MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

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Headlines:
IRA involvement in Colombia; “Violent coup” forecasted in Venezuela; Argentina requesting 7 billion US dollars

IRA involvement in Colombia

Colombian Army intelligence officials have "strong indications" that members of the IRA, Irish Republican Army, were involved in the training, (and possibly planning,) of the local terrorist group FARC, (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) attacks on the presidential palace during the inauguration ceremony of incoming president Alvaro Uribe last Wednesday. "We have strong indications that those responsible for the attack were trained by IRA terrorists", said an Army intelligence source, adding that "we're in close contact with the British to determine with greater certainty the modus operandi of the attack", that left 21 civilian dead and fifty wounded in downtown Bogotá. During the ceremony in Palacio Nariño, thirteen foreign presidents were present plus tens of diplomats and special guests. The 15,000 servicemen deployed in the area, plus air coverage and underground patrolling proved unable to stop a hundred FARC guerrillas from firing several mortar rounds against the palace from flats rented in the surrounding area. "Our British counterpart has informed us that they believe the whole action was very similar to an attack on 10 Downing Street a few years ago", said the Colombian Army intelligence source. Other Colombian sources close to the investigation and the Mayor of Bogotá, Antanas Mockus, said the rebels "almost certainly were trained in this type of urban guerrilla tactics by the IRA when FARC was given a big chunk of territory as part of the ongoing peace process with the previous government". Actually approximately a year ago Colombian security forces arrested three Irish citizens, known to be close to the IRA, Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and James Monaghan, when they arrived in Bogotá airport from the area at the time under FARC control. They are waiting in jail to be trailed. After a frustrating four years of inconclusive peace talks under former president Andrés Pastrana, Mr. Uribe, (educated in Oxford and Harvard) won a landslide victory promising to put an end to the forty years insurrection war that has left thousands of dead and over half a million Colombian peasants displaced.

"Violent coup" forecasted in Venezuela

Former Venezuelan president Carlos Andrés Pérez believes a "coup is in the making" and insists that Venezuela can only overcome its current institutional crisis if new elections are held under international supervision. In a long interview with the Spanish newspaper "El País", Social democrat Mr. Pérez who ruled the country during two periods forecasts that "unfortunately a coup will take place, with much blood", since he's convinced the only way the current president, Hugo Chavez will leave office is "using force". "The situation is so critical that the only way out is the intervention of the military", stressed Mr. Pérez indicating that it won't be phasing out of president Chávez, "the military will simply take power to avoid a civilian armed confrontation". President Cháves a former paratrooper converted into politics is still strongly supported by Venezuela's poor masses but his enchantment is rapidly fading since he has been unable to keep his electoral promises even with high oil prices, the country's main source of income. By pretending to apply non market economic policies and having received Cuban president Fidel Castro's blessing as his "best pupil and heir to the revolution", Mr. Chaves has antagonized hostility from the middle classes and the affluent and powerful in Venezuela, including much of the Armed Forces. "Chávez has no international support, but from Saddam Hussein, Castro and Gadaffi. "He's become a regional threat, and pretends to export his ideological indigestion to neighbouring countries", said Mr. Pérez in the interview. "Not only has he destroyed Venezuelan institutions, even worse he has created class hatred and violence, and this is a very serious problem for any civilized society". Mr. Chavez who was elected to office with unprecedented support and hope was recently jailed for two days by the military during a frustrated coup. People in the streets and the Armed Forces terrified of possible internal divisions finally restored him to power, but since then there have been daily scenes of street violence and fighting, with the country virtually in a political stale mate and the economy sagging. The Judiciary branch is ever delaying President Chavez' demand that the officers involved in the recent "mutiny" be taken to Court. An opinion poll done in July on a possible referendum to decide whether president Chávez should continue in office indicated that 54% of Venezuelans favoured his demise and 41% his permanence.

Argentina requesting 7 billion US dollars

Argentina is requesting 7 billion US dollars in assistance from the International Monetary Fund, IMF, so it can honour its debts with multilateral financial organizations in the coming eighteen months. According to a G 7 source in Buenos Aires, "Argentina is not after a gigantic sum of money, but rather enough, 7 billion US dollars, to pay back some IMF, World Bank and Interamerican Development Bank loans". However Argentina still has to find a solution for the 141 billion US dollars private debt it defaulted on at the beginning of January triggering the severe credit squeeze that has plunged the country into a financial crisis. "The understanding with the IMF is quiet close, Argentina needs to be more precise on its monetary policy and explain how it will guarantee the Central Bank's autonomy", indicated the G 7 source. Argentina's Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna has been indicating that the president Duhalde administration first target is to ensure payments to multilateral institutions until the end of 2003, giving the coming government some breathing space. However since next September Argentina will have to pay back to IMF a 2 billion US dollars credit, it is believed both sides will have compromised an agreement by then. IMF rescheduled a previous payment last June thus avoiding Argentina from a second default. In the letter of intent to the IMF currently being drafted in Buenos Aires, Argentine officials estimate the economy will rebound over 3% in 2003 after collapsing a walloping 13,5% in 2002. President Duhalde said he's optimistic the Argentine economy will comfortably recover over 3% in 2003, once we can "rebuild credit conditions for the country" and end restrictions to the banking system. "After all we're the only capitalist country in the world with no credit", stressed president Duhalde.