WOMEN-IBEROAMERICA: Globalisation Widens Gender Gap

The inequality of opportunities between men and women gives rise to the threat that globalisation will widen the gender gap, a meeting of female ministers and those in charge of women's affairs in Ibero-America warned Thursday in Venezuela.

WOMEN-IBEROAMERICA: Female Ministers Debate Globalisation

Female ministers and other IberoAmerican ministers are meeting from Thursday in Venezuela to discuss the effects of globalisation on women - as they suffer most from the social and employment exclusion of the reigning economic model.

HEALTH-VENEZUELA: Full System Collapse Follows Week of Strikes

The entire medical staff of one hospital were sacked and irate gun-wielding individuals demanded doctor's attend their relatives in Venezuela, as the first week of health strikes came to a close.

HEALTH-VENEZUELA: Full System Collapse Follows Week of Strikes

The entire medical staff of one hospital were sacked and irate gun-wielding individuals demanded doctor's attend their relatives in Venezuela, as the first week of health strikes came to a close.

CINEMA-VENEZUELA: ‘Waking Up Suddenly’ Brings Controversy

The movie 'Amanecio de golpe' (Waking Up Suddenly), which recreates the first of two bloody military uprisings in 1992 in Venezuela, has sparked controversy even before its premiere here.

FINANCE: From Crisis to Crisis, Until Reforms Arrive

Ever more frequent crises with increasingly global effects demonstrate that what is in crisis is the international financial system itself, and any solution must entail in-depth reforms, according to the secretary of the Latin American Economic System (SELA), Carlos Moneta.

RIGHTS-VENEZUELA: 400,000 Children in Legal Limbo

The right to legally exist is denied to more than 400,000 children in Venezuela, where draft regulations seek to leave behind a cocktail of red tape, xenophobia, discriminatory political measures and inhumanity that has turned them into de facto stateless persons.

TRADE-LATAM: FTAA Just One Piece in US Global Chess Game

For the United States, the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is only one piece in its global chess game aimed at mowing down barriers to its exports.

COMMODITIES-OIL: Meeting Postponed Till August Results Are In

Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Venezuela postponed the meeting they had scheduled for Friday, with the hope that oil prices would rally by the end of the month, Venezuelan Energy Minister Erwin Arrieta confirmed Wednesday.

COMMODITIES-OIL: Riyadh Pact to Seek Solutions in ‘Group Therapy’

Overwhelmed by prices immune to cutbacks in production by oil exporters, the energy ministers of the countries that pushed the strategy plan to engage Friday in a sort of "group therapy," to exchange views on what is happening in the market.

RIGHTS-VENEZUELA: Sentence by Sentence, Courts Back AIDS Patients

Ruling by ruling, Venezuela's Supreme Court has been building up a doctrine this year in favour of health care for AIDS patients and against discrimination.

RIGHTS-VENEZUELA: Finally, A Law Against Domestic Violence

The Venezuelan parliament approved a law criminalising domestic violence and sexual harassment, after seven years of debate and just when the current legislature is finishing its last session.

TRADE-LATAM: The Boomerang Effect of U.S. ‘Sanctions-Mania’

Unilateral U.S. trade sanctions severely threaten or punish 68 percent of the world's people, but they also have a "boomerang effect" against U.S. economic interests, which has sparked a heated debate in Washington on their usefulness.

RIGHTS-VENEZUELA: Indigenous Lift Roadblock in Run-up to Talks

Indigenous protesters in southeastern Venezuela lifted an over two-week blockade of the only highway connecting the country to Brazil, a gesture of reconciliation prior to Sunday's meeting between indigenous leaders and five government ministers.

MUSIC-VENEZUELA: Simon Diaz, 70 and Still Going Strong

Venezuela's musical icon Simon Diaz - the man who first sang "Caballo Viejo" (Old Horse), the most popular song in the nation for more than 30 years - turned 70 this month and has no thoughts of quitting the stage.

CHILDREN-VENEZUELA: “Glue Sniffers” at the Core of a Dilemma

The "glue sniffer" children of Venezuela have unleashed controversy over the inclusion of an additive in these cements to put an end to the increasing solvent abuse.

VENEZUELA: Second Try at Aluminum Privatisation, at Bargain Price

The Venezuelan government will make a second attempt at privatising its four aluminum companies next Wednesday, after slashing the price by 650 million dollars, and with Hungarian-American financier George Soros taking part in the contest.

POLITICS-VENEZUELA: Growing Fear of Triumph of Authoritarianism

Venezuelan President Rafael Caldera is at the head of an alarmed movement which is sounding the alert against the risk of authoritarianism as former coup-leader Hugo Chavez consolidates his position as poll-favourite for the coming presidential elections.

OIL: Venezuela Highlights Price Stability in Wake of Cutback

Oil prices closed Friday slightly higher than a week ago, described by Venezuelan Energy Minister Erwin Arrieta as a positive effect of the new cutback in production that went into effect Wednesday.

COMMODITIES: Oil Prices Scoff at OPEC Cutbacks

Oil prices scorned the major cut in production decided on by OPEC this week, in one more sign that recent cutbacks have come too late for a market flooded by crude oil.

DEVELOPMENT BULLETIN-VENEZUELA: Crash of Oil Prices reezes Economy, Heats Up Unrest

The crash of oil prices has frozen Venezuela's economy and heated up labour protests and social unrest, which in turn are nourishing the possibility of a vote against the political system in December.