The Government will bring together in a new public financial institution several private banks that were taken over in recent days because of irregularities, which means a nationalisation, President Chávez said on Sunday. On Monday, the government closed the Banco Confederado, Banco Bolivar, Banpro and Banco Canarias, which were being inspected for numerous irregularities. The liquidation of Banco Canarias and BanPro was subsequently ordered as a result of their solvency issues, while Confederado and Banco Bolivar will become part of the public financing system. Last Friday Central Banco Universal, Banco Real and the investment firm Baninvest were shut down so that a "closed door" inspection could be conducted in order to "rehabilitate" them. With the creation of Bicentennial Bank, the government would also be implicitly nationalising Central Banco Universal and Banco Real. At the moment, the government controls 25 percent of the banking sector and is the most powerful actor in the financial system since nationalising Banco de Venezuela earlier this year.
President Chávez announced that the Minister of Science, Technology and Industry made himself available as part of the investigation of his brother, Arné Chacón, regarding the bank takeovers. "It hurts me a lot, but this decision is the best one." He said that the investigation will examine whether or not public officials protected the mismanagement that led to the closure of seven businesses, and assured that "if proven guilty" of any of the accusations he will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Chávez said that he "will not condemn Arne Chacon prematurely" but said he does not understand "how he, who comes from the Navy, has a poor background like the rest of us, is president of a bank."
Up to one fifth of crimes recorded in Venezuela are committed by police officers, especially the most violent abductions and killings, said Interior Minister Tarek El Aisami on Sunday. "Of all the crimes recorded nationally, between 15 and 20 percent are committed by police officers, especially those that involve more violent crimes: murder and kidnapping," the minister said during the programme "Alo Presidente", which moderated by President Chávez. During his speech Sunday, Chávez turned to the subject of safety many times and called on all to "defeat this enemy of the revolution that is crime, from the petty thief (...) to those better organised who rob banks, kidnap people, kill, and the paramilitaries." In addition, Chávez urged police in Táchira state (ruled by the opposition Cesar Perez) to "intervene" if they have "evidence of complicity" in the death of two National Guard troops on the border with Colombia a month ago. The state government has accused paramilitaries of the crimes.
A Colombian judge requested the arrest of Amilcar Figueroa Salazar, Venezuelan representative to the Latin American Parliament, who has been linked to Colombian FARC guerrillas, according to press reports in Bogotá yesterday. The judge also asked Interpol to include Figueroa in a "blue circular" which means it can be located by the agency, reported El Tiempo and Caracol Radio. "The politician, according to several sources, has diplomatic immunity and therefore, at least for now, would not be viable to include in a red circular (international arrest warrant) of Interpol," according to the electronic edition of El Tiempo. At the request of the prosecution, the judge "issued the first arrest warrant against a foreigner investigated under 'FARC policies' and he did it on charges of supporting a terrorist organization (conspiracy to commit kidnapping, terrorist financing and training of illegal groups)," reported El Tiempo.
The Comptroller General of Venezuela, Clodosvaldo Russián, announced that a list of 150 politically ineligible people prohibited from participating in parliamentary elections in September 2010 will be released on December 21. Russián did name any names or political parties of those who are being disqualified for allegedly being guilty of corruption during their terms in office, according to El Nacional of Caracas. "We sanctioned behaviors," saoid Russián during an interview with the state-run Venezolana de Televisión, according to the Caracas newspaper. He stressed that the existence of the list of 150 barred politicians shows that his office is working to combat corruption in the country. "We know that in Venezuela there is corruption, not just now, but always, and now we are punishing it," said Russián. Commenting on the sheer number affected, he said his office "does no disqualify in bulk, but according to how we see irregularities developing."
Leave a comment