CARACAS, Thursday November 20, 2008 | Update
The head of Venezuela's top electoral body, Tibisay Lucena, praised the presence of international observers from America, Europe, Africa and Asia (File Photo)
Politics
The president of Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE),
Tibisay Lucena, welcomed on Thursday 134 foreign observers
that arrived in the South American country to monitor next
November 23rd election of governors and mayors.
Lucena said at a press conference in Caracas that the presence
of international observers from America, Europe, Africa and
Asia, will help "show before the world (...) the reality of
the Venezuelan electoral process," EFE reported.
Representatives of international electoral organizations
of the United States and Canada, as well as members of the
Latin American Economic System (SELA), the Common Market of
the South (Mercosur) and the Organization of American States
(OAS) will be among the international observers invited to
participate, the CNE said.
The OAS confirmed on Thursday in a statement that two top
officials of the OAS, on behalf of Secretary-General José
Miguel Insulza, will participate as guests in the activities
planned by the Venezuelan electoral institution.
05:09 PM. Economy. If any country has cashed in on the Bolivarian revolution, that is Brazil, particularly the private companies of the southern neighbor. Over the past five years, it has been awarded contracts for works to be carried out in Venezuela for over USD 14 billion. This puts it as the first recipient of government-to-government contracts, that is, without bidding, since Hugo Chávez took office.