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Venezuela
Henrique Capriles, the opposition candidate for Venezuela’s presidency, has threatened to take action over disputed votes he claims were “stolen” by Nicolas Maduro’s government.
Henrique Capriles Radonski demanded details of an audit of the vote the electoral council says it will carry out.
He said the council had a “deadline” of Thursday, but did not specify what action he would take.
Nicolas Maduro won the April 14 election by less than two percentage points.
He was sworn in as president last week, succeeding his mentor Hugo Chavez, who died in March of cancer.
Henrique Capriles has threatened to take action over disputed votes he claims were “stolen” by Nicolas Maduro’s government
But the opposition cried foul, and tensions in the divided country have reached fever pitch, with the government accusing the opposition of fomenting coup attempts and the opposition accusing the government of “desperate lies”.
Nine people died in post-election protests and both the government and opposition are planning more protests on 1st of May.
Henrique Capriles says the vote was marred by thousands of irregularities, including voter intimidation, and has demanded a full recount.
The national electoral council (CNE) offered an electronic audit of the vote last week, to begin this week, but says Nicolas Maduro’s victory remains “irreversible”.
It has so far failed to give any details of the audit and on Wednesday Henrique Capriles said he would wait only until Thursday.
“We will not accept a joke audit,” Henrique Capriles said at a news conference.
“It’s time to get serious.”
Henrique Capriles repeated his accusations that Nicolas Maduro had manipulated poll results, telling a news conference: “The truth – and it is as big as our country is wide – is that you stole the election. That is the truth.
“You stole this electoral process, and you have to explain that to this country and to the world.”
The government, meanwhile, accuses the opposition of stirring up the post-election violence in a bid to engender a coup, and the government-controlled National Assembly has now announced a commission to investigate whether Henrique Capriles was responsible.
Pedro Carreno, who will head the commission, dubbed Henrique Capriles a “murderer” as he announced its formation – joining the National Assembly head Diosdado Cabello, who has called him a “fascist murderer”.
Prisons Minister Iris Varela, meanwhile, has said a jail cell awaits Henrique Capriles.
Media coverage of the post-election violence has been at odds, with state media describing pro-opposition mobs torching health clinics but opposition media saying many reports of the violence were fabricated.
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Henrique Capriles Radonski, the defeated Venezuelan presidential candidate, has demanded a recount of votes, rejecting the election of Hugo Chavez’s successor as “illegitimate”.
Henrique Capriles, 40, said there were more than 300,000 incidents from Sunday’s poll that needed to be examined.
However, the electoral authorities said Socialist Nicolas Maduro would be confirmed as the winner.
Nicolas Maduro has called for the results to be respected.
The National Electoral Council is due to formally proclaim Nicolas Maduro’s victory at a ceremony and rally in Caracas later on Monday.
Henrique Capriles Radonski, the defeated Venezuelan presidential candidate, has demanded a recount of votes, rejecting the election of Nicolas Maduro
The election was called after Hugo Chavez’s death from cancer last month.
Nicolas Maduro, a former bus driver whom Hugo Chavez had named as his preferred heir, won 50.7% of the vote against 49.1% for Henrique Capriles.
The National Electoral Council said the results, which it announced on Sunday night, were “irreversible”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuban leader Raul Castro were among the first heads of state to congratulate Nicolas Maduro on his win.
Meanwhile the US has called for an audit of the results.
“This appears an important, prudent and necessary step to ensure that all Venezuelans have confidence in these results,” a White House spokesman said.
As the news of Nicolas Maduro’s victory emerged, celebrations erupted in the capital, Caracas.
Thousands of jubilant supporters took to the streets, dancing, singing and blasting car horns, while fireworks lit up the night sky. Opposition voters banged pots and pans in protest.
Speaking outside the presidential palace, Nicolas Maduro told crowds that the result was “just, legal and constitutional”.
He said his election showed Hugo Chavez “continues to be invincible, that he continues to win battles”.
Nicolas Maduro, who was wearing a tracksuit top in the colors of the Venezuelan flag, said he had spoken to Henrique Capriles on the phone, and that he would allow an audit of the election result.
He called for those who had not voted for him to “work together” for the country.
Nicolas Maduro’s margin of victory was far narrower than that achieved by Chavez at elections last October, when he beat Henrique Capriles by more than 10 percentage points.
Almost immediately, one member of the National Electoral Council who does not have government sympathies called on the authorities to carry out a recount by hand, a call later echoed by Henrique Capriles himself.
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Hugo Chavez’s body has been laid to rest at a military museum in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.
Thousands of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the hearse as it carried the president’s coffin from the military academy where it laid in state for 10 days.
Many of his supporters were wearing red, the color of Hugo Chavez’s political movement.
Hugo Chavez, who led Venezuela for 14 years, died of cancer last week.
His coffin was received by a military guard of honor.
Religious and political ceremonies were held at the military museum, attended by Hugo Chavez’s chosen successor Nicolas Maduro.
It is not yet clear what will happen to Hugo Chavez’s body in the longer term.
Nicolas Maduro asked the National Assembly to reform the constitution to allow Hugo Chavez’s body to be buried in the National Pantheon, together with the most important leaders in Venezuela’s history.
