Ecuadorian Air Force has old planes                Prensa Libre, Cuba, March 27, 2009

The Ecuadorian Security minister, Miguel Carvajal, stated today that the Air Force guards the frontiers of the country with old planes and helicopters, with many years of use and exploitation. “The abandonment has been so great, in this case of the Air Force, after the signing of peace with Perú (in 1998) that all its equipments are in this sort of conditions, with many years of use, many years of work,” stated Carvajal to a local radio station.  He explained that those planes are used to guard the northern frontier and all the frontier zones of this territory.
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Palestinian National Authority will open diplomatic office in Venezuela
El Nacional, Venezuela, March 24, 2009

The measure, made public this Tuesday by the Palestinian agency ‘Maan’, follows the Venezuelan government’s decision to expel the Israeli diplomatic corps in Caracas. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) will open a diplomatic representation office in Caracas next April 27, revealed the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al Malki. The measure, made public this Tuesday by the Palestinian agency ‘Maan’, follows the Venezuelan government’s decision to expel the Israeli diplomatic corps in Caracas, after President Hugo Chavez called the Israeli offensive in Gaza on past December and January a “massacre”.
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The Major of Caracas calls on military to begin disobedience
El País, España, March 29, 2009

The metropolitan major of Caracas, part of the opposition, Antonio Ledezma, asked the military this Saturday to stop backing President Hugo Chavez unconditionally, and announced a general offensive against his Government. “I call upon the National Armed Force to bear in mind the concept of disobedience of illegal acts”, said Ledezma in an assembly of opposition leaders which took place in San Cristóbal, 820 kms southwest of Caracas. “If they keep supporting unconstitutional acts, if they keep committing crimes against human rights, bear in mind the Rome Statute, which is in force in the world,” warned Ledezma. The Caracas major stated his belief that a “national front” should be formed against Chávez. In the same assembly, the president of the opposition party ‘A New Time’ (UNT), Omar Barboza, called on the Venezuelans for “national mobilization and democratic resistance” to fight against “the dictatorship” of president Hugo Chávez.                                                                    more>>  

Eight police officers and three civilians accused of robbery in synagogue
El Universal, Venezuela, March 26, 2009

The Public Ministry accused eight police officers, amongst them a woman, and three civilians, for their alleged participation in the robbery of Tiseret Israel Synagogue, which took place during the night of the 30^th and dawn of the 31^st of January, in the Maripérez sector, in Caracas. In the document, the 41st National attorney, Christian Quijada, accused the metropolitan police officers Francisco Pérez Díaz, Frank Piñate Lunar, Edgar Alexander Cordero, José Gregorio Montilla and Angelo Jesús Charlys; Caracas policeman, Luis Castillo Guerrero; detective of the Scientific and Criminal Investigations Corps, Yadira Soledad Torres; and civilian Orlando José Pérez Díaz, stated the Public Ministry in a press release. These people were accused of allegedly committing the crimes of aggravated robbery, with complicity to commit such act, defilement against a cult, association to commit a crime, all these inscribed in the Criminal Code and the Organic Law against Organized Delinquency.                                                              more>>  

Prepared by: Mariana Caramagna Natalia Herrera

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