaime R. Perelló Borrás, se reafirmó hoy, miércoles, en su apreciación de que la estructura de la Policía colapsó, en contraposición a la opinión del superintendente designado de la Policía, James Tuller Cintrón, quien defendió la efectividad de la labor que realiza su agencia, a pesar de los pocos recursos con los que cuentan.

Perelló Borrás y el presidente de la Comisión de Seguridad Pública, José Báez, se reunieron hoy por espacio de dos horas con Tuller Cintrón y la alta jerarquía de la Policía, compuesta por los superintendentes auxiliares, directores regionales y comandantes de las 13 áreas policíacas, para discutir el "Plan Integral de Seguridad 360" sobre necesidades e integración de todas las agencias que componen el sistema de seguridad del país.

 “A mí no me cabe la menor duda que en algún momento dado, no sabemos cuándo, realmente colapsó el sistema de seguridad pública y colapsó incluso la estructura de la Policía de Puerto Rico. El reto que tiene James Tuller es bien grande. Es un reto que tenemos todos nosotros y por eso este compromiso de la Asamblea Legislativa, en este caso de la Cámara de Representantes, que ha hecho el primer tema de importancia la seguridad pública”, afirmó Perelló durante una rueda de prensa posterior a la reunión.

 Por su parte, Tuller Cintrón, le salió al paso al líder cameral y aseguró que la agencia que dirige desde el 1 de diciembre del 2013, a pesar de que no ha sido confirmado en esa posición, no es una dependencia colapsada.

“No absolutamente no, el trabajo se está haciendo. El crimen está bajado. Estamos atendiendo la comunidad…Todos los días la agencia tiene que mirar cómo va a mejorar, así como dije anteriormente, hay que estudiar y mirar hacia dónde vamos. Pero eso se hace todos los días, en todas las agencias”, sostuvo Tuller Cintrón.

 Perelló, intervino para suavizar sus expresiones anteriores y afirmar que “el sistema de seguridad pública es un sistema que ha colapsado, no la Policía, que está haciendo su trabajo, pero cuando vemos las necesidades existentes tenemos que modernizar esas estructuras”.

Tuller Cintrón, mientras, garantizó que a pesar de la crisis económica por la que atraviesa el país, el Gobierno no aprobará recortes en el presupuesto de su agencia.

 Como parte de su plan, Perelló Borrás repasó las gestiones realizadas en los pasados meses, tras sostener reuniones con directivos del Departamento de Justicia, el Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, la Administración de los Tribunales, así como exsuperintendentes de la Policía.

 El presidente de la Cámara incluso ha hecho visitas sorpresa a varios cuarteles policiacos donde evidenció el deterioro de esas instalaciones y la falta del equipo básico de seguridad para que los agentes estatales realicen sus labores diarias, como chalecos antibalas.

 El líder cameral advirtió que las agencias de seguridad no solo carecen de tecnología sino que la existente es individual y no les permite una comunicación efectiva mediante la misma red, por lo que el asunto es de máxima prioridad en su plan.

 “No hay comunicación entre las diferentes agencias de seguridad pública en Puerto Rico, no se comunican tecnológicamente y es importante que un policía tenga de manera rápida la información sobre esa persona que está frente a él y eso ya la Cámara lo ha adelantado. Además de dotar del recurso básico que debe tener un oficial, se supone que por lo menos tenga un radio todo el tiempo y que funcione”, sostuvo Perelló.

A su vez, anunció la creación de un fondo para comprar equipo para los policías como chalecos antibalas, entre otras necesidades básicas, pero no pudo estimar cuánto dinero se necesita para mejorar las condiciones de trabajo de los policías, incluyendo la flota de vehículos rotulados y confidenciales. Recientemente Perelló anunció la compra de 33 patrullas para la Policía con fondos de la Cámara de Representantes.

La vacante dejada tras la renuncia el mes pasado del asesor de cumplimiento técnico del Proyecto de Reforma de la Policía (TCA, por sus siglas en inglés), Juan Mattos Jr., también es considerada por el líder cameral, pero eso no ha retrasado los avances en el cumplimiento del acuerdo con el Tribunal Federal, trascendió tras la reunión...

Laser Attacks Against Planes Rise In New York news.sky.com The public is asked for help in fighting the threat and the FBI says there is a reward for information leading to a conviction.

Laser-Pointing Case Leads To 14-Year Sentence news.sky.com A 26-year-old is given one of the longest sentences known for such a case, after being told his actions could have been deadly.