Hugo Chavez’s body has been laid to rest at a military museum in Caracas
Hugo Chavez, for his part, had said he wanted to be buried in his hometown in Barinas.After Friday’s ceremonies, the country’s Information Minister, Ernesto Villegas, said the government had dropped plans to embalm Hugo Chavez for permanent display.
Ernesto Villegas said the decision was made at the advice of Russian experts who said Hugo Chavez’s body had not been properly prepared. The embalming process would take seven to eight months.
Earlier in the day, political and military authorities joined Hugo Chavez’s relatives for a ceremony at the military academy where his remains lay in state for 10 days.
“Thanks, comandante, for giving us back our fatherland,” said one of Hugo Chavez’s daughters, Maria Gabriela, in an emotional eulogy.
“You have left us unexpectedly and have left an enormous vacuum in Venezuela,” said one of Hugo Chavez’s former teachers at the military academy, Major General Jacinto Perez Arcay.
Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have visited the coffin of their former leader.
Shortly after Hugo Chavez’s death was announced on March 5, the government declared seven days of mourning, which was later extended to 10 days.
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Thousands of Hugo Chavez’s supporters took to the streets of Caracas to express their grief.
Venezuela has announced seven days of mourning for Hugo Chavez, who has died aged 58 after 14 years as president.
Hugo Chavez had been seriously ill with cancer for more than a year.
A self-proclaimed revolutionary, Hugo Chavez was a controversial figure in Venezuela and on the world stage. A staunch critic of the US, he inspired a left-wing revival across Latin America.
Latin American leaders have begun arriving in Caracas to pay their respects – among them President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina, Jose Mujica of Uruguay and Evo Morales of Bolivia.
Hugo Chavez’s body will be taken in a procession with a mounted escort to the Military Academy in Caracas where it will lie in state until a funeral on Friday.
Military units across the country have fired a 21-gun salute in his honor.
They will fire another cannon shot each hour until he is buried, the armed forces said.
All schools and universities have been shut for the week.
Hugo Chavez’s illness prevented him from taking the oath of office after he was re-elected for a fourth term in October.
Announcing the president’s death on Tuesday, Vice-President Nicolas Maduro called on the nation to close ranks after its leader’s demise.
“Let there be no weakness, no violence. Let there be no hate. In our hearts there should only be one sentiment: Love.”
Police and troops would be deployed nationwide “to guarantee the peace”, Nicolas Maduro added.
Thousands of Hugo Chavez’s supporters took to the streets of Caracas to express their grief
A statement from the military said it would remain loyal to the vice-president and to parliament, it added, urging people to remain calm.
Crowds of supporters gathered outside the Caracas hospital where he died, chanting: “We are all Chavez!”
There were isolated reports of violence after the news, with attackers burning the tents of a group of students who had been demanding more information about Hugo Chavez’s condition. Nobody was injured in the incident.
Vice-President Nicolas Maduro will assume the presidency until an election is called within 30 days.
Foreign Minister Elias Jaua told state television that Nicolas Maduro would also be the candidate of the governing United Socialist Party (PSUV).
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles, whom Hugo Chavez defeated in October’s election, called on the government to “act in strict accordance with its constitutional duties”.
Henrique Capriles offered his condolences to Hugo Chavez’s family, saying “we were adversaries, but never enemies”.
The opposition has yet to confirm who will be its official candidate for the presidential election, but Henrique Capriles is widely expected to be chosen to stand against the vice-president.
Nicolas Maduro will probably win the presidential election, but the question remains whether he will be able to lead Venezuela following the loss of its charismatic president.
The exact nature of Hugo Chavez’s cancer was never officially disclosed, leading to continuing speculation about his health, and he had not been seen in public for several months.
Last May, Hugo Chavez, a former army paratrooper, said he had recovered from an unspecified cancer, after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy in 2011 and a further operation in February 2012.
Despite this, Hugo Chavez had most recently won another six-year presidential term in October 2012.
The vice-president has mentioned a plot against Venezuela, saying he had no doubt that Hugo Chavez’s cancer, first diagnosed in 2011, had been induced by foul play by Venezuela’s enemies. The US promptly rejected the accusations as “absurd”.
Nicolas Maduro said a scientific commission could one day investigate whether Hugo Chavez’s illness was brought about by what he called an enemy attack.
Two US diplomats had been expelled from the country for spying on Venezuela’s military, he added.
Hugo Chavez burst onto Venezuela’s national stage in 1992 when he led a failed military coup.
After two years in prison, he returned to politics and was swept to power in a 1998 election.
A self-proclaimed socialist and revolutionary, Hugo Chavez won enduring support among the poor and repeated election victories by using Venezuela’s oil wealth to pursue socialist policies.
His government has implemented a number of “missions” or social programmes, including education and health services for all.
Hugo Chavez’s opponents accused him of mishandling the economy and taking the country towards dictatorship. Inequality has been reduced but growth overall has been lower than in some other Latin American economies.
Internationally, Hugo Chavez was a staunch critic of US “imperialism” and accused Washington of backing a failed coup against him in 2002.
The US described the death as a “challenging time”, reaffirming what it described as its support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with Caracas.
