[N8 v2.0]

Tags
anal leakage, blah blah blah blah blah, communist propaganda, hippie dreamland, open-armed zorba dance, sins of the father, truth & light, who the fvck cares?

 

[Samirol]

which ones did you add?

 

[N8 v2.0]

which ones did you add?

i wuz going to add "who the FARC cares" but that was too similar to "who the fvck cares"

 

[rockwool]

Chavez has tried to install his military yes men in public universities where the student body and board should be voting in the dean (Universidad Simon Bolivar is one example).

Here's the recent article that I promised, that show a whole other type of takeover of the student bodies:

The M13 was founded when students rioted following the March 13, 1987 fatal shooting of a student by a local resident on whose lawn the student was urinating during a tailgating graduation celebration. For many years the M13 defended student interests with a tendency toward leftist politics, but has now allied itself with Venezuela’s right wing opposition since Chávez took office and began challenging the privileges of Venezuela’s university-educated elite.

Pictures inside: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3640

Anti-Chávez Student Group Attacks Police, Creates Chaos in Mérida, Venezuela


July 13th 2008, by James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com


Mérida, July 12, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- A notoriously violent Venezuelan student organization aligned with the Venezuelan opposition known as the March 13th Movement (M13) fired gunshots and threw Molotov cocktails at police officers, blockaded streets using seized university buses, and ransacked sections of the Andean town of Mérida on Thursday and Friday, to protest crime and insecurity in the city.

So far, one student is dead and three injured, two police officers were shot and more than a dozen injured, dozens of city blocks were severely vandalized, and 5 local businesses were sacked as a result of chaotic street battles initiated by the student group, which is registered at the University of the Andes (ULA).

The events are reminiscent of destabilization campaigns led by the M13 during crucial political junctures in the past. Most recently, during the run-up to the December 2007 constitutional reform referendum, the M13 created nodes of destabilizing violence to sway voters against the proposals of the Chávez administration, using similar tactics to those used this Thursday and Friday.

Mérida’s State Secretary, Jairo Rivas, commented Friday, “There is no sincerity in what the students are suggesting, since the routine work of the police is affected in order to attend to these problems of public order” created by the protests, which were advertised by posters earlier in the week.

Rivas, whose administration identifies itself as a “Bolivarian” ally of President Hugo Chávez, pointed out Friday that Venezuela is in the midst of regional and local electoral campaigns, and at the top of the opposition electoral platform is citizen security in the country. “We consider this to be the real, end motivation that the students have,” Rivas told the press.

Thursday morning, 50 masked students blocked off several intersections in front of the ULA Medical School, burning dozens of tires and riddling the streets with glass bottles and rocks, then retreated to university grounds.

The 40 police who arrived in riot gear, in accordance with the law which prohibits police from entering university grounds, remained outside patrolling the streets.

The students yelled “call the battalions,” and 100 students, popping in and out of university facilities, attacked the police from all sides with rocks, bottles, and dozens of Molotov cocktails. The police responded with slingshots and plastic shrapnel-loaded shotguns, according to eyewitnesses.

In the afternoon, a student protestor was pronounced brain dead after being shot in the head in the Medical School campus. What type of object penetrated and exited his skull is still unknown, and it is unclear whether a student or a police officer fired the shot. The student died Saturday in the hospital.

M13 leaders and their ally, ULA Rector Lester Rodríguez, who is currently a candidate for governor of Mérida, claimed the boy was hit by a marble, implying it was a result of repression by the police, who are known to shoot marbles from their slingshots and shotguns.

Several eye witnesses say the police did not fire any bullets at the students, but that the students did shoot at the police. According to local news reports two officers were shot in the legs by bullets.

The M13 is known to have fired bullets and marbles at the police in the past, most notably during the group’s April 2006 assault which left 26 police injured and one in a coma.

The Governor of Mérida, Florencio Porras, announced Thursday night that two commissions made up of student leaders, police, and government personnel have been formed to “determine what happened, who is responsible, and bring justice.”

Meanwhile, as news spread about the shooting of the student, the M13 launched acts of retaliatory violence across the city, which continued throughout the night. A pharmacy, bank, government health office, and several electronics businesses were sacked, although it is unclear whether the students were responsible for this, or if city residents took advantage of the distracted police force.

This response was consistent with the history and identity of the group. The M13 was founded when students rioted following the March 13, 1987 fatal shooting of a student by a local resident on whose lawn the student was urinating during a tailgating graduation celebration. For many years the M13 defended student interests with a tendency toward leftist politics, but has now allied itself with Venezuela’s right wing opposition since Chávez took office and began challenging the privileges of Venezuela’s university-educated elite.

The M13 initiated its violence again at 9:00 am Friday morning and continued throughout the day. In the late afternoon, 100 masked students seized two university buses that they used to break through police lines, blockade a section of the city center, knock over street lamps, and smash the front windows of local businesses.

Several eyewitnesses report having seen shots fired from inside the bus and at least one police officer hit by a bullet, while dozens of Molotov cocktails, rocks, and glass bottles rained down on the police. The police drove the students back with a hail of tear gas and plastic shotgun pellets.

By that time, approximately 100 civilians, many of them ULA students and supporters of the “Bolivarian Revolution” led by President Chávez, had joined the police in a face-off with the opposition group.

“Watch out! The sword of Bolívar passes through Latin America!” the pro-Chávez forces chanted a popular revolutionary slogan. In response, opposition protesters down the street, whose ranks had now swelled to more than 150, including high school students in their school uniforms and, reportedly, other armed citizens, chanted “this government is going to fall, it will fall, it is going to fall.”

The subsequent waves of assaults consumed about five city blocks for two hours. Both sides were composed by mostly males, with a few females. Sexist insults depicting sexual subordination and other male-dominated conduct were yelled frequently during the battle.

Around 8:00 pm, about 100 National Guard soldiers arrived and successfully pushed the opposition protestors into retreat by using tear gas and the intimidation of superior numbers. The National Guard and the pro-Chávez group located and searched the seized university buses, which had been parked in the student government facilities where the M13 has operated since members of the group won recent student elections.

The pro-Chávez civilians spoke with the local media: “Today we defended the city and the People… the M13 does not respect human life but we will defend it… Fascists do not rest and neither will we… we are Chavista!”

“The people united will never be defeated,” they chanted while pulling a toppled lamp post out of the street so the National Guard vehicles could pass through.

VE is a violent country, thats for sure, they make French peasant protests look like playgrounds. One of every four Venezuelans carry a handgun, I've heard! They whipped the popo's hinies (sp?), 1shot and 3injured compared to 2shot and 12injured. In all my years attending football derbys or reading about anarchist-nazi-police clashes I've never heard of the Swedish police comming second. Another time the M13 left 26 police injured and one in a coma, WTF?!! F*ck the French peasants, the French ghetto's didn't come close to this. Although, as the M13 does this to "protest crime and insecurity in the city", one has to support them as they at least do it for a good cause.


And forgive me for asking, but when I was in the military I was busy with excersises every day, and most evenings and weekends too, and couldn't possibly attend a 5-20 point university course, so is there any evidence of your claim, or is this just another opposition lie?

 

[rockwool]

i wuz going to add "who the FARC cares" but that was too similar to "who the fvck cares"

The tags says quite alot of the person who programed them, don't you think?

 

[rockwool]

Glenn beck is a fvcking tool, he had an interview with a Muslim Congressman:

"I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' " Beck added: "I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way."

I consider myself a far-left capitalist, in the sense that it should be highly regulated.

1. Horribly wrong, subsidization of fertilizer should be encouraged.

2. I don't think anyone is going to disagree that ethanol has had some really huge ramifications, and should be relooked.

5. A lot of conspiracy videos are on youtube, I had a friend tell me about how he refuses to go near cell phones because he saw a couple videos with cell phones popping popcorn, and it is a viral ad for a cell phone.

wOw, Glenn Beck dude is an idiot for sure, probably a racist too (but I have to see more of him to judge him on that point)!


1. Good! But the subsidization of fertilizer is also a subsidy, and therefor unequal for the poor nations?!!

5. I know, popcorns give you cancer so that is why the industry, in a cartel like way, is continuously buing up all scientifical reports about the damage they cause.

But you are a member of a jury that is denying the defendant to speak, how western of you! My remark asside, I assure you that the "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is not a conspiracy documentary of that type. It was filmed in real time by mere accident as the Irish just happened to be there at that time.

The documentary will not only teach you of a historical happening, but give you a perfect insight at how a/that coup could happen. More so, it will give you a perfect "behind the scenes" view of how coorporate media actually works, and the amount of bias of rediculous unexplainable proportions, that Chavez has somehow just left to be!!!

I dare you.

 

[rockwool]

You, sir, are officially crowned king of wishful thinkers.

Reread what you just wrote. Think about it. I'm serial.

What an honour, king at last! Can we abolish democracy now?

Can I have you with some milk and cream?

You know there already are (liquid) hydrogen cars on our roads, don't you? BMW, for instance, is one of the leaders in this field. Problem with that hydrogen is storing all those bottles (similar to welding or diving bottles) in our cars, due to space and weight.

The Bimmer:

A US American inventor (now dead..), found a way to release the hydrogen that is already copressed in regular water, and help run any diesel or petrol car on that simultainiously with the ordinary fuel, thus lowering consumption by 20-45%.