A new analysis by President Obama’s Office of Management and Budget shows that territory status, often misleadingly called “Commonwealth,” is costing Puerto Rico billions | James Tuller discute problema de la criminalidad en Vieques

» White House Report Shows Puerto Rico Losing Billions by Not Being a State

12/03/14 01:01 from Puerto Rico Report

A new analysis by President Obama’s Office of Management and Budget shows that territory status, often misleadingly called “Commonwealth,” is costing Puerto Rico billions of... Read More

March 6th 2014

Russian Errs in Suggesting Crimea Have Puerto Rico’s Status

A leading Russian political analyst has suggested that his country establish a relationship with Crimea, the part of Ukraine it invaded this week, similar to… Read More

James Tuller discute problema de la criminalidad en Vieques

Wednesday March 12th, 2014 at 9:31 AM 
El Jefe de la Policía se reunió con el alcalde de Vieques, Víctor Emeric, y con el comisionado especial para el Desarrollo Sostenible para Vieques y Culebra, Carlos Severino

El superintendente de la Policía, James Tuller Cintrón, se reunió con el alcalde de Vieques, Víctor Emeric, y con el comisionado especial para el Desarrollo Sostenible para Vieques y Culebra, Carlos Severino. (Archivo)

El superintendente designado de la Policía, James Tuller Cintrón, se reunió hoy, viernes, con el alcalde de Vieques, Víctor Emeric, y con el comisionado especial para el Desarrollo Sostenible para Vieques y Culebra, Carlos Severino.

Tuller dialogó con los funcionarios sobre la incidencia criminal en esa isla municipio, donde varias muertes violentas se han vinculado a pugnas de grupos implicados en el trasiego de sustancias controladas.

La Policía informó también en un comunicado de prensa que Tuller entregó dos patrullas para el uso de los agentes estatales en la isla municipio. Uno de los vehículos es una unidad nueva que fue adquirida con fondos federales. La otra es patrulla usada, recién restaurada...

Venezuela News: The Venezuelan government has also become a threat to U.S. interests. Via the socialist ALBA bloc—composed of Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Bolivia—the government of Venezuela has spearheaded the unprecedented wave of anti-Americanism in Latin America. ALBA member countries have expelled U.S. diplomats, shut down U.S.-led counternarcotics programs, and hampered bilateral trade relations - The Heritage Foundation | Venezuela: anti-government protests flare in Caracas - video | Two dead in Venezuela violence as protests drag on

• Image Credit: Ramachandra Babu/©Gulf News
• Nicolas Maduro

Chavez’s revolution no longer pretty

Late Venezuelan leader’s dream world has become a nightmare of jailed opposition, economic meltdown and a brutal war waged against the middle class

» Venezuela cuts ties with Panama
07/03/14 09:28 from CNN.com - World
Venezuela's President severed diplomatic relations with Panama Wednesday, accusing the Central American nation of being a "lackey" for the United States in a conspiracy plot against his government.

» Venezuelan president: U.S. would respond to unrest the way I did
07/03/14 09:26 from CNN.com - World
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is unapologetic about his government's response to opposition protesters during weeks of unrest in the South American country.

» Venezuela: anti-government protests flare in Caracas - video
07/03/14 09:10 from World news: World news + Video | guardian.co.uk
Police clash with anti-government protesters in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday

» Two dead in Venezuela violence as protests drag on
07/03/14 05:47 from Reuters: International
CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuelan soldier and a motorcyclist died in a confused melee sparked by the opposition's barricading of a Caracas street, officials said on Thursday, boosting the death toll from nearly a month of violence to 20.

» Venezuela looks to S.American leaders as toll hits 20
07/03/14 02:16 from Uploads by AFP
Venezuela looks to S.American leaders as toll hits 20 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro urges a meeting of South American leaders over the growing turmoil facing his country, where the death toll from a month ... From: AFP news agency ...

» Latin American Leaders to Discuss Venezuela Unrest
07/03/14 12:31 from Voice of America
Latin American presidents will meet next week to discuss the unrest in Venezuela that has left at least 20 dead and convulsed the South American OPEC nation, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said late on Thursday. The presidents, along...

» Lens Blog: Venezuela in Black-and-White
07/03/14 06:00 from NYT > International
Though famed for chromatic installations, Carlos Cruz-Diez was first taken by the magic of light as a young photographer documenting Venezuela’s emergence as a modern state.

1, ANALYSIS, UNITED STATES, VENEZUELA

VENEZUELA: US LEADERSHIP NEEDED – ANALYSIS

MARCH 7, 2014 THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION LEAVE A COMMENT

By The Heritage Foundation

By Ana Quintana

For the past few weeks, Venezuela has been rocked by anti-government protests. What started as small-scale demonstrations in the capital city of Caracas has escalated to mobilizations throughout the country.

In response, the Venezuelan government has ordered security forces from the national guard to armed motorcycle gangs to brutally crack down on the democratic opposition. Thousands have been beaten and tortured, and at least a dozen have been killed. Moreover, Leopoldo Lopez, a grassroots democratic opposition leader, has been arrested on politically motivated charges. Three U.S. diplomats have also been expelled for allegedly conspiring with the opposition.

The government has instituted a virtual media blackout: Domestic independent media is nonexistent, and the Internet has been cut off in many cities. While some foreign media broadcasters are still present, they have been censored by the government for fear of losing their operating licenses.

As the demonstrations rage on, the United States can no longer continue sitting on the sidelines.

The Legacy of Hugo Chavez: 21st-Century Socialism

Initiated by the late Hugo Chavez, the 21st-century socialist movement, blended with authoritarian populism, has not been kind to Venezuela. Almost two decades of government abuses, free-spending social programs, and socialist economic policies has led to skyrocketing inflation rates and significant losses of political and economic freedom.

