Today's Stories: Carter urges Venezuelans to vote with calm, confidence Chile refuses to discuss maritime-demarcation dispute with Peru Terror threats may be from political rivals: Salvadorian president Hurricane Charley kills four in Cuba

Four people were killed and five others injured as Hurricane Charley tore across Cuba, leaving 200,000 homeless,  and least 15 people were confirmed dead in the southeastern US state of Florida when Hurricane Harley slammed the state on Friday and Saturday.

"The voting of Sunday is another expression of democracy," Carter said at a press conference with Cesar Gaviria, outgoing Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Carter said the referendum is the culmination of the dialogues headed by Gaviria and a year of legal and peaceful work by opposition coalition the Democratic Coordination. It is "a vigorous and violent-free electoral campaign."

The 2002 Nobel Price winner asked representatives of Chavez' supporters and opponents to be ready for a meeting after the referendum, in which the two sides can define the ways to work together and solve urgent problems in Venezuela.

Gaviria also noted that they look forward to having a result respected by both parties, and it can be a beginning of Venezuela's new era rather than division or confrontation.

In May 2003, the OAS and the Carter Center backed up a democratic solution to the severe political crisis in Venezuela. They urged the government and the opposition to resort to a referendum to decide whether or not Chavez will remain in office till January 2007.

Amid their calls, Venezuelans were waiting for the referendum calmly on Saturday.

Under the law, both Chavez's backers and foes wrapped up their demonstrations ahead of the referendum.

According to the National Election Council (CNE), the referendum will take place from local time 6 a.m. (1000GMT) to 6 p.m. (2200GMT), with about 14 million people expected to cast their votes. First results will be given by the CNE three hours after the closing of voting stations.

Venezuela will use for the first time electronic voting machines which can register fingerprints of voters to prevent them from casting ballots repeatedly.

The government has deployed 118,000 soldiers to guard voting centers. Fire fighters and policemen were also on alert at their headquarters.

Hundreds of international observers, including those from the OAS and the Carter Center, will monitor the process.

Chavez, who was accused by his opponents of wrecking the country's economy, has to face the referendum as they have collected 2.5 million signatures against him, more than the 2.4 million required to call a recall vote.

Under the Venezuelan constitution, in order to oust Chavez, the opposition has to collect a number of votes equal to or higher than that obtained by the president in the 2000 election, which is at least 3.7 million votes.

The opposition has said it will only accept the recall referendum results if international organizations acting as observers approve them.
 

Chile refuses to discuss maritime-demarcation dispute with Peru
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos ruled out the possibility Saturday to discuss the sea-territorial demarcation dispute with Peru, saying the matter was already solved.

The maritime demarcation with Peru in the Pacific Ocean "is a problem for Peru," but Chile will maintain its position that this issue is solved, Lagos said during an interview with local radio station Radio Bio Bio.

He said that the maritime question "is not what matters the most in our relations" with Peru and he had discussed with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo about the issue.

Lagos reiterated that the maritime demarcation of Chile and Peru was initially established in 1947 and then reaffirmed in 1952after the two countries, plus Ecuador and Bolivia, held talks on the issue.

He insisted that Peru could take the case to the International Court of Justice but anticipated "I will take the necessary steps to protect" the interests of Chile. The country "knows that when it is necessary to talk hard, I do it; when steps have to be taken, I do so," he added.

On Aug. 6, when meeting his Chilean counterpart Soledad Alvear, Peruvian Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez defused tensions between his country and Chile by saying that the 1929 Treaty that has set borders between Chile, Peru and Bolivia is "perpetual."
 

Terror threats may be from political rivals: Salvadorian president
Salvadorian President Antonio Saca said Saturday the so-called threats by Islamic groups agains this country may be from the hands of political rivals, according to reports from San Salvador, capital of the Central American country.

The security authorities have not proved yet the veracity of the threats, Saca told radio station YSKL.

"It rather seems the threats are ill attempts from certain individuals in El Salvador to cause instability and confusion," and "some of them have terms" that sound quite local, he said.

Saca added that neither the existence of such groups that supposedly launched the threats nor the veracity of the messages has been confirmed. But the alleged threats have made him order the authorities to intensify security in strategic sectors, including harbors and diplomatic buildings.

Supposed Islamic groups have said on the Internet that they will stage attacks against El Salvador for keeping its military troops in Iraq.

The Salvadorian National Security Council has undertaken a thorough investigation and contacted world intelligence organizations. Until now the veracity of these threats has not been confirmed.

El Salvador sent its first contingent of 360 soldiers to Iraq in August 2003. A third contingent of 380 Salvadorian soldiers will be sent to the Iraq on Aug. 17.

El Salvador is now the only Latin American country which still has troops in Iraq. Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic have withdrawn their troops.
 

Hurricane Charley kills four in Cuba
Four people were killed and five others injured as Hurricane Charley tore across Cuba, leaving 200,000 homeless, local authorities said Saturday.

Hurricane Charley crossed the coast just after midnight and took over two hours to sweep Cuba. It destroyed 16,000 houses and cut powers in several areas.

Violent winds battered the capital Havana, damaging buildings and bringing down 500 electricity cables. Technicians were trying to resume the supply of electricity and gas, the National Electricity Regulation chief, Victor Puentes, said.

The hurricane struck Mariel port and destroyed tens of vessels and school buildings.

The province of Pinar del Rio in the western Caribbean country was not directly affected by the hurricane, but suffered a power blackout.

The hurricane damaged fruit plantations, including banana and sugarcane, and vegetable production.

Authorities sent brigades to assist the areas affected by Charley.