I haven't tried it my self yet, and only found out a few weeks ago, so naturally I don't know for sure if it works. Apparantly the US military is on to it to use it for it's tanks and other veicles.

Ohio, again I'm going to ask you to view the facts before you pass a verdict. I'll help you with some that I've seen already:

From TV:

More indeapth:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Finished parts and how-to's sell on Ebay:

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=32&catref=C6&from=R40&satitle=hydrogen+hho+fuel+saver&sacat=-1&catref=C6&sargn=-1&saslc=2&sadis=200&fpos=ZIP/Postal&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=32&fsoo=2&fgtp=

 

[Samirol]

1. Good! But the subsidization of fertilizer is also a subsidy, and therefor unequal for the poor nations?!!

Well, we pretty much screwed them over with loans and interest rates designed to keep them in debt. The solution is loans with very low interest that are put towards developing agriculture. Unfortunately, the U.S flips out when it goes to cutting costs and subsidies for farmers.

Edit: Water fuel cell was debunked

End of road for car that ran on Water

American court finds inventor of water-powered car is guilty of fraud.
Report by Tony Edwards

It appears to be the end of the road for maverick inventor Stanley Meyer and his water-powered car after a recent American court verdict.

The car was a wonderful, if unlikely, dream while it lasted, offering a pollution-free future powered by a limitless source of energy. But the
dream was shattered when Meyer was found guilty of fraud after his Water Fuel Cell was tested before an Ohio judge. It is rare for an inventor to be prosecuted for an invention that does not work, but Meyer's problem was that he had been selling "dealerships", offering investors the "right to do business'' in Water Fuel Cell technology in anticipation of the day when water would power anything. From domestic boilers to cars and aircraft. But recently two suspicious investors could not wait for that day to dawn and sued Meyer to get their money back. Meyer defended, maintaining his long-held claim that the Water Fuel Cell was a truly revolutionary invention that could split water into its two constituent gases of hydrogen and oxygen far more efficiently than conventional electrolysis. The secret, he said, was to "resonate" electricity at a very high voltage through water and so "fracture" the hydrogen/oxygen molecular bond. This, he claimed, opened the way for a car which would "run on water", powered simply by a car battery. The car would even run for ever since the energy needed to continue the "fracturing" was so low that the battery could be recharged: from the engine's dynamo.

Meyer claimed to have adapted a 1.6-litre Volkswagen Dune Buggy to run on water. He replaced the sparkplugs with "injectors" which, he said, sprayed water as a fine mist in a "resonant cavity" where it was bombarded by a succession of high-voltage electrical pulses. He claimed this instantly converted the water into a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen that could be combusted in the cylinders, driving the pistons just as in an ordinary petrol engine.

One of the experts due toexamine the car was Michael Laughton, professor of electrical engineering at Queen Mary and Westfield University, London, but he was not allowed to see it. "Although Meyer had known about our visit weeks in advance, when we arrived he made some lame excuse about why the car wasn't working, so it was impossible to evaluate it," said Laughton. However, the one thing Meyer had built that appeared to work was his Water Fuel Cell, and it was this device that the Ohio judge called as evidence in
the recent lawsuit. The cell had been the centrepiece of Meyer's sales pitches. It was a transparent cylinder of water inside which was a core of stainless steel electrodes. When plugged into an electrical supply,the cell bubbled away merrily, producing apparently copious amounts of gas that Meyer ignited through a welding torch.To the layman it was an impressive performance and hundreds of small investors signed up, but it did not impress three expert witnesses in court. They decided that there was nothing revolutionary about the cell at all and that it was simply using conventional electrolysis. Meyer was found guilty of "gross and egregious fraud" and ordered to repay
the investors their $25,000 (£15,000).

Published in the Sunday times, December 1st 1996

 

[bohorec]

All I can say about this thread is that Venezuela appears to be damn nice place with gnarly tracks, and that Chavez seems to be far less harmful than schrub the cocaine sniffer. Besides Chavez was elected while schrub was chosen by god :biggrin:

(Speaking of paradise, nice pics! I'd be there in a second if I wasn't already on my way to Africa...to a country ten times more ****ed-up than Venezuela could aspire to be...)

Ride report expected! Good luck!

 

[rockwool]

Well, we pretty much screwed them over with loans and interest rates designed to keep them in debt. The solution is loans with very low interest that are put towards developing agriculture. Unfortunately, the U.S flips out when it goes to cutting costs and subsidies for farmers.

Edit: Water fuel cell was debunked



Published in the Sunday times, December 1st 1996

"It is spelled egregeous, e-gre-ge-ous." -Captain Jack Sparrow to sinful lady


Well then, I was fooled by the merry bubbles, guess I have to buy me one of those BMW 750's instead. A wagon, of course. Good search Samirol, please take a look at "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" to see if I've maid a similar mistake!

 

[JohnE]

Should I even bother commenting that article? Or better, you being far from conservative, you should show some critical reading here. I could tear his comments apart, you should be able to do the same with at least a few.

(I intentionally didnt comment...just wanted to see how folks reacted.)

 

[Samirol]

"It is spelled egregeous, e-gre-ge-ous." -Captain Jack Sparrow to sinful lady


Well then, I was fooled by the merry bubbles, guess I have to buy me one of those BMW 750's instead. A wagon, of course. Good search Samirol, please take a look at "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" to see if I've maid a similar mistake!

The film is also called Chavez: Inside the Coup, I've been watching blocks of it, I'll let you know what I think when I finish.

 

[MikeD]

Hydrogen power? Can anyone explain to me where we'll *get* all the hydrogen to fuel ourselves? You have to use energy to produce it, and with my limited understanding of the laws of thermodynamics, it would seem to be a losing game.

Likewise with growing corn for biofuel. To grow enough, you need to use ammonium nitrate fertilizer--a petrolium product. Far more efficient to just burn the petrolium, no? Especially when you figure in all the work and internal combustion that's going into growing the corn. You just can't make energy from nothing. Admittedly, you're getting photosynthetic energy from the corn, as well as from the chemical fertilizer, but I can't imagine it's enough to compensate...or to make it worthwhile to burn it instead of feeding people with it.

Energy solutions would seem to me to be exemplified by solar/geothermal/wind/hydroelectric types of energy--stuff that's already out there as radiant or naturally stored energy that we can essentially "graze" off of. (Robert Heinlein's "shipstones," anyone?) With the addition of new, safer nuclear-power technology, of course. (and a correspondingly well thought-out waste disposal method...I say we build a big rail gun and launch it into the sun... )

Vehicle solutions could lie with 1) radically re-thinking the traditional automobile in terms of construction, efficiency, and emissions and 2) finding efficient ways to make a usable, practical pure-electric vehicle which draws power from the use of methods described above.

Mind you, I know nothing about any of this and I'm an idiot.

Back to your regularly scheduled politics.

 

[rockwool]

I can't help you there..^^

(I intentionally didnt comment...just wanted to see how folks reacted.)

Oh, thank God!

The film is also called Chavez: Inside the Coup, I've been watching blocks of it, I'll let you know what I think when I finish.

Great!

 

[rockwool]

Here's an article about the recent FARC hostage rescue:

Adding to the odds of success for the operation was the fact, the source claims, that the 15 hostages were being guarded by only two armed FARC members.

To assure the FARC guerillas that the hostages would not gain the upper hand, the captives were all handcuffed and placed on the two helicopters – which, unbeknownst to the FARC guards, were being flown by U.S. pilots.

The plan, as far as the FARC guards knew, was to fly to another meeting place where the whole group would meet up with Alfonso Cano, now the top FARC commander.

Once both helicopters were in the air, however, the ruse was up. The U.S. special-ops team (two on each helicopter in addition to the pilots, again in disguise to avoid prior suspicion) “beat the ****” out of the two FARC guys, and they all flew back to Colombian government-controlled territory, according to the source.

http://www.narconews.com/Issue54/article3153.html


A little different than the official version, but don't ask me why they would alter those details. Any speculations?

 

[rockwool]

A tale of how the Mexican gvmnt through time and still today rules by devide-and-conquer, death squads and impunity for those.

For centuries, the small Triqui indigenous region — a 300 square-mile green oasis situated in the middle of the dry and eroded indigenous Mixteca region of western Oaxaca — has been known for endemic violence. The Triquis resisted Spanish colonial incursions and, in 1823, were the first indigenous people to rise up against the independent Mexican state, successfully beating back an attempt to evict them from their land.

After the Triquis were victorious in defending their territory in two wars — one in 1823, the other in 1843 — the Mexican government decided to shift its approach from direct, armed confrontation to a divide-and-conquer strategy, says Francisco L — pez Bárcenas, a Mixtec indigenous lawyer, historian and author of the forthcoming, San Juan Copala: Political Domination and Popular Resistance.

Dolores Par’s, who has worked with Triquis in Oaxaca and Triqui migrants in California for seven years, says the state government goes into the region to foment violence and then “washes its hands of it with theories that the violence comes from the nature of the Triquis themselves.”

“I feel certain that the young women were assassinated for their work with the radio station.” Then adds: “The intention has always been to strip the Triquis of their land.”

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3740/death_squads_in_oaxaca/

I'd like to point out how dangerous the rulers of the world find community radio (in this case) and TV to be, in Mexico and VE alike. "There's a war for your mind".. The APPO movement in Oaxaca seems interesting as it's really antiauthoritarian with anarchists taking a big part. I've only read a little about it and that is exclusively in radical press. Anybody how knows anything about it?