Analysts say Hugo Chavez’s death could alter the political balance in Latin America – dealing a blow to leftist states while favoring more centrist countries.
There could also be an economic impact given that Venezuela sells oil at below market prices to some neighboring countries, especially in the Caribbean.
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The tough and charismatic Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez, divided opinion both at home and abroad.
To his many supporters Hugo Chavez was the reforming president whose idiosyncratic brand of socialism defeated the political elite and gave hope to the poorest Venezuelans.
Hugo Chavez’s strident criticism of the United States won him many friends among the “pink tide” of political leaders in Latin America and he effectively used his country’s vast oil reserves to boost Venezuela’s international clout.
But to his political opponents Hugo Chavez was the worst type of autocrat, intent on building a one-party state and ruthlessly clamping down on any who opposed him.
Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias was born on July 28, 1954, in the Venezuelan state of Barinas, one of seven children. His parents were both school teachers and the family lived in relative poverty.
He attended the Daniel O’Leary High School in the city of Barinas before going to the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences in the capital, Caracas where, he later said, he found his true vocation.
Hugo Chavez also found time to play baseball and to study the lives of the 19th Century South American revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar and the Marxist Che Guevara.
He graduated with honors in 1975 but had already begun to form the political ideas that he would later put into practice as president, including the belief that the military had a duty to step in if a civilian government was deemed to have failed to protect the poorest in society.
Hugo Chavez was posted to one of the many counter-insurgency units that were tackling the various Marxist groups bent on overthrowing the presidency of Carlos Andres Perez but he saw very little action, spending his time reading a great deal of left-wing literature.
In 1981 Hugo Chavez was assigned to teach at the military academy where he had been a student and found himself in a position to indoctrinate the next generation of army officers with his political ideas.
His superiors became alarmed at the extent of his influence and he was posted to remote Apure state, where, it was assumed, he could do little damage.
Hugo Chavez busied himself by making contact with local tribes in the area, something that would influence his own policies towards indigenous people when he finally came to power.
In February 1992 Hugo Chavez led an attempt to overthrow the government of President Carlos Andres Perez amid growing anger at economic austerity measures that had led to widespread protests.
The revolt by members of the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement claimed 18 lives and left 60 injured before Colonel Hugo Chavez gave himself up.
Hugo Chavez was languishing in a military jail when his associates tried again to seize power nine months later.
That second coup attempt in November 1992 was crushed as well, but only after the rebels had captured a TV station and broadcast a videotape of Hugo Chavez announcing the fall of the government.
To his many supporters Hugo Chavez was the reforming president whose idiosyncratic brand of socialism defeated the political elite and gave hope to the poorest Venezuelans
Hugo Chavez spent two years in prison before re-launching his party as the Movement of the Fifth Republic making the transition from soldier to politician.
With an eye to wider opinion he spent time canvassing a number of political leaders in Latin America finding strong support and friendship from Cuba’s revolutionary president, Fidel Castro.
Hugo Chavez firmly believed in overthrowing the government by force but was persuaded to change his mind and instead became a candidate in the 1998 presidential elections.
Unlike most of its neighbors, Venezuela had enjoyed an unbroken period of democratic government since 1958, but the two main parties, which had alternated in power, stood accused of presiding over a corrupt system and squandering the country’s vast oil wealth.
Hugo Chavez promised “revolutionary” social policies, and constantly abused the “predatory oligarchs” of the establishment as corrupt servants of international capital.
Never missing an opportunity to address the nation, Hugo Chavez once described oil executives as living in “luxury chalets where they perform orgies, drinking whisky”.
Hugo Chavez quickly gained widespread support, not just from the poorest in Venezuelan society but also from a middle class which had seen its standards of living eroded by economic mismanagement. It was these middle class votes that were instrumental in propelling Hugo Chavez into power with 56% of the vote.
Despite the revolutionary rhetoric he employed during the campaign his first government set out on a relatively moderate path appointing a number of conservative figures to political positions.
Hugo Chavez ran the economy largely according to guidelines set down by the International Monetary Fund and made a positive effort to encourage investment from global corporations.
He also began a programme of social reform, investing in the country’s crumbling infrastructure and setting up free medical care and subsidized food for the poor.
In order to stay in touch with his people Hugo Chavez set up weekly shows on radio and television where he explained his policies and encouraged citizens to phone in and question him directly.
In 1999 Hugo Chavez proposed setting up a new constitutional assembly, gaining overwhelming support for the idea in a public referendum, itself an unheard of feature in Venezuelan politics.
In subsequent elections to the new body, Hugo Chavez supporters won 95% of the seats and set about drafting a new constitution which was approved by an overwhelming majority of the population.
One stipulation of the new order was that presidential elections should be held in 2000 which Hugo Chavez duly won with 59% of the vote.
However, he soon faced opposition both from outside and inside Venezuela. Relations with Washington reached a low when he accused it of “fighting terror with terror” during the war in Afghanistan after the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001.
Opposition inside the country came from middle class groups who had seen their political power eroded by Hugo Chavez and who accused him of steering the country towards a one-party state.
In early 2002 the whole country was embroiled in a general strike and Hugo Chavez was pushed from office on April 12 after attempting to take control of the country’s oil industry.