In recent months, the economic and security situation has become more acute. Strict currency controls and haphazard devaluations have decreased the Bolivar’s value against the dollar by almost 40 percent. The country boasts the highest levels of inflation and debt in Latin America. In the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom, published jointly by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, Venezuela ranks 175th, above only Zimbabwe, Cuba, and North Korea.[1] And this is occurring in a country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

The Venezuelan government has also become a threat to U.S. interests. Via the socialist ALBA bloc—composed of Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Bolivia—the government of Venezuela has spearheaded the unprecedented wave of anti-Americanism in Latin America. ALBA member countries have expelled U.S. diplomats, shut down U.S.-led counternarcotics programs, and hampered bilateral trade relations.

The Venezuela–FARC–Hezbollah Nexus

Chavez and current leader Nicolas Maduro have also established deep relationships with global pariahs, terrorist groups, and drug trafficking organizations. Venezuela has now become Iran’s Latin America platform. Direct flights from Caracas to Tehran run weekly without much international scrutiny. More odiously, the Venezuelan government had previously provided clandestine support for Iran’s energy sector in clear violation of international sanctions.[2 ]

Aside from Iran, the government of Venezuela is also propping up the Castro regime in Cuba. Caracas gives Havana an average of $10 billion in subsidized oil and petro dollars yearly, more than double the amount it received from the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. In exchange, the Castros provide Venezuela with military and intelligence agents as well civilian slave labor.

Most sinister are the government’s connections to regional and international terrorist groups. Colombia’s narcoterrorist organization, the FARC, has long enjoyed sanctuary within Venezuelan territory.[3] High-ranking members of the Venezuelan government have provided support to Hezbollah as well. In 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) found that at Venezuela’s Syrian embassy, the most senior diplomat facilitated the travel of two Hezbollah representatives in order to fundraise and open a Hezbollah community center in Venezuela.[4 ]

What the U.S. Should Do

The U.S. can no longer afford to allow for the proliferation of this looming threat in Latin America. In order to ensure the stability of the Western Hemisphere, curtail the expansion of terrorist organizations in the region, and protect the human rights of the democratic opposition in Venezuela, the United States should:

• Send a clear message of solidarity to the democratic opposition and assure the protestors that the U.S. is committed to holding the Venezuelan government accountable for its violent reprisals.
• Call on the Organization of American States (OAS) to convene a special session of the permanent council to discuss the situation in Venezuela. OAS member states should uphold the basic freedoms guaranteed in the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
• Work with regional partners if the OAS fails to act. The United States needs to encourage a dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.
• Enact targeted sanctions against Venezuelan government officials already on the OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals List—including revoking their visas and freezing their assets within the United States.
• Immediately reciprocate in the event Venezuela expels any more U.S. diplomats. The State Department waited a week to respond in kind to the expulsion of U.S. diplomats. The Venezuelan government has explicitly declared that it does not wish to have “cordial ties” with the U.S.
• Support domestic policies that increase access to domestic energy sources, such as opening up federal lands and waters to exploration and development, devolving environmental review and permitting decisions to state regulators, approving the Keystone XL pipeline, and preventing federal regulations on hydraulic fracturing. While Venezuelan oil imports have decreased, they are still 9 percent of U.S. foreign oil purchases. This dependence limits the U.S.’s unilateral options.

Solidarity with Venezuela’s Democratic Opposition

Latin America has fallen out of the Obama Administration’s purview, and it is long past time for the U.S. to reclaim a leadership position in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S.’s foreign policy toward the regions needs to be grounded upon promoting democracy, expanding economic freedom, and protecting human rights.

The inexcusable and politically motivated violence against unarmed protestors demands international condemnation. It is important for the Obama Administration to show leadership and respond quickly, as the continued lack of action will only serve to further embolden the lawless government of Venezuela.

—Ana Quintana is a Research Associate for Latin America in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign and National Security Policy, a department of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, at The Heritage Foundation.

[1] Terry Miller, Anthony B. Kim, and Kim R. Holmes, 2014 Index of Economic Freedom (Washington, D.C.: The Heritage Foundation and Dow Jones and Company, 2014), pp. 453–454, http://www.heritage.org/index/country/venezuela.

[2] Douglas Farah, “Threat to the Homeland: Iran’s Extending Influence in the Western Hemisphere,” testimony before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. House of Representatives, July 9, 2013, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/HM/HM09/20130709/101046/HHRG-113-HM09-Wstate-FarahD-20130709.pdf (accessed February 27, 2014).

[3] Press release, “Treasury Targets Venezuelan Government Official Supporting FARC,” U.S. Department of Treasury, September 12, 2008, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp1132.aspx (accessed February 27, 2014).

[4] Press release, “Treasury Targets Hizballah in Venezuela,” U.S. Department of Treasury, June 6, 2008, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/pages/hp1036.aspx (accessed February 27, 2014).

About the author: The Heritage Foundation

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Venezuela News
Sources Updated on 3.8.14

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