Roberto Micheletti, the president appointed by the Honduran Congress to replace the deposed Manuel Zelaya, on Sunday night warned Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez that Honduras will not sit still if it is interfered with. "If this happens, making a democratic determination of having to go to war would be an extreme abuse of power," Zelaya said in televised statements, adding that he does not accept threats from "this gentleman." Micheletti said that "we understand that some battalions are preparing to come here," while the Honduran army continues to carry out its "investigation". "I don't want anyone to dare doing that to our armed forces, who are ready to defend the territory," he said.
Sectors of the opposition in Venezuela yesterday rejected the "interference" of President Chávez in Honduras, while condemning the military coup against the president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya. Speaking on behalf of the party Podemos, party secretary-general, Ismael García condemned the coup d'état in Honduras, but added his "condemnation of interventionism," above all, he said, if it comes from a head of state that claims to be "democratic" and recognizes the validity of international agencies. The leadership of the Democratic Unity party yesterday categorically condemned any constitutional breach, as well as any military coup "regardless of where they come from and who originated it." As outlined by Radio Unión, representing the movement was the secretary general of Primero Justicia, Tomás Guanipa, who questioned the military actions that occurred in that country. He also blamed the actions of President Zelaya in trying to extend his leadership, which "disregarded the decisions of state powers." The Democratic Action Party, yesterday criticized the position President Chavez took regarding the events in Honduras. At a news conference, the member of the youth leadership, Ángel Medina, said the Venezuelan president is a copy of the outgoing president of United States: "It is as if (George) Bush exited office, but left a son to Latin America." In his view, Chávez interfered in Zelaya's government, which sparked unease in the opposition.
On June 29, 2009 several summons orders for journalists and other employees of the channel arrived at Globovisión in order to obtain statements as part of the investigation of the interview that journalist Rafael Poleo conducted as an invited guest on the program Aló Ciudadano broadcast by Globovision on October 13, 2008. The prosecution has launched several criminal investigations against Globovisión, its directors and staff after the Minister of People's Power and Public Works, Diosdado Cabello, requested the Public Prosecutor to begin criminal investigations and order CONATEL to open a sanction proceeding against the plant in order to subsequently revoke the Globovisión grant on the basis of Article 171, paragraph 6 of the Organic Law of Telecommunications. The sanction process has effectively already been initiated by CONATEL and criminal investigations in question are being developed, as evidenced by the motions received thus far.
The 2009 version of the report of World Governance Indicators, which covers 212 countries and is conducted on the basis of 35 different sources of information, revealed that countries like Norway and New Zealand are the best governed, while Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Belarus, Eritrea and Venezuela are among the worst. In the case of Latin America, according to the World Bank, Chile is the leader at number 28 worldwide and first in the region, while Venezuela is ranked 189 out of 212 countries and in Latin America is the last in the fight against corruption.
The Venezuelan Association of Exporters (Avex) warned Venezuelans that Venezuelan products may lose several European markets due to the loss of tariff preferences enjoyed until now on products destined for the old continent. Avex president Francisco Mendoza explained that the loss of this benefit originate in no-ratification vote by the national government and anti-corruption conventions against drug trafficking in the European Union. "This should have been done in December 2008 and it was not until February this year when the amendment was signed, so that from August, Venezuelan products have not enjoyed preferential tariffs. That means we will have to compete against other items do have this benefit, which makes them more competitive in price," said Mendoza. He stressed that the number of items affected has not yet been quantified and the potential losses to reduced national exports, which so far this year have fallen 46% over the same period in 2008, going from $1.3 million to $700,000. "We are becoming less competitive and this nontraditional exports will descend to a historical low," said the union leader.
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