But, just two days later, after his supporters – mainly Venezuela’s poor – took the streets, Hugo Chavez was back in the presidential palace.
The 2006 presidential elections saw Hugo Chavez gain 63% of the vote whereupon he announced that his revolutionary policies would now be expanded.
He brought forward proposals that would allow him to stand for the presidency indefinitely, a measure that was approved in a referendum by 54% of those voting.
Hugo Chavez also created economic and political ties with newly elected left-wing leaders in other South American countries including Daniel Ortega, who came to power in Nicaragua in 2007.
Relations with the US remained strained. While Hugo Chavez congratulated US President Barack Obama on his election victory in November 2008, he strongly condemned western military action in Libya in 2011.
“I am not Obama’s enemy but it’s difficult not to see imperialism in Washington,” he said.
“Those who don’t see it, don’t want to see it, like the ostrich.”
At home, his much-vaunted economic reforms were running out of steam. Domestic support for his “Bolivarian” socialism was being sorely tested by economic recession and inflation soared to 30% eroding the savings of the middle classes.
Hugo Chavez started as a reforming president, intent on addressing the inequalities in Venezuelan society giving food, medical care and, above all, a political voice to the poor.
Venezuela today has the fairest income distribution in Latin America.
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President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58, Venezuela’s Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has announced.
Hugo Chavez had not appeared in public since he returned to Venezuela last month after cancer treatment in Cuba.
An emotional Nicolas Maduro made the announcement on Tuesday evening, flanked by leading Venezuelan political and military leaders.
He said that long-standing President Hugo Chavez died at 4:25 p.m. local time.
Earlier, Nicolas Maduro said Hugo Chavez had a new, severe respiratory infection and had entered “his most difficult hours”.
One of the most visible, vocal and controversial leaders in Latin America, Hugo Chavez, a former army paratrooper, won the presidency in 1998 and had most recently won another six-year presidential term in October 2012.
Last May, Hugo Chavez said he had recovered from an unspecified cancer, after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy in 2011 and a further operation in February 2012.
However, in December 2012, Hugo Chavez announced he needed further cancer surgery in Cuba, and named his Vice-President, Nicolas Maduro, as his preferred successor should the need arise.
Hugo Chavez remained out of public view, finally returning to Venezuela in February.
Hugo Chavez’s death is expected to trigger a snap election, though the opposition has argued that it should have been held after Chavez was unable to be sworn in on January 10.
The campaigning has already unofficially begun, with VP Nicolas Maduro, who Hugo Chavez has said should succeed him, frequently commandeering all broadcast channels to promote the “revolution” and vilify the opposition.
President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58
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President Hugo Chavez is undergoing his “most difficult hours”, Venezuela’s Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has said.
Nicolas Maduro spoke at length in a speech apparently designed to reassure citizens despite the failing health of Venezuela’s leader.
He accused the US of plotting against the Venezuelan government and said a US military attaché would be expelled.
On Monday officials said Hugo Chavez, 58, had a new, severe respiratory infection.
Dozens of people gathered to pray for his health at the hospital where Hugo Chavez is being treated.
He has not appeared in public since he returned to Venezuela last month after being treated for cancer in Cuba.
The address broadcast live on TV from the presidential Miraflores Palace showed Nicolas Maduro surrounded by political and military leaders in a display of solidarity.
Nicolas Maduro accused “enemies of the fatherland” in Venezuela and abroad, particularly the US, of seeking to undermine democracy in Venezuela.
Speaking in a room full of dignitaries including the defence minister and the president’s brother Adan Chavez, Nicolas Maduro said Hugo Chavez’s illness was an “attack” by his enemies and called for this to be investigated.
Nicolas Maduro said the US air force attaché, David Delmonaco, had been spying on Venezuela’s military and had 24 hours to leave the country: A US embassy spokesman said Washington was formulating a response.
President Hugo Chavez is undergoing his most difficult hours
In recent days, the opposition has condemned what they say is the lack of clarity surrounding his condition.
“The lack of precise information worries Venezuelans and fuels rumors,” said Ramon Guillermo Aveledo of the opposition Democratic Unity coalition.
At the weekend, hundreds of Venezuelan students and opposition members marched in Caracas demanding full details about Hugo Chavez’s health.
Information Minister Ernesto Villegas accused Hugo Chavez’s opponents of showing “the same hatred that they have shown towards Chavez all these years.
“It annoys them that he won’t give up and neither will the people!” he wrote on his Twitter account.
On Monday Ernesto Villegas announced from the military hospital where Hugo Chavez is being treated that he had suffered “a worsening of respiratory function” and that his condition continued to be “very delicate”.
He said Hugo Chavez was undergoing “intensive chemotherapy, as well as complementary treatments”.
“The commander-president remains clinging to Christ and to life, conscious of the difficulties that he is facing, and complying strictly with the programme designed by his medical team,” Ernesto Villegas said.
Hugo Chavez, who has been in office for 14 years, is believed to have cancer in his pelvic area, but his exact illness has never been disclosed.
He announced in June 2011 that he had cancer and has undergone four operations since then, as well as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
The president was re-elected for another six-year term in October 2012, but the Supreme Court ruled that his swearing-in on January 10 could be delayed because of his illness.
