Inamorato wrote: 
So they can't organize any coup against our good buddy Hugo.

Tons o' Guns!

 

Venezuela destroys 30,000 guns

CARACAS (Reuters) - Battling with one of the world's highest murder rates, Venezuela on Wednesday crushed more than 30,000 guns seized from the streets during police raids this year.

Policemen used blow-torches to chop up some of shotguns and pistols. They compacted weapons including home-made pistols into a 5 ton block, said Interior Minister Tarek Al Aisammi.

"Here we have weapons captured in operations during 2009," he said on state television. "This act forms part of the disarmament policies that we have been promoting."

With 13,000 murders in 2007, the last time figures were published, violent crime consistently registers as Venezuelans' main concern in opinion polls.

Gun laws are lax in the South American oil exporter. The government estimates there are 6 million firearms circulating among the population of about 28 million. Venezuela's murder rate is about 8 times that of the United States.

Crime has risen under President Hugo Chavez, who has focused on poverty reduction to tackle violence in poor city neighborhoods.

 OlderThanDirt wrote: 
That is actually the sad thing...they just ignore it! They have other fascinations or concerns...not to blame them, but it is hypnotizing and amusing...just watching and wondering about -what triggers these strikes.

I had no idea of the phenonmenon of Catutumbo lightning! Thank you. My interest is sparked, and I am putting it on my list of things to experience.

someone wrote: 
That does sound fascinating.  I love a good thunderstorm, but 140-160 nights per year, each lasting 10 or so hours with up to 280 strikes per hour makes me wonder, "How do people around there sleep?"

Catatumbo Lightning

someone wrote: 
Never been there, but am jealous of your impending adventure! Post some photos here if you can. I'd love to see what it looks like!

Okay, so lets start over again. I have indeed no interest in arguing about (Venezuelan) politics, I get to hear about that so often that I bought myself some really nice headphones to listen to RP while I browse the internet or work on some code. I myself am not a Venezuelan citizen, but happen to live in the beautiful city of Caracas. I don't have many friends who share same interests (like music) and hoped I might run into someone (in Venezuela) who also enjoys listening to the music played on RP. Maybe exchange some records or traveling tips. Next month I will be heading to Roraima but I also am fascinated about the Catatumbo phenomenon near Maracaibo. Anyone even made it to the center of the Catatumbo swamp-jungle?

Best regards,

Mauricio

 jadewahoo wrote: 
I rather suspect that that is our newly-joined chums' intention. Non-political comments are likely to be well down the list of our new-found music fan's priorities.
 
*edit* Call me cynical, but.....

someone wrote: 
Check the last post's date... well over a year ago! Obviously not a hot topic. So, my suggestion would be to change the theme (best you can) and post about Venezuela some non-political comments. I, for one, would love to hear something other than Chávez-Chávez-Chávez and something about the people and culture and land of Venezuela.

someone wrote: 
You can always try the Breadcrumbs thread... that one's a lot of fun.

Oh dear god, I thought this would be the only place (hideout) I would find topics about Venezuela and not read about the infamous Chávez. Guess I have to find another forum....really really sad... i am sick of politics...RP was my hideout from Venezuelan news.

As for the rest of the world:

U.S. sanctions Chavez aides in growing crisis

By Frank Jack Daniel and Arshad Mohammed

CARACAS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States imposed sanctions on aides to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday in retaliation for his expulsion of the U.S. ambassador, escalating a crisis that raises the specter of a possible oil supply cutoff.

The diplomatic moves and Chavez's threat to cut off oil shipments to the United States sent the OPEC nation's debt prices tumbling and plunged relations between the superpower and one of its top energy suppliers to their lowest point in years.

Chavez warned on Thursday that if he stops selling oil to the United States, world crude prices would immediately double to above $200 a barrel.

The socialist leader leads a growing bloc of left-wing leaders in Latin America and has diversified Venezuela's oil customers in recent years, particularly increasing supply to China.

He said his decision to expel the U.S. ambassador on Thursday in an expletive-laden tirade against "Yankees," was made to support Bolivia's leftist president who is facing violent protests against his government that he blames on interference by Washington.

Washington struck back on Friday with sanctions against two Chavez aides, including Venezuela's former Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez, for allegedly aiding Marxist guerrillas in Colombia.

It is also possible Chavez knew sanctions were coming against his officials and wanted to take the offensive. Rodriguez resigned unexpectedly last week, and Chavez often uses a strategy that his best form of defense is attack when he is assailed.

Washington was also preparing on Friday to eject Venezuela's top diplomat in the United States, a U.S. official said, although Chavez tried to preempt that move by telling him to pack his bags and come home a day earlier.

NEW TENSIONS

Venezuela has some of the largest oil reserves outside the Middle East and despite Chavez's frequent clashes with the U.S. government, he has maintained oil supplies and never before expelled a U.S. ambassador.

Violent anti-government protests have killed eight people in Bolivia, ruled by Chavez's close ally, President Evo Morales.

Bolivia and the United States expelled their respective ambassadors earlier this week after Morales accused Washington of supporting the opposition.

Venezuelan bond yield spreads over U.S. Treasures — widely seen as a gauge of investor risk perception — soared 41 basis points to 765 basis points on Friday.

Chavez said he would not restore normal relations with the United States at least until U.S. President George W. Bush leaves the White House in January.

"When there is a new government in the United States, we will send a new ambassador, a government that respects the people of Latin American," he said.

Lehman Brothers' Gianfranco Bertozzi, who analyses how political risk in Venezuela affects the country's debt prices, told investors the market was over-reacting because there had been no concrete oil-related measures.

"This expulsion is really only until the next administration, the election for which is 53 days away, and in the meantime oil is still flowing - although markets seems agitated by the risk of escalation," he wrote from New York.

Chavez was briefly ousted in a 2002 coup that was initially welcomed by Washington. Even after the coup, Chavez did not go so far as to expel the U.S. ambassador.

But tensions between the United States and Venezuela are escalating quickly. Chavez allowed two Russian long-range bombers to land in Venezuela this week and released evidence of an alleged plot to kill him that he says was supported by Washington.

He also reduced U.S. commercial airline flights to Venezuela and warned he would support "armed movements" to back Bolivia's Morales in the event of a coup against him.

Chavez calls the United States an evil empire and has aligned with Russia. Moscow is sending warships for joint naval exercises with Venezuela's military in the Caribbean in November, reviving tensions not seen in the region since the end of the Cold War.

(Editing by Saul Hudson and Kieran Murray)