Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged thousands of gun-toting militia troops

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged thousands of gun-toting militia troops Tuesday to be ready to fight for his socialist government, telling them that opponents may be plotting to oust or kill him.

Chavez rallied the civilian militia at an outdoor speech while marking the anniversary of a failed 2002 coup against him. Organizers estimated about 35,000 militia members in the crowd, which filled a downtown avenue in Caracas.

The president said his opponents would be defeated if they tried another coup, and he vowed to emerge again with a dominant majority in the National Assembly after September elections.

Without giving details, Chavez told the crowd that he believes some people in Venezuela are conspiring to assassinate him.

"If they were to do it ... you know what you would have to do. Simply take all power in Venezuela, absolutely all, sweep away the bourgeoisie from all political and economic spaces, deepen the revolution," he said.

He held aloft a sword that once belonged to the 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar — the inspiration of Chavez's socialist Bolivarian Revolution movement — as he administered an oath to members of the Bolivarian Militia.

Chavez declared April 13 to be the "Day of the Bolivarian Militia," a national day of celebration.

He called the militia, which he created, a key force to help defend the country against any threat, whether foreign or domestic.

"You should be ready to take up the arms you have there at any time and go out to give your lives, if you have to, for the Bolivarian Revolution!" he thundered.

Confetti floated through the air after Chavez arrived in a jeep waving to the crowd.

The former paratrooper officer, who is up for re-election in 2012, has recently seen his popularity slip as his government copes with a shrinking economy, racing inflation and electricity shortages.

Chavez thrives on confrontation and has repeatedly accused his opponents of trying to overthrow or kill him.

President Ricardo Martinelli

President Ricardo Martinelli has announced the introduction of a program to normalize the immigration status of some 100,000 Colombians who live in Panama illegally. Martinelli stated in the Colombian city of Medellin that his government will soon launch "a rehabilitation and legalization program for all undocumented Colombians that there are in Panama." "There are many, and most of them are not part of the formal formal economy can not do the basic necessities because they are living undercover, living hidden," he said after meeting with the Mayor of Medellín, Alonso Salazar, and receiving the keys to the city. Martinelli launched his three day official visit to Colombian in Medellín yesterday. He will continue to Bogota today and then go to Cartagena, a city that will host the Latin American version of World Economic Forum (WEF) tomorrow. Illegal Colombians in Panama "have to be normalized, because that is something human and we have to remember that at one time Panama was part of Gran Colombia, this is something we have to solve in a fast and effective manner," Martinelli said. He said there could be "hundreds of thousands" of Illegal immigrants from Colombia in Panama. He remembered that in the past there was a smaller effort based on a "small census" that allowed for 25,000 Colombians to legalize their status in Panama.
The President, who took advantage of the trip to see the subway system in Medellin, said that Panama will soon open a public bidding process to build a subway system. "We have to learn from the management of this system as a model for the Metro of Panama, so that it becomes and entity that does not have a deficit, and one which produces not only a good service, but one that does not become a burden to the state," said Martinelli.

On the issue of the legalization of more than 100 thousand Colombians, Francisco Sanchez Cardenas, the President of the CEN of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), said that from the human point of view he agrees with the president's initiative, but in regard to the country's security, we must analyze who will be legalized "because even though we are very close to our Colombian brothers we have to look towards the security of the country." The other problem is that now the Colombians will compete for jobs with Panamanians, and this would mean more unemployment, said Sánchez. (El Siglo)

Panama Increased hiring in the capital

Increased hiring in the capital
la prensa

The majority of contracts have been issued in the fields of construction, commerce, and call centers.

The sustained growth of Panama's economy is a key attraction for the installation of new businesses, and thus the generation of employment.

The Contract Analysis Department of the Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development (MITRADEL), up until the third week of March 2010, recorded a total of 35,369 labor contracts.

Of this total, an estimated 11,068 were fixed-term contracts, some 8,839 were for an indefinite period, and another 15,462 were classified in the category of specific projects.

The head of Contract Analysis at MITRADEL, Gabriel Quintero, said the total number of new contracts registered as of March of this year will surpass the figures reported in March 2009, when there were approximately 53,417 labor contracts on record.

These figures only cover the metropolitan area and exclude jobs that are being generated by the expansion of the Panama Canal.

The majority of contracts have been issued in the fields of construction, commerce, and call centers.

Drugs found at airport Panama

Drugs found at airport
Two plastic bags of cocaine were found inside a refrigerator that was seized Wednesday by Customs officers at Tocumen International Airport.

The merchandise was to be sent to New Jersey in the United States.

Two people, a Panamanian and a Jamaican, were taken into custody. The two men allegedly transported the refrigerator to the airport in a taxi.

Murder in Panama of a US Citizen

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide dot com – Paul Roger Nunes, a US citizen who recently moved to Panama, was killed this morning in the house he was renting in the Alta Mar #2 development of the Los Algarrobos neighborhood in the town of Dolega of the Chiriquí province, Republic of Panama. Paul Nunes was approximately 65 years old, according to neighbors, and he had been living in the area for only two months. There was a young Panamanian couple living in the same house with Paul Nunes. According to reports, the robbers forced the young Panamanian woman into a back room and locked her in with her baby. The woman’s husband was not home at the time of the incident. The attack apparently occurred in the early morning hours, today. Area residents suspect the robbers might have had keys or some other way to gain access to the house, because apparently there were no signs of forced entry.

Americans in Panama Participant: Paul Roger Nunes, the CEO of Stonecastle Homes Inc, was a frequent participant on the Americans in Panama Yahoo Email Group. Ironically, in a recent discussion about crime and violence in Panama, Paul wrote:

•“thats all fine and dandy, but some people prefer to live free, not locked behind bars in a private prison (for protection?)…if thats what was required to feels safe, I would definately move to a different location, even a different country. Some people here have compared the crime threat to being less than the average american city. Possibly true. I will not live in any city for many reasons, crime being one of them. Life is much different in rural farm country or mountains. here i do not expect thieves and muggers. Neighbors help each other and doors are unlocked. Obviously, latin countries seem to have a problem that is much reduced in other cultures. This is a morale issue of society that does not respect or value other people. It is the sad dark side of a culture that is otherwise very warm giving to others, even if a gringo is viewed as a private atm machine by many locals. This problem will not go away quickly and will hinder future growth. Panama has much to offer to outsiders, but this ugly problem needs to be addressed by both the government and society as a whole. Armed police is not the answer. Educating people and instilling basic values of honesty in the schools and at home will be a start. Paul Nunes [pstonecastle@sbcglobal.net]“
Police Are Investigating: Police are apparently anxious to talk to the husband of the woman who lived with Paul, and according to neighbors they have not yet been able to locate or talk to him. More details as they become available.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.