Hugo Chavez is said to be taking decisions about the country from the hospital bed but there have been mixed messages from officials on his condition.
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Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is “battling for his life”, Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has announced today.
“Our commander is sick because he gave his life for those who don’t have anything,” Nicolas Maduro told Venezuelan TV.
Hugo Chavez first announced he was being treated for cancer in June 2011. The type of cancer and precise location have not been revealed.
He has not been seen in public since travelling to Cuba in December for his latest surgery.
Hugo Chavez – who has been in power 14 years – is believed to be suffering from cancer in his pelvic area.
He was reported to be suffering a severe respiratory infection following the latest surgery.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is “battling for his life”, Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has announced today
Hugo Chavez was re-elected as Venezuela’s president for another six-year term in October 2012, but his swearing-in was delayed because of his illness.
Speaking in Caracas, Vice-President Maduro – who widely regarded as his chosen successor – said President Chavez “didn’t take care of his health because he gave his body and soul” to the people.
“He’s battling for his life, for his health, and we are there with him,” he said.
Hugo Chavez returned from Cuba in mid-February, sending a series of celebratory tweets thanking his Cuban hosts for their help and his fellow Venezuelans for their support.
The week before, images were released of Hugo Chavez smiling in his hospital bed during a visit from his daughters.
But little has been heard of him since.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is still suffering breathing problems after returning from Cuba where he was treated for cancer, officials say.
Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said Hugo Chavez was continuing to receive treatment at a military hospital in Caracas.
It was the first official communiqué on the president’s health since he returned to Venezuela on Monday.
Hugo Chavez went to Havana for surgery on December 11.
It was his fourth operation in an 18-month period for cancer, which was first diagnosed in mid-2011.
Hugo Chavez is said to have suffered a severe respiratory infection following the latest surgery.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is still suffering breathing problems after returning from Cuba where he was treated for cancer
“The breathing insufficiency that emerged post-operation persists, and the tendency has not been favorable, so it is still being treated,” Ernesto Villegas said in a televised statement.
President Hugo Chavez, in office for 14 years, was re-elected for another six-year term in October 2012, but his swearing-in was delayed because of his illness.
Doubts remain about whether his health will allow him to return to active politics.
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Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez says he has returned home after receiving treatment for cancer in Cuba.
In three messages posted on Twitter, Hugo Chavez, 58, thanked Cuban President and ex-leader Raul and Fidel Castro.
Hugo Chavez also thanked Venezuelans for their support and said he would continue treatment in his home country.
He has been president for 14 years and was re-elected for another six-year term in October 2012, but his swearing-in was delayed because of his illness.
Hugo Chavez went to Havana for surgery on December 11, his fourth operation in an 18-month period for cancer first diagnosed in mid-2011.
Last week the first images of him since the operation were broadcast by Venezuela’s government.
Hugo Chavez was pictured smiling as he lay in bed reading a newspaper, with his two daughters by his side.
Hugo Chavez says he has returned to Venezuela after receiving treatment for cancer in Cuba
He announced his return to Venezuela to his 3.9 million Twitter followers in a series of tweets that were bombastic in tone but short on detail.
“We have arrived back in the land of Venezuela. Thank you Lord!! Thanks to my beloved people! We will continue our treatment here.”
There was no information about when or why he returned, and no details about whether he would actively take up the duties of office.
Instead Hugo Chavez thanked Cuba’s leaders and people and said he had confidence in his doctors.
“Onwards to victory!! We will live and we will overcome!!!” Hugo Chavez wrote in his final tweet.
The extent of Hugo Chavez’s illness is shrouded in mystery, but it is understood to be serious.
During his treatment the Venezuelan leader is reported to have had tumors removed from his pelvic region.
Hugo Chavez has also undergone prior rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Though there have been few details about the president’s exact treatment, Vice-President Nicolas Maduro described it as “extremely complex and tough”.
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Venezuela’s Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has given the annual state of the nation speech in place of Hugo Chavez, who is still recuperating in Cuba after cancer surgery.
In a brief speech to the National Assembly, Nicolas Maduro pledged loyalty to the president and said Hugo Chavez remained in charge of the country.
Nicolas Maduro also denied that there was a political fight for the succession.
President Hugo Chavez was due to be sworn in on January 10 for a fourth term.
The Supreme Court ruled he could take the oath at a later date, a view challenged by opposition figures.
“There is only one president: Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias, supreme commander of the army, commander of the Bolivarian Revolution,” Nicolas Maduro told legislators.
Nicolas Maduro also used his speech to announce that Hugo Chavez had appointed former vice-president Elias Jaua as Venezuela’s new foreign minister.
The post was previously held by Nicolas Maduro.
The vice-president saluted National Assembly president, Diosdado Cabello, and dismissed rumors that they are political rivals.
“They say Cabello and I are fighting. But Cabello and I are united in our heart, in loyalty to a man who has the supreme command of this country.”
Venezuela’s Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has given the annual state of the nation speech in place of Hugo Chavez, who is still recuperating in Cuba after cancer surgery
The vice-president said that his appearance to give the state of the union address was in accordance with the constitution, as Hugo Chavez had been granted leave of absence by the National Assembly.
