The Military and the Monetary, use the media as intermediaries,
they are determined to keep the citizens secondary,
they make so many decisions that are... arbitrary.
-- Gil Scott-Heron, Work For Peace
Everyone else mentioned in this news article would consider the word
'terrorist' apropos, but apparently Reuters doesn't concur ("...they
make so many decisions that are... arbitrary.")
"The Nonaligned Movement, which comprises 118 mainly developing
countries including Venezuela, expressed concern about Posada's
release in a statement issued Friday, reiterating its support for
Venezuela's extradition request."
Venezuela protests militant's release
By IAN JAMES, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 8 minutes ago
President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that Venezuela will lodge a protest
with the United Nations after the U.S. released a Cuban militant on
bond, accusing Washington of letting a terrorist go free.
Venezuela had asked the U.S. to extradite 79-year-old former CIA agent
Luis Posada Carriles on charges that he plotted the 1976 bombing of a
Cuban passenger plane, in which 73 people died.
Chavez also said Posada has been plotting to assassinate him for
years, and accused President Bush of complicity in failing to bring
Posada to justice.
"President Bush, you are a protector of terrorists. As such, you are a
terrorist," Chavez said during his weekly TV and radio program "Hello,
President."
"The Venezuelan government will take this case to the United Nations,
because it cannot be," Chavez said. "We've been asking for his
extradition for more than two years. We sent them all the evidence."
Venezuela accuses Posada, a militant opponent of Cuban leader Fidel
Castro, of plotting the bombing while living in Caracas. Posada has
denied involvement.
He escaped from a Venezuelan prison in 1985 and was detained in
Florida in May 2005 for entering the United States illegally.
Posada was indicted on charges of lying to U.S. immigration
authorities, but an appeals court ruled last week that he could post
bail and return to his family in Miami while awaiting trial.
Chavez said Posada "has for many years been planning the assassination
not only of Fidel Castro but also my assassination, and he has a
powerful network that has been supported by the CIA for many years,"
Chavez said.
He said Posada's release is linked to larger "plans against Venezuela."
The Bush administration has repeatedly denied Chavez's accusations but
calls the leftist president a threat to democracy and a negative force
in Latin America.
Venezuela, along with other countries, plans to bring the Posada case
before a U.N. Security Council committee monitoring counterterrorism
efforts, said Jose Pertierra, a lawyer representing Chavez's
government.
The Nonaligned Movement, which comprises 118 mainly developing
countries including Venezuela, expressed concern about Posada's
release in a statement issued Friday, reiterating its support for
Venezuela's extradition request.
Chavez also said Sunday that he will enact a law to regulate prices at
private hospitals and warned that his government would seize any
hospital caught flouting the new controls.
Chavez said he will approve the law by presidential decree, using
special powers granted to him by the National Assembly nearly three
months ago, as he aims to steer the South American country toward
socialism.
"We're going to have strict regulation. Any clinic that doesn't
comply, let it be closed down," Chavez said.
Venezuela has a two-tiered health system in which wealthier, insured
patients often can afford prompter, better treatment at private
hospitals. Chavez has expanded the public health system, building new
clinics, refurbishing hospitals and sending thousands doctors to live
in poor neighborhoods and provide free care.