Also, love how parties in Mexico taht impose right wing politics have not only names that assosiate to working class, but revolutions. Like the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

 

[ohio]

Hydrogen power?

Exactly. Unless you're talking nuclear fusion, hydrogen is an energy storage device (like a battery) not a source.

Of course, I wouldn't want to discount schematics that can be purchased on eBay. That's how penicillin was discovered.

 

[Defenestrated]

I bet this time machine I found on ebay is legit.

 

[rockwool]

Exactly. Unless you're talking nuclear fusion, hydrogen is an energy storage device (like a battery) not a source.

Of course, I wouldn't want to discount schematics that can be purchased on eBay. That's how penicillin was discovered.

I don't even understand what you're talking about now that you explain it. The storage device for hydrogen as I've understood it, is the bottles it's carried in. By the explanation in the vids it was already compressed and therefore stored in water. Please excuse my limitations, scientific subjects weren't my thing in school.

But much like the things I put forth in this forum, the guy who discovered penicilin was also not belived and ridiculed at first. Living in a society where there's only one official truth, I question anything claimed by Babylon. It has shown me we truly live in an Orwellian world.

Anyways, on the matter of South America, nice tattoo on mr Che:

 

[ohio]

I don't even understand what you're talking about now that you explain it. The storage device for hydrogen as I've understood it, is the bottles it's carried in.

Liquid hydrogen is not naturally occuring. It is found in and refined from water (H2O). You separate the hydrogen using electrolysis, which theoretically takes exactly as much energy to create H as it releases when it recombines with O to make water. In reality, it is less than perfectly efficient (it also takes energy to compress it, for example), but even if it weren't you still need a source of electricity to produce hydrogen. In the best case, that is wind/solar, but since most of the world's electricity is from oil/gas and coal, hydrogen is produced using those carbon-producing fuels.

The promise of hydrogen is it is a way to get power from the electric plant to cars (thus my discription as a "container") and personal generators more efficiently than gridded power. But that is the only promise of hydrogen until we can start harvesting pure hydrogen gas from the upper atmosphere or maybe the sun.

 

[MMike]

I've been working on a coal-burning hydrogen extractor.....

 

[rockwool]

Who is this guy ^^, I don't trust him.

Liquid hydrogen is not naturally occuring. It is found in and refined from water (H2O). You separate the hydrogen using electrolysis, which theoretically takes exactly as much energy to create H as it releases when it recombines with O to make water. In reality, it is less than perfectly efficient (it also takes energy to compress it, for example), but even if it weren't you still need a source of electricity to produce hydrogen. In the best case, that is wind/solar, but since most of the world's electricity is from oil/gas and coal, hydrogen is produced using those carbon-producing fuels.

The promise of hydrogen is it is a way to get power from the electric plant to cars (thus my discription as a "container") and personal generators more efficiently than gridded power. But that is the only promise of hydrogen until we can start harvesting pure hydrogen gas from the upper atmosphere or maybe the sun.

So what you're saying is that it's going to be a while before we can reep hydrogen in a way that doesn't pollute too much, and not leaving us on +/-0?

Guess I'm back on my original option, get another merc wagonto run stricly on biodiesel/SVO/WVO. Things looked promisinng for a while.

 

[MikeD]

Who is this guy ^^, I don't trust him.



So what you're saying is that it's going to be a while before we can reep hydrogen in a way that doesn't pollute too much, and not leaving us on +/-0?

Guess I'm back on my original option, get another merc wagonto run stricly on biodiesel/SVO/WVO. Things looked promisinng for a while.

It's not that "it'll be a while," it's that you can only get energy from hydrogen that you've put into it in the first place. It's like, a law of like, physics, dude. Although Ohio's point is well-taken...if you can produce lots of electricity from clean sources to make lots of hydrogen for cars to use, it might be a way to eliminate auto emissions. (But do we suddenly see a new water-related crisis when we start turning water into hydrogen fuel en masse...? Would it play havoc with ocean levels/temperatures, or would the water vapor emissions compensate? Would we actually humidify the earth by spewing out all this water from our cars in vapor form?)

Biodiesel? As a re-use of an existing waste product (cooking oil, whatever) it's an awesome thing; I know a dude who runs a big pickup on used KFC oil. As far as efficiency for growing liquid fuels...no. You'd need so much arable land and would need so much petrolium-based fertilizer that it's probably not worth it, and you'd be putting arable land for food (for all those worthy poor people) in competition with land for growing gas (for us rich evil Americans who oppose the Latin American paradise in your head). Possibly this could be changed with bio-technology or something, inventing some ocean-living seaweed plant that grows huge bubbly sacs of biofuel for us to harvest, but that's a big "perhaps."

 

[rockwool]

It's not that "it'll be a while," it's that you can only get energy from hydrogen that you've put into it in the first place. It's like, a law of like, physics, dude. Although Ohio's point is well-taken...if you can produce lots of electricity from clean sources to make lots of hydrogen for cars to use, it might be a way to eliminate auto emissions. (But do we suddenly see a new water-related crisis when we start turning water into hydrogen fuel en masse...? Would it play havoc with ocean levels/temperatures, or would the water vapor emissions compensate? Would we actually humidify the earth by spewing out all this water from our cars in vapor form?)

Biodiesel? As a re-use of an existing waste product (cooking oil, whatever) it's an awesome thing; I know a dude who runs a big pickup on used KFC oil. As far as efficiency for growing liquid fuels...no. You'd need so much arable land and would need so much petrolium-based fertilizer that it's probably not worth it, and you'd be putting arable land for food (for all those worthy poor people) in competition with land for growing gas (for us rich evil Americans who oppose the Latin American paradise in your head). Possibly this could be changed with bio-technology or something, inventing some ocean-living seaweed plant that grows huge bubbly sacs of biofuel for us to harvest, but that's a big "perhaps."

Law of physics, is that the one that defines what happens when you hit THE spot?

Yep, WVO is the way to go, and no, pertolium-based fertilizer is sheit. Hemp is a weed (but also a herb) and can grow anywhere without fertilizer. No need to starve the already poor and no need to cut down trees for paper any more. And Bush have to be excused here, Sweden is one of the biggest ethanol pushing devils there are.

 

[rockwool]

Interpol attempts to clarify its position on the FARC laptops as there has been so many rumors in the media about them, but finally they manage to make an ass out of them selves.

Their press release states that “INTERPOL therefore objects to those who suggest that INTERPOL's report validates the source and accuracy of any particular document or user file contained therein,” and they have made it very clear that it is not their position in any way “that the contents of the user files are true and accurate.” It is also helpful that INTERPOL states further that “The fact that a computer contains a document accusing or implicating a person of wrongdoing does not make such claims true.” This should finally put to rest any question as to whether or not files on the laptops in any way prove anything at all about Hugo Chavez.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/letter/3573

INTERPOL states it does not validate the source or accuracy of any document on the so-called FARC laptops.

June 20th 2008, by Steven Bates


INTERPOL’s 13 June 2008 press release attempts to clarify its position on the computer equipment reportedly found by Columbian agents when those agents crossed the international border into the sovereign nation of Ecuador on 1 March 2008. Since there has been much press and apparently some confusion regarding the legitimacy of the documents on the computer equipment, INTERPOL has decided to clear things up. The press release tells us that “Based on a review of all the information and material provided by Colombia, including a classified oral briefing, INTERPOL was able to satisfy itself, and clearly stated in its report, that the seized computer exhibits it was requested to forensically examine were taken from the FARC terrorist camp on 1 March 2008 and belonged to Raul Reyes.” While INTERPOL’s “oral briefing” and self-satisfaction may be sufficient for INTERPOL, many of us would like to be sure we are given the facts.

In its 13 June 2008 press release, INTERPOL has made it clear that they have made no determination as to the legitimacy of any files on the computers in question. Their press release states that “INTERPOL therefore objects to those who suggest that INTERPOL's report validates the source and accuracy of any particular document or user file contained therein,” and they have made it very clear that it is not their position in any way “that the contents of the user files are true and accurate.” It is also helpful that INTERPOL states further that “The fact that a computer contains a document accusing or implicating a person of wrongdoing does not make such claims true.” This should finally put to rest any question as to whether or not files on the laptops in any way prove anything at all about Hugo Chavez. INTERPOL’s report and subsequent press release draws no conclusion regarding Hugo Chavez or the legitimacy of any computer files. The media needs to stop falsely using the INTERPOL report to make accusations to the contrary.

Some fundamental issues remain in regard to the initial INTERPOL report, and while those issues have been stated elsewhere they remain: a) the computer equipment is assumed to be FARC computer equipment, b) how did INTERPOL determine as fact that the computer equipment was seized on 1 March 2008 and, c) how has INTERPOL determined as fact that the laptop in question was the property of Raul Reyes?