This view was challenged by some legal experts – they highlight Article 237 of the Constitution, which stipulates that the president should appear “personally” to give the speech within 10 days of the inauguration of the legislature.
The current assembly was sworn in on January 5.
The speech, which in Hugo Chavez’s hands could go on for hours, lasted a matter of minutes with Nicolas Maduro.
President Hugo Chavez underwent a fourth operation for cancer on December 11, and suffered post-operative complications.
Nicolas Maduro told legislators he had met Hugo Chavez in Havana on Monday and that his health was improving.
“He is climbing the hill, he is fighting with his spirit, his vision, his love,” said Nicolas Maduro, adding that Hugo Chavez has been briefed on developments in Venezuela.
Supreme Court justices have ruled that Hugo Chavez, who has been in office since 1999, can be sworn in for another term as president at a later date.
Opposition leaders say the government is riding rough-shod over the constitution and have demanded clarity about who is running the country.
According to the constitution, if a president is permanently incapacitated, the speaker of the National Assembly should take over and elections called within 30 days.
If the absence is temporary, the vice-president assumes charge for a maximum of 180 days.
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A small aircraft carrying Vittorio Missoni, director of Italian fashion house Missoni, has disappeared off the coast of Venezuela.
Vittorio Missoni and his wife were among six people on board the flight from the archipelago of Los Roques towards Caracas’ Maiquetia airport.
The small, twin-engine aircraft disappeared mid-morning local time on Friday and has not been traced since.
Vittorio Missoni, 58, is the son of the founder of the eponymous brand and co-owns the firm with his siblings.
He was returning from a Christmas and New Year holiday with his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni, and two friends – Elda Scalvenzi and Guido Foresti. Two Venezuelan pilots were also on board.
The family confirmed that the plane was missing on Saturday.
“The Missoni family has been informed by the Venezuelan consulate that Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing, but we don’t know any more,” said spokeswoman Maddalena Aspes.
A small aircraft carrying Vittorio Missoni, director of Italian fashion house Missoni, has disappeared off the coast of Venezuela
She added that the authorities, who called off the search after nightfall, were expected to resume it in the morning.
Los Roques, an archipelago made up of dozens of islands some 95 miles (150 km) off Venezuela’s coast, is one of the area’s most popular holiday destinations.
According to the Corriere della Sera newspaper, the pilot of the twin-motored Britten Norman BN2 Islander plane, dating from 1968, was 72-year-old German Merchan.
Another plane with eight Italians on board is reported to have disappeared exactly five years ago, on 4 January 2008. Only a single body – that of the co-pilot – was ever found.
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Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has won a fourth term in office, after opposition leader Henrique Capriles admitted defeat.
Hugo Chavez won 54% of the vote, the country’s electoral council announced, with turnout at about 81%.
Noisy celebrations among Hugo Chavez supporters erupted across the capital, Caracas, following the result.
Hugo Chavez said Venezuela would continue its march towards socialism but also vowed he would be a “better president”.
Electoral council president Tibisay Lucena announced that with 90% of votes counted Hugo Chavez had taken 54.42% of the vote with Henrique Capriles on 44.97%.
“The revolution has triumphed,” President Hugo Chavez told a cheering crowd from the balcony of the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.
“Viva Venezuela! Viva the fatherland! The battle was perfect and the victory was perfect,” he said.
However, Hugo Chavez also sounded a conciliatory note, saying he wanted to “include everybody”, adding: “I commit to being a better president than I’ve been these past few years.”
A subdued Henrique Capriles congratulated Hugo Chavez but told opposition supporters not to feel defeated.
“I want to congratulate the candidate, the president of the republic,” he said at his campaign headquarters.
He added: “We have planted many seeds across Venezuela and I know that these seeds are going to produce many trees.”
Jubilant Hugo Chavez supporters held impromptu street parties in central Caracas, blaring horns and waving flags.
“I’m celebrating with a big heart – Chavez is the hope of the people and of Latin America,” said Chavez supporter Mary Reina.
Construction worker Edgar Gonzalez said: “I can’t describe the relief and happiness I feel right now.
“The revolution will continue, thanks to God and the people of this great country.”
At the Capriles’ campaign headquarters, some opposition supporters were in tears at the news.
Henrique Capriles said he hoped Hugo Chavez would recognize that almost half the country disagreed with his policies.
Henrique Capriles said: “There’s a country that is divided and to be a good president means to work for all Venezuelans, to work for the solution of all Venezuelans’ problems.”
Hugo Chavez, 58, was diagnosed with cancer last year but says he is now fully recovered.
He has been in power since 1999 and said he needed another six-year term to continue his “Bolivarian revolution” towards socialism.
During his time in office Hugo Chavez has nationalized key sectors of the country’s economy.
Venezuela is a major oil producer and high oil prices have allowed his government to fund healthcare, education programmes and social housing.
In his campaign, Henrique Capriles, who headed a coalition of 30 opposition parties, said the president’s policies had led to bureaucracy, inefficiency and shortages.
Earlier, Defence Minister Henry Rangel Silva said the armed forces had identified some groups planning to cause public disturbances but said violence was “unlikely”.
A week before the election, three opposition activists were killed during a campaign rally, while four people were injured in a shooting during a voting rehearsal in September.
