Accredited Third States
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Democracy in Venezuela
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – On the human level, there is a lot of sympathy for Hugo Chávez in his battle against an unspecified cancer in a Cuban hospital. On the political level, however, his loyal supporters in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and the Venezuelan government may be doing the cause of democracy in that country something of a…
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Critics Question Chávez Signature on an Official Decree
CARACAS, Venezuela — A tempest in an ink pot has broken out over the signature of President Hugo Chávez, which suddenly appeared on a government decree this week despite his long absence from the country. The case of the mysterious signature comes as Mr. Chávez remains out of public view since undergoing cancer surgery in Havana on Dec. 11. He…
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Caribbean called on to safeguard economic growth
WASHINGTON CMC – The World Bank has urged the Caribbean and other developing countries to safeguard their economic growth, warning that the “road ahead remain bumpy.” In the Global Economic Prospects (GEP) report, released here on Wednesday, the Washington-based financial institution said four years after the onset of the global financial crisis, the world economy “remains fragile and growth in…
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Cholera confirmed in Havana, Cuba
Cuban health officials verified Tuesday a small cholera outbreak in Havana, the capital city of Cuba, the largest occurrence of the disease on the island nation in decades. In August authorities confirmed the potentially deadly disease was gone, but a new statement by the Cuban Health Ministry today said 51 cases had been confirmed. “Fifty-one cases have been confirmed to…
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Petition to exonerate Marcus Garvey moves to US Congress
MIAMI, CMC – A Miami-based group spearheading an initiative to exonerate Jamaican Marcus Garvey has expanded its online petition to the US House of Representatives. The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey, Jamaica’s first National Hero, said it is urging the US Congress to clear his name once and for all. Geoffrey Philp, a spokesman for the group, said…
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Challenges to EU-Caribbean trade discussed
LONDON, CMC – Challenges facing Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries in exporting their goods to the European Union were among matters discussed Tuesday during a meeting of the sub-committee of the Joint United Kingdom-CARICOM Committee on Trade and Investment. The meeting, chaired by Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commissioner to London, Garvin Nicholas, was also attended by diplomats from Antigua and Barbuda,…
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Venezuela urged to halt censorship, intimidation of media
WASHINGTON, CMC – A major human rights group here has urged the Venezuelan government to end censorship and intimidation of media that challenge the official line regarding President Hugo Chávez’s health and inauguration. Human Rights Watch said on Saturday that, in recent days, the Venezuelan government has ordered a television station to cease transmission of spots that question its interpretation…
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Venezuela: Chavez is responding to treatment
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela's government says President Hugo Chavez is conscious and responding to treatment for a respiratory infection at a Cuban hospital. Information Minister Ernesto Villegas says the infection has been controlled, but Chavez is still suffering from respiratory deficiency. Chavez has been fighting the infection after undergoing a fourth round of surgery Dec. 11 for a cancer in…
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Chavez, PetroCaribe and the health of the Caribbean
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The prognosis for the recovery from cancer of President Hugo Chavez is uncertain. If he is not able or does not assume the Venezuelan presidency, then it brings into question the continuation of PetroCaribe on which Caribbean countries are heavily dependent. The termination, phasing out, or revision of the terms of PetroCaribe would have devastating repercussions for…
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Cuba called on to free American contractor
GENEVA, Switzerland, CMC – A branch of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has urged Cuba authorities to immediately free jailed US government subcontractor Alan Gross, claiming that the Spanish-speaking Caribbean island’s judicial system is not independent or impartial. The UNHRC’s Task Force on Arbitrary Detention also charged that the national security law under which Gross was charged was…
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