INTERPOL has stated that its CompFor experts “did not speak Spanish,” so it seems the proof of ownership of the laptop was not discovered by INTERPOL on the laptop itself. There also is no mention in the report of the fingerprints or DNA of Raul Reyes being found on the laptop. Isn’t it only upon the word of the Columbian agents that INTERPOL could find “that the seized computer exhibits it was requested to forensically examine were taken from the FARC terrorist camp on 1 March 2008 and belonged to Raul Reyes”? Furthermore, “This finding was inextricably linked to INTERPOL's determination as to whether there was any manipulation or alteration of data contained in those seized computer exhibits.” If INTERPOL’s finding of laptop ownership happen to be based on a false assumption, then INTERPOL’s determination, which is “inextricably linked” to that finding, as to whether there was any manipulation or alteration of data on those computers, would also be derived from that same false assumption. The fundamental assumption upon which INTERPOL bases its findings and determination is that the computer equipment was actually found at the FARC camp on 1 March 2008 and that it belonged to Raul Reyes. Does INTERPOL have any factual evidence that leads them to assert that the computer equipment was found at the FARC camp, or is it that they were told this and base their assertion upon what they were told? Does INTERPOL have any factual evidence that how the Columbians state they came into possession of the computers is actually how they came into possession of the computers? Or is it that INTERPOL is simply taking them at their word? The truth or factuality of such statements by the Columbian agents would seem to be the responsibility of impartial judges and juries, not police investigators who were called in by the Columbians to investigate what they say they found. Perhaps we should separate fact from assumptions, and not make assertions or draw conclusions based on what the attackers say they found.

The facts in this situation are 1) there is computer equipment, 2) there are files on the computer equipment, and 3) the files on the computer equipment have words in them. But where the computer equipment came from, who owned the computer equipment, who created the files on the computer equipment, whether or not there is any truth to what is written in those files, and whose interpretation of those files is to be believed, may all be more the realm of judge and jurY rather than a fact gathering organization or public opinion.

Regarding the truthfulness of what is written in the files, INTERPOL does remind us that “Only a court of law or a specially appointed commission with appropriate jurisdiction can make such a determination after having heard all of the evidence.” Perhaps it is also just such a court of law or appropriate jurisdiction that is the place for determination of the truthfulness of the statements made by the Columbian agents as to where the computer equipment came from and who the computer belonged to.

As final comments, INTERPOL’s press release seems to suggest Ecuador initiate communication with the FARC, stating that “If there is indeed content in the seized FARC computer user files with which Ecuador disagrees, then it should complain to and criticise the FARC.” Firstly, it may be a bit presumptuous of INTERPOL to give directives to a sovereign nation as to what it “should” or should not do. Secondly, if in the future there are any questions raised about Ecuador communicating with the FARC, it may be advisable to keep in mind that such communication may have been recommended by INTERPOL itself. Lastly, while opening up dialogue with others is often a good approach to resolve disputes, is it advisable for INTERPOL to recommend that the government of Ecuador “complain to” or “criticise” an organization that INTERPOL itself has deemed to be a terrorist organization?

I belive that Uribe is a man with a plan. Or rather, his master is. Last year Uribe asked Chavez to negotiate for him so that hostages could be freed, thuse creating evidence for the whole world to see that "Chavez has had contact with the FARC".

After the first, and only, group of hostages were released (with the help of Chavez) Uribe emidiately forbid him to mediate any more. Why, because he him self was losing face while his political opponent was gaining rep? It makes no sence. Uribe him self was the guy who had asked Chavez to mediate, because he wanted hostages freed, right?

A few days later (or maybe two weeks) the FARC camp of Reyes was bombed. The chief negotiatior from the FARC side had been located through the negotiations with Chavez, probably with the help of the US (just like with the Abdullah Öchalan case), and bombed by special bombs (not artillery as claimed by Colombia) that no Colombian planes could carry.

And now the Interpol, who is led by a US American tool and lier (will look for his lying statement that contradicted the report he released), is trying to get the Equadorian gvmnt to contact the FARC...

 

[rockwool]

Some puncturing of accusations from various people:

Various computer experts around the world have examined the Interpol report more closely and many are saying that the press conference by Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble that appeared to support the Colombian government’s claims of authenticity contradicted some of the findings within the report itself.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3457

Venezuela Dismisses Interpol Presentation, Computer Experts Question Report’s Reliability

May 16th 2008, by Gregory Wilpert - Venezuelanalysis.com


May 16, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)— “A media show” is how President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela referred to the report presentation, in which Interpol said that it found no evidence of tampering with computers that supposedly belonged to one of Colombia’s rebel groups. Meanwhile, computer experts raised questions about the disparity between the presentation and the report itself.

During a press conference with international media, Chavez said the Colombian government’s staging of this “show” represented “a new act of aggression” on the part of the government of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, which obliges Venezuela to “place once again the relations with Colombia under deep review.”

On Thursday Ronald Noble, the General Secretary of the International Police Organization, known as Interpol, presented its forensic analysis of three computers, three flash memory drives, and two external hard drives, containing 600 gigabytes of data, which the Colombian government says it obtained in the raid on an encampment of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Ecuador last March 1st. According to Noble, Interpol found “no evidence” that the equipment had been tampered with.

Chavez explained that what Interpol did was to validate a scam by the Colombian government. To illustrate his point, Chavez said that this was as if someone were to assassinate his minister of food and shortly before an investigation is launched the assassin puts a paper into the minister’s pocket, implicating the minister of the interior, Rodriguez Chacín, for the murder (whom Colombia is implicating with the FARC computer files).

“On the corpse of [Minister] Osorio I put a paper, and as a policeman, I know how to do it without leaving fingerprints. I then take his coat and I convoke you [the press corps]. Surprise! Look what the terrorist Osorio had in his pocket … it is dated May 10. I did it now and I blame another: Osorio, I will kill you. [Signed,] Rodriguez Chacín. Catch the murderer!” exclaimed Chavez during the press conference.

The Colombian government has argued that the files found in computers and flash memory drives that are said to have belonged to a high level commander of the FARC show that the Venezuelan provided the group with material aid, in the form of money, weapons, and munitions.

The government of Venezuela denies these accusations vehemently, saying that its only contacts with the FARC involved its efforts to mediate in the release of FARC hostages.

Various computer experts around the world have examined the Interpol report more closely and many are saying that the press conference by Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble that appeared to support the Colombian government’s claims of authenticity contradicted some of the findings within the report itself.

The main problem with the computer files, according to these experts, is, as the Interpol report itself concedes, that between March 1 and 3 the Colombian anti-terrorism unit that had the files under its control did not follow standard forensic procedures for safeguarding electronic evidence and accessed the files without first making a copy of them. As such, the results of the analysis are not particularly reliable.

For example, Computer science professor Emilio Hernandez of the Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela said to Venezuelan state radio station RNV that Interpol failed to “explain that it is perfectly feasible to change files and change their dates.” That is, in the two days between the apprehension of the computer equipment and when it was turned over to forensics experts, when standard practices for preserving evidence were not observed, it could have been altered without such alterations being detectable.

Similarly, computer expert Sascha Meinrath, who is President of the Acorn Active Media Foundation, points out that the reason Interpol says it “found no evidence of tampering,” rather than that “there was no tampering” is because Interpol “cannot determine whether or not this happened, they can only look for evidence of the tampering. A smart computer administrator can reset a computer's internal clocks and make changes that would be indiscernible from actual use. As paragraphs 92-96 [of the Interpol report] make clear, this isn't particularly hard to do.”

The Interpol report notes that “one laptop computer (exhibit 28) and the two seized external hard disks (exhibits 30 and 31) contained files with erroneous date stamps, set in the future.” According to Meinrath, this fact alone puts into question whether the date stamps set in the past are accurate (before March 1, when the FARC camp was raided).

The report states that over 4,000 out of nearly 300,000 files had date stamps set after March 3, 2008, when the files were turned over to Colombian police forensics.

One of Germany’s main computer webzines, heise.de, also questioned the Interpol analysis, quoting a German forensics specialist, who said, “I, as a forensic scientist, would not be able to preclude that in a clearly re-started computer no complete image file was transferred that has consistent time-stamps, but which also has manipulated files.” “I am very doubtful whether this [Interpol] analysis can be held up in a court of law,” he added.

Other reactions to the Interpol report came from Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa, who said that with the report Colombia’s President Uribe is trying to slander Ecuador’s government. “A campaign of dismissal is continuing in order to justify the March 1st bombing, to create an external enemy that unites the country and has it forget the serious problems and questioning that President Uribe and the Colombian political class currently face,” said Correa upon arriving in Lima, Peru for a regional summit.

Astrid Betancourt, the sister of Ingrid Betancourt, one of the highest profile hostages being held by the FARC, also weighed in on the computer files, saying that the information that has so far been presented from the computers was “very improbable.”

There were two problems with the information, said Betancourt. First, she believes President Correa when he told her that it is “very strange that one would have found all of this information because the camp where Raul Reyes [the FARC commander to whom the computers are said to belong] died was very destroyed by the bombing and it is very unlikely that this information would have been found intact.”

Second, “assuming that these computers were found, it seems to me that these computers were in the hands of the Colombian government for a very long time,” said Betancourt.

Colombia specialist Forrest Hylton, who is the author of the recently published history of Colombia, Evil Hour in Colombia, also expressed doubt about the authenticity of the released documents because of the language these used, which does not correspond with typical FARC communications.

For example, in one of the released documents the identity of a pseudonym is revealed. “No one would begin an important letter by identifying someone in relation to his/her pseudonym. That is not how clandestine organization works,” said Hylton.

“I can imagine this as part of a captured document that was later doctored significantly. As far as we know, these are printed documents scanned into a laptop. Why would the FARC’s second-in-command scan internal correspondence onto a laptop? To compile an archive for future historians? To write his memoirs in the future? For the benefit of the Colombian government?” added Hylton.