From Saturday evening to Monday evening, the sale of alcohol has been banned and only the security forces are allowed to carry arms.
Analysts say Hugo Chavez’s victory will also be welcomed by several countries in the region – including Cuba and Nicaragua – that benefit from his Petrocaribe scheme which provides Venezuelan oil at preferential rates.
He also has strong ties to Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, backing Argentina’s sovereignty dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands.
After the election result was announced, she tweeted: “Your victory is our victory! And the victory of South America and the Caribbean!”
President Hugo Chavez’s new six-year term will begin on 10 January.
Hugo Chavez
• Born 28 July 1954 in Sabaneta, Barinas state, the son of schoolteachers
• Graduated from military academy in 1975
• Has four children
• Keen baseball player
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More than 100,000 people gathered in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in support of opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.
Henrique Capriles criticized President Hugo Chavez for what he called a long list of unfulfilled promises.
He demanded justice for three opposition activists killed during a rally in Barinas state on Saturday.
Hugo Chavez addressed large crowds in Zulia state, promising to deepen socialism.
He told his supporters it was impossible to lose the 7 October election.
Henrique Capriles said the rally was the biggest Caracas had ever seen.
“Bolivar Avenue is too small for us,” he said, referring to one of the main city streets.
He also paid tribute to the three men who had died.
“Yesterday, sadly, violence took three lives, something that should never have happened,” Henrique Capriles said, in his last major rally in the capital before the election.
“I want to tell their families, and those angels in heaven, that we are going to defeat violence on 7 October.”
The three were named as Antonio Valero, Omar Fernandez and Hector Rojas.
An initial statement by the opposition First Justice Party on Saturday night reported two deaths.
It said a rally had been planned in Barinas, President Hugo Chavez’s home state, on Saturday but the road was blocked by government supporters.
When Antonio Valero and Omar Fernandez left their car to try to gain access, they were fired on by gunmen inside a van, it said.
“This tragedy gives us more strength and faith to fight for a Venezuela where justice and non-violence reign,” the First Justice Party said.
Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami said in a message on Twitter that a suspect in the killings had already been arrested.
Hugo Chavez and Henrique Capriles are wrapping up their campaigns over the next few days.
Addressing tens of thousands of people in the town of Cabimas in the western Zulia state, President Chavez said he regretted the deaths and called for calm.
“It’s not with violence that we face off. It’s with votes, ideas, peace, so let’s not fall into provocations,” he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.
There have been other incidents of violence on the campaign trail. Supporters of both candidates threw stones at each other earlier this month when Henrique Capriles attempted to march through the city of Puerto Cabello.
And four people were injured in a shooting that erupted during a voting rehearsal at the beginning of September.
With violent crime a key concern for voters, there are fears that further violence could erupt in what has become Venezuela’s closest fought election in over a decade.
Hugo Chavez, who has been in power since 1999, was diagnosed with cancer last year.
More than 30 opposition parties have backed Henrique Capriles as a single candidate to challenge the leftist president.
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At least 19 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in an explosion at Amuay plant, Venezuela’s biggest oil refinery, local governor Stella Lugo says.
Stella Lugo said there was no risk of further explosions at the Amuay plant in the north of the country.
Officials earlier said a gas tank had blown up during the night, damaging the plant and nearby buildings.
The Amuay refinery is one of the biggest in the world, producing some 645,000 barrels a day.
Officials have been giving regular updates on the number of dead and injured.
At least 19 people have been killed and more than 50 injured in an explosion at Amuay plant, Venezuela's biggest oil refinery
Stella Lugo, governor of Falcon state, earlier said seven had died but later revised the figure to 19.
She also said more than 50 people had been injured and were being treated in local hospitals.
She said there was still a big fire at the plant, but the situation was under control.
Earlier, Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez blamed the explosion on a gas leak.
“It was a significant explosion, there is appreciable damage to infrastructure and houses opposite the refinery,” he said.
Analysts say refineries in Venezuela, South America’s biggest oil producer, have suffered from a long list of problems including power failures and accidents.
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Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is returning to Cuba for further radiotherapy treatment for cancer.
Hugo Chavez had surgery in Cuba last month to remove a tumor in his pelvic area after a recurrence of cancer first treated last year.
His illness has cast doubt on his ability to campaign for re-election in October.
Hugo Chavez will coincide in Havana with Pope Benedict, who is due to fly to Cuba on Monday.
“Tonight I leave for Havana. I have decided on the recommendation of my medical team and my political team to begin the radiation treatment on Sunday,” Hugo Chavez said during a televised meeting with his cabinet.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is returning to Cuba for further radiotherapy treatment for cancer
Hugo Chavez, 57, said the treatment was a complement to the surgery he had a month ago, from which he says he is recovering well.
Last year Hugo Chavez had surgery and four rounds of chemotherapy in Cuba, after a baseball-sized growth was detected in his pelvic region.
The Venezuelan leader has never revealed the exact nature of his cancer, fuelling speculation that his health may be worse than officially stated.
Hugo Chavez has told Venezuelan to ignore rumors he says are aimed at destabilizing the country.
In October’s election, he is facing a strong challenge from opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski.
