Cuba to carry out military
exercises nationwide in
mid-December
Cuba is scheduled to hold
military exercises nationwide in
mid-December as part of its
All-people's War policy to test
the country's reaction to
foreign aggressions, said a
communique of the Ministry of
the Revolutionary Armed Forces
on Thursday.
The exercises, named "Bastion
2004 Strategic Drill" and
scheduled for Dec. 13-19, are
expected to test the reaction
capabilities of the army and the
society as well as the latter's
cooperation with the former,
said the communique.
Since Washington maintains a
hostile policy towards Cuba and
US President George W. Bush
seems to continue the policy in
his second term, it is necessary
for Cuba "to continue promoting
and perfecting the defense
preparations as part of an
All-people's War," said the
communique.
The Caribbean country pursues an
All-people's War policy that
every Cuban is required to have
the ability and means to fight
enemies should the country be
invaded or even occupied by
foreign enemies.
Chavez: Aznar supported
Venezuelan coup in 2002
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
said Thursday it has been
verified that the right-wing
government of former Spanish
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar
supported the short-lived coup
in April 2002 in Venezuela.
Chavez made the remarks during
an event to celebrate the 90
years of regional daily Panorama
in the western Venezuelan state
of Zulia.
Chavez said more documents on
the coup, which briefly ousted
him from office for 48 hours,
will keep on surfacing.
Certainly, he said, the members
of Spain's Popular Party, the
former ruling party, will have
no other option than to
apologize.
Chavez was temporarily ousted on
April 12, 2002, in the ephemeral
coup headed by businessmen and
the military, but returned to
presidency two days later with
the support of loyal troops and
civilians that took to the
streets.
The Venezuelan leader denied
that he had received warnings
from the US government during
the April crisis, and said
Washington also sent arms to
support the Venezuelan
opposition's plot against his
government on the eve of the
coup.
According to reports from Spain,
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel
Angel Moratinos stood by claims
that Aznar's government had
backed the 2002 coup against
Chavez.
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Brazil defends bid for UN
Security Council membership
Foreign Minister Celso Amorim
has said Brazil's entry into the
United Nations Security Council
as a permanent member will be
helpful to world peace.
In an interview published
Wednesday in the O Estado de Sao
Paulo daily, he said Brazil has
always been in favor of peace
and negotiated solutions, adding
that some security problems are
linked to economic-social ones.
Amorim was referring to a report
released Tuesday by a panel of
eminent persons on the reform of
the UN Security Council.
In the report, the panel came up
with two ideas for expanding the
Council from 15 to 24 seats.
One would add six new permanent
members, which would have the
same five permanent states --
Britain, China, France, Russia
and the United States -- since
the United Nations was founded.
The second idea would create a
third tier of member nations
that would have four-year,
non-permanent but renewable
seats.
With respect to Argentina and
Mexico, the other two Latin
American countries who want to
become permanent members of the
Security Council, Amorim said
there should not be political
costs if Brazil pushes for
permanent seats on the Security
Council, adding that the two
countries understand Brasilia.
Brazil, Germany, Japan, India
and three African nations --
Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa
-- are for now the best
candidates to become permanent
members of the Security Council.
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