Not quite a side of this thing that has been reported in Western media. Raffael Correa's remark that the Colombian gvmnt is under heavy pressure internally as it has been found in ongoing investigations that Uribe's cousin (or similar) and other high profiles were deaply involved with the paramilitaries. A reason alone good enough to wag the dog.

 

[rockwool]

Here's another article about the FARC computers that Colombia gave to Interpol so that the "evidence" could be validated, and later let the friendly media work their magic.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3448

The most important is that the report itself acknowledges in its "Finding 2b" (Page 30) that the Colombian authorities manipulated the computers and storage devices and that "Access to the data contained in the eight FARC computer exhibits...did not conform to internationally recognized principles for handling electronic evidence by law enforcement."

For example, on page 31, the report says:

"83. Seized exhibit 26, a laptop computer, showed the following effects on files on or after 1 March 2008:

* 273 system files were created
* 373 system and user files were accessed
* 786 system files were modified
* 488 system files were deleted
/..../
* 2,110 files with creation dates ranging between 20 April 2009 to 27 August 2009

* 1,434 files which show as having been last modified between 5 April 2009 and 16 October 2010

It concludes that "these files were originally created prior to 1 March 2008 on a device or devices with incorrect system time settings. (Page 33)

In other words, nowhere in the seized computers is there a reference to them containing emails. Remember that the reports from El País referred to emails and published the files under the headline "Emails captured from Raúl Reyes computer." Therefore, where did they get those emails? Or did they simply not exist in the seized computers?

Miguel Tinker-Salas, an expert on Latin American subjects, indicated that there are number of politically motivated misinterpretations assigned to the contents of the computers. "One must recall that Interpol can only say whether manipulation took place. But it cannot say whether the elements it found are original and it cannot certify the information." Moreover, he pointed out the problem inherent in the fact that the report was disseminated from Colombia, since this demonstrates that Interpol is defending the interests of Álvaro Uribe's government, supported by the United States

The most eloquent evidence that these headlines are lies is that the Interpol report, in order to ensure its impartiality, was done by IT technicians who don't speak Spanish and didn't have a political understanding of what the files said. That's what one report said: "The experts come from outside the region and didn't speak Spanish, which helped eliminate the possibility that they might have been influenced by the contents of the data they were analyzing."

The media misrepresentation has continued while the Interpol report summary says:

"The verification of the eight seized FARC computer exhibits by INTERPOL does not imply the validation of the accuracy of the user files, the validation of any country's interpretation of the user files or the validation of the source of the user files."

El País headlined its report from Maite Rico and Pilar Lozano, "Interpol Certifies that the FARC Computers Were Not Manipulated," with the subtitle: "Police Organization Says the Laptops Belonged to Raúl Reyes."

Colombia knew before they claimed those lies that nobody but the press, and the ignorants reading them, would belive them. No country, or anybody else, who's read the report has taken the side of the Colombians, just like the OAS supported VE and EQ. So what could Colombia gain from accusing EQ and VE of supporting and funding the FARC?

The claim is that in the future the US will need an excuse for an invasion. And that's also why they're lying about the Chavez gvmnt smugling drugs etc.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Rockwool, Im not reading through all that BS. Can't you just make a point and then link your source? I don't even know WTF you're going on about.

 

[rockwool]

Here's another beauty:

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3443

The examination was very time consuming, according to Noble, because it involved the examination of over 600 gigabytes of data, including 37,872 written documents, 452 spreadsheets, 210,888 images, 22,481 web pages, 7,989 email addresses, 10,537 multimedia files (sound and video), and 983 encrypted files.

To examine so much data, Interpol linked and ran 10 computers simultaneously and continuously, 24 hours a day, for two weeks.

How was it then possible from Colombian side to anounce all the "proof" that they've found only hours after the bombing?



For another good laugh, quote's from primarily the Bush admin, Blair and the Wall Street Journal :

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/letter/3425

 

[rockwool]

Rockwool, Im not reading through all that BS. Can't you just make a point and then link your source? I don't even know WTF you're going on about.

Right now I'm puncturing the lies of western media when it comes to the aleged FARC computers. I'm boldfacing as little as I can, only taking the most important bits as I know this topic isn't as interesting to everybody as it is to me. Take that info and compare it to what you've seen from your regular news outlets.

 

[rockwool]

This is the article with quotes from Ronald Noble, the head of Interpol, that during his presentation of the report stated the opposite of what the report infact did, knowing that western media would gladly publish his lies. The article is by Eva Golinger, the US-Venezuelan civil rights lawyer who used the FOIA act to proove that the US was part of the April 2002 coup. Again, she has taken FOIA as help.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3461

The War Machine or How To Manipulate Venezuelan Reality

May 19th 2008, by Eva Golinger

Interpol’s Creativity


Since 2002, the Pentagon has been seeking evidence that intimately relates President Chávez and his government with the FARC. Top secret documents from the Department of Defense (that we have desclassified under FOIA) evidence that the Pentagon has been unable to find proof of a clandestine, subversive relationship between the Venezuelan government and the FARC. The sources used in some Pentagon documents that attempt to show such a relationship are completely unreliable, since they are mass media outlets from Venezuela and Colombia, such as Globovisión, Caracol, El Universal and El Nacional – all of whom are aligned with the opposition to Chávez.

When the Colombian government bombed the FARC camp in Ecuador on March 1, killing two dozen people in an illegal incursion onto Equatorian territory that was condemned by the Organization of American States (OEA) and only supported by the United States (suprise!), it was all they could do to produce evidence they had been seeking for six years. Just hours after the illegal invasion and massacre (during which 5 innocent Mexican visiting students were killed), the head of Colombia’s National Police, General Naranjo, was announcing they had “found” a “laptop” that belonged to Raul Reyes, the FARC commander killed in the bombing, and that the computer contained information that showed a link between President Chávez and several members of his government, and the handover (or offering) of weapons and money to the FARC. (Now we would have to ask how the Colombian police found that key information so quickly amongst the more than 39,000 word files and several million documents contained on the computers that the INTERPOL report says it would take 1,000 years to read). All of sudden, evidence was found that not even the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency or the world’s top spies could encounter during years of secret missions, agent recruiting and handling and psychological operations; that Chávez was going to sell uranium to the FARC to make dirty bombs; that Chávez promised somewhere between $250-$300 million to the FARC; that he gave them weapons; and that together they sought to overthrow Uribe’s government and install a FARC marxist state.

That mysterious machine contained anything the Empire could ever have dreamed up to bury the Venezuelan government and declare it over and done with.

But, there was a big problem: since the machine had been in the hands of the Colombian government – confessed adversary of its Venezuelan neighbor – and the “Documents” that evidenced the relationship with President Chávez were actually just texts written in Word, without signature or seal, there was little faith in their credibility. How easy it is to just write a document in Word on some computer and say it was written by someone else! Word documents don’t have original signature. If they had found – say – a diary or a journal written by the hand of Raul Reyes, then the situation would be quite different, but a bunch of texts in Word? Emails? In today’s world, electronic information is unreliable. Computers can been manipulated from a remote source. Any decent hacker or computer techie can enter into a system and alter whatever, without leaving fingerprints.

So, Colombia did the intelligent thing. They said – lets let an uninvolved third party evaluate the computers to determine whether they have been manipulated or not by us. And that’s when Interpol came along.

The Secretary General of the International Police (INTERPOL), Ronald Kenneth Noble, is an ex US Government employee, and he was First Undersecretary of the Department of Treasury in charge of the Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Center for Federal Law Enforcement Training, the Network of Financial Crimes Control and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (which, by the way, is the entity in charge of enforcing the blockade against Cuba and the prohibition of US citizens to travel there). Noble has been Secretary General of INTERPOL for 8 years (two terms), and it was he who was in charge of supervising the authentication of the “evidence” obtained by the Colombian government in the FARC camp.

INTERPOL was charged with a pretty limited and subjective mision, that was to “Examine the user files on the eight seized FARC computers and to determine whether any of the user files had been newly created, modified or deleted on or after 1 March 2008.” INTERPOL did not occupy itself with verifying the origin, accuracy or source of those files or computers, which means that reasonable doubt still remains regarding the true authorship of that data. INTERPOL took for granted that the machines and the evidence pertained to Raul Reyes and the FARC, which in legal terms prejudices the entire investigation because it shows that from the beginning, INTERPOL had already taken the side of the Colombian government.

INTERPOL’s report states specifically that the scope of their forensic examination was limited to a) determining the actual data contained in the eight seized FARC computer exhibits, b) verifying whether the user files had been modified in any way on or after 1 March 2008, and c) determining whether Colombian law enforcement authorities had handled and examined the eight seized FARC computer exhibits in conformity with internationally recognized principles for handling electronic evidence by law enforcement.” [Interpol Report, page 7].

Subsequently, INTERPOL’s report confirms that the “verification of the eight seized FARC computer exhibits by INTERPOL does not imply the validation of the accuracy of the user files, the validation of any country’s interpretation of the user files or the validation of the source of the user files.” [Interpol Report, page 9].

So, INTERPOL only examined and verified whether the data contained on the computers had been created, modified or deleted after March 1 when it was publicly in the hands of the Colombian government. And although in their own report, INTERPOL concludes that access to the machines between March 1 and March 3 by the Grupo Investigativo de Delitos Informáticos of the Colombian Judicial Police (DIJIN) “did not conform to internationally recognized principles for handling electronic evidence by law enforcement” [Page 31], Secretary General Noble justifies that violation and the modifications made by the DIJIN as part of the difficulties encountered by those law enforcement who “are first on the scene”.

