CARACAS, Wednesday December 17, 2008 | Update
Politics
Some 25 students were expelled from Bolívar Square,
downtown Caracas, by members of ruling United Socialist Party
of Venezuela (PSUV) who threw bottles and stones at them.
The students went to the main Caracas square to lay a wreath
at the statue of Liberator Simón Bolívar, on the
occasion of the anniversary of his death.
David Smolanski, a student leader of Andrés Bello Catholic
University (UCAB), told El Universal, that a group of members
of the ruling party began to hurl bottles and stones at them
and insulted them.
"We were attacked. They destroyed a wreath that we carried.
They pushed a girl and injured a student in his lips. It was
just a brawl but we categorically reject this act of violence."
Smolanski said that their action was peaceful and without
proselytizing. He said that thanks to officials of Libertador
mayoralty there were no further consequences since they sheltered
at its premises.
Translated by
Gerardo Cárdenas
Carolina Contreras
EL UNIVERSAL
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.