INTERPOL says its role was “exclusively technical” yet Secretary General Noble began his press conference on May 15 with a very partialized political discourse in favor of the Colombian government and condemning the FARC as drugtraffickers and terrorists. When asked by a journalist from TELESUR whether he could confirm the source of the evidence, Noble blurted our “I can say with certainty that the computers came from a FARC terrorist camp…” The journalist asked if they belonged to any person in particular, and Noble responded “yes, the now dead Reyes…”

If we return to page 9 of the INTERPOL report we can clearly read the statement: “the verification of the eight seized FARC computer exhibits by INTERPOL does not imply the validation of the accuracy of the user files, the validation of any country’s interpretation of the user files or the validation of the source of the user files.”

continued below..

 

[rockwool]

..continued from above:

So, how did Mr. Noble know the computers belonged to Raul Reyes if INTERPOL did not analyze their origen?

In the end, INTERPOL can say that technically those computers were not modified or altered after March 1, but that tells us nothing concrete that could serve as legal evidence in a court of law. We don’t know the source of those machines. We don’t know who created the documents, text and data on those computers. There is no way whatsoever to authenticate the information contained on the thousands of Word documents and emails on those computers. They could be stories, wishes, dreams, prayers or fantasies. What they are not is actual hard core proof of a crime.

And as no surprise, the US government has expressed its “concern” over the INTERPOL report and the “ties between the Venezuelan government and the FARC.” (The US government is always “concerned” when it comes to Venezuela. First, Ambassador Donna Hrinak expressed her “concern” over President Chávez’s statements criticizing the US bombing in Afghanistan in October 2001, and months later came the coup d’etat against Chávez. Then it was Ambassador Charles Shapiro who expressed his “concern” about the political crises and the divisions in the country and soon after we had the economic sabotage of the oil industry in December 2002. Later we had Ambassador William Brownfield saying he was “concerned” about the increase in drug transit and the threat to freedom of expression, and we had street violence, an increase in funding to the opposition, and the White House certified Venezuela as a nation “not cooperating” with counterdrug measures and the war on terror. And now what?)

First, the spokesperson for the Department of State, Sean McCormack stated on May 16 that “this is a motive of concern for us. It’s a concern for the people of Colombia and the government of Colombia…Right now our intelligence community is analyzing the INTERPOL report…You don’t have to look far beyond the many news reports that we have seen recently based on the information found in those laptops and other information…” (Right, when the news media says something in sync with Washington’s foreign policy, it’s pointed to as a valid source, but when they criticize Bush’s policies on Irak or discover inconsistencies with the administration, then they say the media are biased and unrealiable).

The next day, the normally low profile (for now) US Ambassador in Venezuela, Patrick Duddy, appeared on Globovisión declaring that “elements of concern” exist in the documents found on Raul Reyes’ laptop and that “we respect what Interpol has presented and we remind you that there is already a ton of material that has come out in the press and there are elements of conern, but also there is a lot of information and the agencies that have access to it will analyze it.” Of course his statement is identical to that of the Department of State, and that’s no coincidence – that’s because the embassies all receive a “Western Hemisphere Press Guidance” sheet telling them exactly what to say!

So, the next step will be when the CIA, the Pentagon and other official Washington representatives “certify” the information on the computers and launch all kinds of additional accusations towards Venezuela – now with “proof”, even if invented. Wasn’t the power point presentation that Colin Powell so assuredly presented before the UN Security Council regarding the weapons of mass destruction in Irak considered “proof”? So, now we have laptops with non-authenticatible documents that will be used as “evidence” to place Venezuela on the state sponsors of terror list or worse, justify some kind of military incursion onto Venezuela territory to safeguard the world from terrorists.

The Fourth Fleet of the Navy has already been activated, something not seen since World War II, and will be patrolling and coordinating military activity in the Latin American region. Last month, SOUTHCOM launched Operation Enduring Freedom – Caribbean and Central America – which deployed an elite batallon of National Guard and navy ships into the region to prepare strategies to detect and defend against terrorist threats in the region.

In the end, INTERPOL achieved what Washington hasn’t been able to do for years: invent the way to “validate” some kind of bogus evidence against Venezuela that will jusfity US aggressions and possibly the next military intervention.

I couldn't help my self while reading all these "conserns" of the US gvmnt/State dptmnt, ****in hilarious, and how they've all led to some type of subversive actions. Am I the only one seeing patterns of US claimed lies followed by agression? You guys know not to belive Dubya about Iraq, still when it comes to everything else you don't even question a well know lier?!!

 

[rockwool]

Being the Cash Money Indian that he is, feeding his peeps is prio no1. Results from investing in infrastructure to produce more food localy, with the aim of being entirely self providing, are this year expected to take a giant leap up.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3664

According to ministry statistics, the production of corn, rice, soy, chicken, pork, beef, eggs, milk, and coffee have all increased in the first half of this year, relative to the first half of 2007.

FENAVI President Francisco Tagliapietra specified that Colombian poultry should stop “invading” the Venezuelan market, since government price adjustments and financial support “have allowed production to begin to recuperate in the last three months.”

If you're starving those things will be vital to you. If you got more than you can eat.. ...you're gonna be arguing for the invicible hand to take it's course.

As a step toward this goal, the ministry reported that 21% more corn has been planted so far this year than in the first half of 2007. The yield is expected to be 4,500 kilos per hectare planted, compared to the 3,800 kilo per hectare yield last year, and the 2,100 kilo per hectare yield when Hugo Chávez was first elected to the presidency ten years ago.

You've gotta give the man a hand!

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared last week that if governments worldwide do not expand their efforts to boost food production, then the world food crisis will only worsen.

According to the FAO, worldwide investments in agriculture have declined by 14% in the last decade, and rich countries have contributed less than 10% of what they have committed to resolving world food shortages and price inflation which continue to leave 862 million people hungry.

So finally Pookie don't have to dance on the streets for a dime to eat.




And some ethanol bashing from Kofi Annan:

Moreover, the ex-General Secretary of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, criticized nations such as the United States and Brazil for producing ethanol, because this product aggravates the world food crisis and global warming.

“If they use the best lands for bio-fuels they will not be able to avoid the accusation that they are taking away food from poor people and giving it to the cars of the rich,” said Annan while visiting Brazil, which has defended its sugar-based ethanol as more efficient than the U.S.'s corn-based ethanol.

 

[rockwool]

...but here's some more info on what could be a new missile crisis. Very good article with analysis made by a CSIS assosiate (whom I belive was the one who wrote a stunningly good analysis on Cuba last year). But of course still made with the interests of the US in mind, and not primarily with each respective country.

Russia isn't the only U.S. rival dipping its toes into the Caribbean of late. Iran has parlayed its deepening relationship with Chávez into an alliance with Nicaragua's Ortega. China and India, aside from receiving increased crude imports from oil-rich Venezuela, are themselves poised to help Cuba drill for an estimated 5 billion bbl. to 10 billion bbl. of oil recently discovered off the island's coast. That find is so close to Florida shores that gringo oil execs are clamoring for a loosening of the 46-year-old U.S. trade embargo against communist Cuba so they can get in on the act. And Brazil, which will also play a major role in tapping the Cuban crude, has exerted itself as a security player in the Caribbean, assuming the leadership of international forces in strife-torn Haiti.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1826161,00.html?imw=Y

A New Cold War in the Caribbean?

Thursday, Jul. 24, 2008 By TIM PADGETT / MIAMI


Ever since the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. has seen the Caribbean in the way that the Romans viewed the Mediterranean: Mare Nostrum, Our Sea. From the Spanish-American War through the Cuban missile crisis and the Central-American dirty wars of the Reagan era, Washington was always quick to flex its muscle over the rum-soaked waters that stretch from Florida to Venezuela. The bad news: it ain't our sea anymore, gringos.

The headlines of the past week have underscored the extent to which U.S. hegemony in the Caribbean has faded. Whether it's Russia reportedly threatening to reestablish a military presence in Cuba, Iran cozying up to U.S. nemeses like Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega or U.S. free-trade partners such as the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica jumping into energy alliances with left-wing Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, Washington seems increasingly on the sidelines of a region the Bush Administration once called America's third border. "The U.S. let its guard down in the Caribbean after the Berlin Wall fell," says Johanna Mendelson-Forman, a senior associate for the Americas at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "As a result, we've gone from unipolarity in that region to multipolarity, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but we're in a real learning phase as to how to deal with it."

Chávez's visit to Moscow this week — not only to buy more than $1 billion worth of anti-aircraft missiles and submarines, but also to commune with growing anti-American resentment in Russia — resurrected old ghosts for some conservative yanqui lawmakers. Florida Congressman Connie Mack declared the Caracas-Moscow partnership a "stark reminder of the cold war partnership between the Soviet Union and Cuba."

As if to encourage that Dr. Strangelove nostalgia, the Moscow daily Izvestia quoted high-level Russian military officials as suggesting that Russia might begin flying long-range bombers into Cuba again, almost two decades after the Soviets bolted from Havana. That prompted U.S. Air Force General Norton Schwartz, President Bush's nominee for Air Force Chief of Staff, to tell a congressional confirmation hearing the next day that if the Russians were to base nuclear-capable bombers in Cuba, "I think we should stand strong and indicate that is something that crosses a threshold, crosses a red line." Cuban President Raúl Castro has so far kept quiet about the Russian report; his older brother, Cuba's retired President Fidel Castro, commended his brother's silence and wrote on a government website that Cuba "need not offer any explanations or excuses nor ask forgiveness" of the U.S.

The significance of the Izvestia bluster isn't that the Russians could be coming again — Moscow's Defense Minister later said any air force arrangement in Cuba would most likely involve stops for fuel rather than actual bases — but that they've returned to the idea of using the Caribbean to try to leverage Washington. The latest gestures may be designed as a warning to Washington that if it goes ahead with stationing a missile shield on Russia's borders, Moscow could reciprocate in America's backyard.

Russia isn't the only U.S. rival dipping its toes into the Caribbean of late. Iran has parlayed its deepening relationship with Chávez into an alliance with Nicaragua's Ortega. China and India, aside from receiving increased crude imports from oil-rich Venezuela, are themselves poised to help Cuba drill for an estimated 5 billion bbl. to 10 billion bbl. of oil recently discovered off the island's coast. That find is so close to Florida shores that gringo oil execs are clamoring for a loosening of the 46-year-old U.S. trade embargo against communist Cuba so they can get in on the act. And Brazil, which will also play a major role in tapping the Cuban crude, has exerted itself as a security player in the Caribbean, assuming the leadership of international forces in strife-torn Haiti.

Most Caribbean and Central American nations have now defied the Bush Administration's wishes and signed on to Chávez's regional energy cooperative, Petrocaribe. Started in 2006, Petrocaribe lets the basin's fuel-starved countries buy Venezuelan oil at just 40% of the current skyrocketing market price and pay back the difference over 25 years at 1% interest. Few Caribbean nations, struggling to juggle food and energy prices, can refuse Chávez's petro-diplomacy. His critics call it petro-bribery, using oil to broaden his fledgling anti-U.S. bloc in the hemisphere. But this month it won over Guatemala and Costa Rica to bring the number of Petrocaribe members to 19. And in U.S.-friendly countries that have so far balked at Chávez's deal, such as Barbados, the governments have taken heat from voters. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias was narrowly elected in 2006 by promising to keep Chávez's influence out of his Central American country. But last week, realizing that its oil expenditures have jumped 88% over the past year, he conceded that Costa Rica needed "to benefit sooner from this help."

Even before Chávez came to power, the U.S.-Caribbean bond wasn't all that warm, given the long history of unwelcome U.S. intervention in the form of coups, invasions and proxy warfare. Still, the 1999 handover of the Panama Canal to the Panamanians was seen as a magnanimous gesture, and the Bush Administration was able to ink a free-trade pact with Central America and the Dominican Republic. Colombia, meanwhile, has emerged as the U.S.'s staunchest ally in Latin America. But a century of imperious U.S. misconduct, and a decade of Bush Administration indifference toward Latin America, has left the Caribbean more willing to look elsewhere for allies — many of whom are at odds with Washington.

So how can the U.S. regain its stature in the Caribbean? For starters, it can stop looking shocked to find that countries with whom it recently signed free-trade agreements have also hooked up with Chávez. Free trade is usually a good thing — but not when it's approached, as the Bush Administration does, as a development panacea that doesn't address Third World exigencies like choosing between food and fuel. The U.S. and the U.N. have pledged a combined $117 million in food aid for starving Haiti this year, but to compete with Petrocaribe, the U.S. needs to move faster to help Caribbean Basin nations develop biofuels such as sugar ethanol, while more broadly engaging the region diplomatically with efforts to help curb its nightmarish violent crime and the rising sea levels that threaten to displace entire coastal populations. "It will be the U.S., not Russia, that has to absorb that massive environmental migration," says Mendelson-Forman, who is scheduled to testify before Congress next week about Petrocaribe. "That should be enough to make us take the whole 'third border' concept more seriously."

Back in Moscow, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev was ebullient on Tuesday after Chávez added to the more than $3 billion he's spent on Russian weaponry in recent years. Chávez crowed about a "strategic partnership" with Russia to "guarantee the sovereignty of Venezuela, which the U.S. threatens." Medvedev gushed that it was the "common task" of Russia and Venezuela "to achieve a more democratic, just and secure world." All in all, it was a new Caribbean day in the Kremlin.

Medvedev turned that "democratic, just and secure world" BS right back at dubya..

It struck me when I read this article that it's a damn smart thing that Cuba and Venezuela is doing letting other countries join them in new partnership drilling projects in their respective countries. Countries that will then have national interests of their own that stand against a probable future US invasion.

 

[rockwool]

Here's an article on the arms purchases Chavez anounced last week while visiting Russia. A related article from Reuters is soon to come but I'm having trouble with their site.

He said that after the Swedish Saab announced in 2006 it could not continue sales of portable anti-aircraft systems to Venezuela because of a U.S. arms embargo against President Hugo Chavez's government, Russian Igla missiles became the obvious choice for the Venezuelan army.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080724/114840335.html

Venezuela to buy more weaponry from Russia

17:02 | 24/ 07/ 2008




MOSCOW, July 24 (RIA Novosti) -- Venezuela may purchase man-portable air defense systems, Il-76 transport planes and T-90 tanks from Russian in the near future, a Russian political analyst said Thursday.

According to unofficial reports, Russia and Venezuela signed a new framework agreement Wednesday on delivery of Russian air defense systems, tanks and military transport planes to the Latin American country.

"The new agreement, most likely, involves purchases of Igla man-portable air defense systems, Il-76MD military transport planes and T-90 main battle tanks," said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies.

Pukhov has estimated that Venezuela could spend $5 billion or more over the next 10 years on Russian military equipment.

He said that after the Swedish Saab announced in 2006 it could not continue sales of portable anti-aircraft systems to Venezuela because of a U.S. arms embargo against President Hugo Chavez's government, Russian Igla missiles became the obvious choice for the Venezuelan army.

The embargo also means Caracas experiences difficulties in maintaining a fleet of U.S.-made C-130 Hercules military transport planes. At present, Russia has several Il-76 transport planes available for sale after a deal with China fell through due to technical problems.

According to Pukhov, Venezuela could be interested in the purchase of Russian T-90 main battle tanks because of the excellent value for money they provide.

A spokesman for Uralvagonzavod, a Urals-based manufacturer of T-90s, said the Russian tanks are superior to foreign models of the same class in terms of firepower, maneuverability, speed and armor protection, but sell for almost half the price.

The Uralvagonzavod official said, though, that the plant would have to operate at full capacity to meet outstanding orders, so it would be a few years before the company was able to produce tanks under a new foreign contract.

In 2005-2006, Venezuela bought more than 50 combat helicopters, 24 Su-30MK2 fighters, 12 Tor-M1 air defense missile systems and 100,000 AK-103 rifles from Russia. Current contracts are worth about $4 billion, according to various sources.

Wednesday's reported deal could see Russia become the main supplier of military equipment to Venezuela. Chavez, an outspoken critic of Washington, has focused his foreign policy on bolstering ties with countries outside the U.S. sphere of influence since coming to power nine years ago.

Figures of arms spending of up to $30 billion have circulated in various media as a part of the continous Venezuela bashing.

I also find it remarcable that Bush have an arms embargo against the Chaves government. Could it be because they have had plans of invading VE?

 

[rockwool]

As Chavez visited Russia last week he was again a target of mainstream medias dissinformation. A real time example of how it works without any Goebbels' involved.

"If Russia's armed forces want to be present in Venezuela, they will be given a warm welcome," Chavez told a news conference in response to a question. The idea did not, however, seem to have been on his Moscow agenda.

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Russia/idUSL2297503220080722?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Russia trumpets ties with Venezuela's Chavez
Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:47pm EDT


By Oleg Shchedrov and Chris Baldwin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday hailed closer ties with Venezuelan socialist leader Hugo Chavez, overseeing energy deals bringing the two key oil producers and rivals of the United States closer together.

Upbeat after the cordial reception, Chavez declared, albeit hypothetically, that Russia would be welcome to deploy a military base in his country, if it asked for such.

"If Russia's armed forces want to be present in Venezuela, they will be given a warm welcome," Chavez told a news conference in response to a question. The idea did not, however, seem to have been on his Moscow agenda.

Chavez, who met Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, said he had felt "strong human warmth" while meeting Medvedev and "personal chemistry immediately appeared between us".

"We are already big and good friends," he said.

"We are considering issues linked to our strategic partnership, be it in the energy sector, industry, finance, science and technology, or military issues," Chavez said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Medvedev and Chavez oversaw four deals between Russian oil companies and Venezuela's state energy firm PDVSA. These allow the Russians to develop new deposits in the South American country and pave the way for big infrastructure and engineering projects. Values were not disclosed.

In an implicit slap at the United States, which traditionally considers Latin America its zone of influence, Medvedev signaled the importance Russia attaches to relations with Washington's main adversary in the region.

"Venezuela is now the most important partner of the Russian Federation," Medvedev said after his talks with Chavez at a state residence outside Moscow.

"Our relations are a key factor of regional security ... We have one common task -- to make the surrounding world more democratic, fair and secure."

Chavez said he would pursue fresh purchases of Russian arms, "because the North American empire ... has plans to invade Venezuela, to disarm Venezuela."

"We are a peace-loving country, but we are threatened by the United States ... because Venezuela's oil reserves are the world's largest," he told the news conference. "And we are forced to defend ourselves."

Underlining the importance Moscow attaches to relations with its anti-American partner, Medvedev said he and Chavez would personally oversee a number of the key projects.

OIL AND AIR DEFENCE

Russia, the world's No. 2 oil exporter, and OPEC member Venezuela also agreed to cooperate on global energy markets without hurting the interests of consumers, Medvedev added.

"Russia and Venezuela are two very important oil and gas powers and ensuring energy security depends on our concerted actions," Medvedev said after receiving Chavez at a state residence outside Moscow.

He also said the idea of creating an OPEC-like group for gas exports had not been fully abandoned. The idea has previously sent jitters across Europe and brought criticism from Washington, which said it could lead to price manipulation.

Despite media reports that a big arms deal would be signed on Tuesday, a Russian government source said there was no guarantee anything would be finalized.

Chavez, a former soldier who led an abortive 1990s coup before later winning an election, wants to rearm the Venezuelan army with Russian missiles, tanks and diesel submarines.

He said Caracas was already closing a deal with Moscow on delivery of Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, and the two countries were now working on an integral system of protecting Venezuela with short-, middle- and long-range air defenses.

"President Medvedev reiterated today Russia would supply this equipment to Venezuela," he said. He did not elaborate.

Chavez showed off his cordial ties with Russian leaders, giving Putin a hearty hug and joking his late arrival at the premier's residence was due to Medvedev's long speeches.

Putin stepped down as Russian president in May after serving eight years in office. Medvedev was elected president by a landslide after Putin asked voters to back his successor.

"Now there are three of us -- Dmitry, Vladimir and Hugo," Chavez told the news conference. "This is a good combination."

Chavez's closeness to the Kremlin has alarmed Venezuela's neighbor Colombia, a close U.S. ally which had hoped to persuade Russia to adopt a balanced stance in the Andean region.

Rows over U.S. plans to station a missile shield in Europe and NATO's intention to expand into Ukraine and Georgia have hurt ties between Moscow and Washington in recent years and increased Russia's determination to seek allies to counter U.S. power.

Chavez accuses Washington of planning a 2002 coup against him, while the United States accuses him of seeking out its enemies -- such as Iran and Cuba -- as allies.

For a separate story on energy deals signed on Tuesday click on ID:L22984005

(Additional reporting by Denis Dyomkin)

(Reporting by Oleg Shchedrov and Chris Baldwin, Writing by Dmitry Solovyov and Michael Stott; Editing by Ralph Boulton)

I will ad an article that came as an answer to this one as it had some of Chavez's quotes manipulated.


Although interesting things to point out here is that Chavez (among others?) has planed an OPEC equivalent for natgas. Another big thing that is in the face of the west.

Also, Colombia, the by far biggest recipient of US arms in the region wants Russia to adopt a "balanced Stance" in the andean region! Talk about altering the meaning of reality..

 

[rockwool]

First some examples of how those latest news on Venezuela offering Russia bases have spread:

http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=sv&q=venezuela+offer+bases&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8



And here's the answer to the latest slandering:

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3668

International Media Distorts Venezuelan Military Deals with Russia, says Chavez

July 24th 2008, by James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com


Mérida, July 24, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- In response to widely circulated international news reports that Venezuela plans to spend $30 billion on Russian weapons and host Russian military bases on its soil, President Hugo Chávez said Wednesday that the reports are false and denounced the international media’s consistent efforts to slander the Venezuelan government.

“They repeat it so much that people believe it. I call on the media to fulfill their role. In this sense, we have the obligation to prove this type of information false and clarify things,” Chávez said in a press conference in response to the reports, which were originally issued by the Interfax press agency.

The reports were circulated on Tuesday and Wednesday following Chávez’s meeting with Russian President Dimitri Medvedev, during which the two presidents improved bilateral relations and signed military and economic accords.

Chávez has repeatedly declared his intention to upgrade Venezuela's national defense system with Russian support, which he says is mainly to defend against repeated U.S. threats to Venezuelan sovereignty.

After meeting with Medvedev Tuesday, Chávez said that Russia will “continue delivering arms to Venezuela.” He specified that Venezuela is “closing off” its purchases of Russian Sukhoi war planes, and will now focus on its anti-aircraft defense systems.

[/B]The president explained that the United States denied Venezuela the replacement parts necessary to maintain the war planes that Venezuela bought from the U.S. nearly two decades ago, so Venezuela looked elsewhere.[/B]

“Thanks to Russia, thanks to [former President Vladimir] Putin and now Medvedev, the process of strengthening the defense capacity of the Venezuelan nation has begun,” Chávez declared.

However, there is no basis for the Interfax reports about allowing Russian military bases in Venezuela or a drastic increase in military spending, Chávez said Wednesday, adding, “I don’t know where they got these figures.”

According to the reports, Venezuela plans to spend $30 billion on Russian military equipment over four years. If this were true, it would bring Venezuela’s military budget to be less than half of one percent of the U.S. military budget, and approximately half that of Latin America’s largest military spender, Brazil, according to the Sweden-based Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Chávez also made comments in a joint press conference with President Medvedev Tuesday about the potential presence of Russian military ships in Caribbean waters. The comments appear to have been taken out of context and used for reports that Venezuela offered to host Russian military bases on its soil.

“Russia has sufficient capacity to mobilize boats and aircraft carriers... if they were to appear in Venezuela, it would not be a strange thing, that they go and visit the oceans of Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. If they come to Venezuela, they will be welcomed because we are not talking here about the [U.S. Southern Command] Fourth Fleet. That is a threat,” said Chávez Tuesday.

He continued, “If someday a Russian fleet were to arrive in the Caribbean, we would hoist flags, play drums, play the national anthems of Venezuela and Russia, because it would be the arrival of a friend who is here to extend a hand, it would be the arrival of our ally.”

Legislator Rafael Gil, who heads up the Security and Defense Commission of the Venezuelan National Assembly, said on Thursday that the Venezuelan Constitution, which was approved by popular vote in 1999, prohibits foreign military bases in Venezuelan territory.

“That is why President Chávez himself came out to immediately refute such information,” said Gil. The legislator added that the false reports were part of an international media campaign to sabotage Venezuela's integration with other countries in Latin America and the rest of the world.

During Tuesday's visit in Moscow, Venezuela and Russia concretized plans to exploit oil and gas in Venezuela's recently nationalized Orinoco River Belt, launch a bi-national bank to finance joint development projects, and continue Venezuelan arms purchases from Russia.

Not quite the same thing as reported by Reuters in the article above..

"If Russia's armed forces want to be present in Venezuela, they will be given a warm welcome," Chavez told a news conference in response to a question. The idea did not, however, seem to have been on his Moscow agenda

This has been going on for nine years since Chaves came to power. Don't belive the corporate western media, they have an agenda and will lie to keep the world from liberating from the exploiting west.

 

[Samirol]

Alejandra and Samantha
Alejandra, a single mother, prepares to perform as an exotic dancer in a Venezuelan discotec. She works every Tuesday through Saturday until 3am and is paid approximately $10 USD per night. It is not customary for patrons to tip.

Abortions are illegal in Venezuela and there are no paternity laws. Because fathers are not legally held responsible for supporting their children, women who become pregnant regularly find themselves single mothers also bearing full financial responsibility for their children.

Alejandra and Samantha
Alejandra puts Samantha to sleep at the home they share with Alejandra's mother and brothers in Merida, Venezuela. After laying with Samantha until she is asleep, Alejandra prepares for her 10pm-to-3am shift as an exotic dancer at the local discotec. She goes to bed as soon as she gets home in order to sleep as much as possible before she has to wake up at 6:30am to get Samantha ready for school.

Alejandra's mom, Deisey, has since kicked her and Samantha out of the house consequential of their frequent fights concerning Deisey's disapproval of Alejandra's job at the discotec. After renting a room for several weeks they moved in with Alejandra's aunt and cousins a few blocks away from her mother's home.

Alejandra and Samantha
Samantha dances alone before performing a traditional Venezuelan dance with her dance class for other students, teachers and parents during a school presentation in the local gymnasium. Samantha likes all types of dancing, she says, but prefers to dance to the "hip hop on the radio."

Alejandra and Samantha
Alejandra works on her algebra homework after taking Samantha to school. A high school drop-out, she is participating in Mission Ribas, one of Hugo Chavez's social initiatives that provides classes for adults to work toward their high school diploma. Once she has met all of the requirements, 30-year-old Alejandra plans to go to college and study civil engineering.

She says her job dancing at the disco is the only work she qualifies for that allows her the schedule to take care of Samantha and attend high school classes. She doesn't like her job and says it is only temporary work until she can figure out another way of making money.

Abortions are illegal in Venezuela and there are no paternity laws. Because fathers are not legally held responsible for supporting their children, women who become pregnant regularly find themselves single mothers also bearing full financial responsibility for their children.

source: http://www.motherjones.com/photos/2008/07/vida_de_mujeres_pt_1.html

 

[rockwool]

So we gather a bunch of Glascow Rangers fans and go hang the Pope?

 

[Samirol]

So we gather a bunch of Glascow Rangers fans and go hang the Pope?

I just found the insight interesting, I didn't know that abortions were illegal, although it makes sense when considering how hard it is to get an abortion in Mexico, even if you are raped.