Hugo Chavez, who has been in power since 1999, is seeking another six-year term to continue his programme of “socialist revolution”.
Oreo cookie celebrates its centenary in the US and four other countries, China, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Indonesia.
Flash mobs in seven US cities sang “Happy Birthday!” to the famous cookie: a white filling (or cream) sandwiched between two black biscuits.
The first Oreos were baked at the Nabisco factory in New York in 1912.
Oreo cookies are now sold around the world, bringing Kraft Foods – which owns Nabisco – $2 billion annually.
“It’s the best-selling cookie in the world,” said John Ghingo, senior director for Oreo Global at Kraft.
“The simple act of enjoying an Oreo cookie and glass of milk continues to speak to a universal, human truth: inside all of us… there’s a kid that deserves to be set free every once in a while,” John Ghingo said.
To mark the cookie’s centenary, Nabisco released a limited edition of "Birthday Cake" Oreo
John Ghingo added that the name Oreo remained mystery even today, but one theory suggested that the two uses of “O” in the word represented the cookies and the “re” in the middle stood for the cream.
To mark the milestone, Nabisco released a limited edition of “Birthday Cake” Oreo.
On Tuesday, celebrations were also held in China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
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Fidel Castro, the former Cuban president has made a rare public appearance to launch his memoirs.
The book, “Guerrilla of Time”, is almost 1,000 pages long and relates his childhood and rise to power in the Cuban Revolution.
He said it was every Cuban’s duty to fight until the last moment, for Cuba, the planet, and humanity.
Fidel Castro, 85, had not been seen in public since April last year.
Communist Party newspaper Granma said the launch at the Havana Convention Centre lasted more than six hours.
The two-volume memoir is based on conversations between Fidel Castro and journalist Katiuska Blanco.
It starts with former President Fidel Castro’s earliest childhood memories and takes the reader up to December 1958, the eve of the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista by Castro and his followers.
Culture Minister Abel Prieto and Director of the Cuban Writers’ Union Miguel Barnet were among those speaking at the launch.
Miguel Barnet said the memoirs were “as vivid as a 3D film”.
At the event, Fidel Castro spoke about current affairs, praising Latin American students for “standing up for their right to free education”.
Fidel Castro also paid tribute to his friend, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who “had done more than anyone else for the Venezuelan people”.
It was the first time Fidel Castro had appeared in public since the closing session of the Communist Party Congress in April 2011.
Fidel Castro handed over the presidency to his brother Raul in 2006, and has kept a low profile since, fuelling speculation over his health.
French Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) founder Jean-Claude Mas has been arrested at his home in Six-Fours-les-Plages, southern France, according to police.
In 2010, France banned PIP breast implants made with low-grade industrial silicone, amid fears they could rupture and leak.
Up to 400,000 women in 65 countries are believed to have been given implants.
Jean-Claude Mas, 72, remains at his home while police search it – as required by French law.
PIP owner is believed to have been detained as part of a judicial investigation started in December into manslaughter and involuntary injuries.
A second PIP executive, former chief financial officer Claude Couty, has also been arrested
Jean-Claude Mas has been under investigation since he revealed in a police interview last year that PIP ordered employees to hide the unauthorized silicone when inspectors visited its factory.
He told police that PIP had deceived European safety inspectors for 13 years.
But Jean-Claude Mas has insisted they posed no threat to health and attacked the French authorities for offering to pay for their removal because it put women through a “surgery risk”.
Jean-Claude Mas has been under investigation since he revealed in a police interview last year that PIP ordered employees to hide the unauthorized silicone when inspectors visited its factory
PIP owner also said he had “nothing” to say to women facing surgery for their removal and that victims had only filed complaints “to make money”.
Excerpts from Jean-Claude Mas’s interview have been re-examined by a French magistrate.
In France, 30,000 women have been advised to remove the implants and 2,700 have filed complaints against Jean-Claude Mas.
Women in 65 countries – mainly in Latin America and elsewhere in Europe – have received implants made by the company, which closed down in March 2010.
Health officials in Germany, the Czech Republic and Venezuela have advised women to have them removed.
The medical advice in the UK, where 40,000 are affected, is that there is no need for all the implants to be removed, only those causing problems such as pain or tenderness.
In England, the NHS will only replace them in exceptional circumstances, and the NHS in Wales said it would only do so when it was deemed medically necessary.
Women in Northern Ireland who received PIP implants for health reasons will have them replaced, but the NHS will only remove, not replace, those inserted for cosmetic reasons.
Scotland’s Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said concerned women who had them fitted privately would be offered advice and the option of removal if necessary. There are no records of PIP implants being used by the NHS.
The international police agency Interpol has said Jean-Claude Mas is wanted in Costa Rica over a drunk driving charge.
It said the “red notice” over an alleged incident in June 2010 was “totally unconnected” to PIP.
The US State Department has declared Livia Acosta Noguera, Venezuela’s consul general in Miami, persona non grata and says she must leave the country by Tuesday.
Livia Acosta Noguera is alleged to have discussed possible cyber-attacks on the US while based at the Venezuelan embassy in Mexico in 2008.
The FBI has been investigating the comments, AP news agency says.
The US state department did not comment on the reason for the expulsion.
Four US members of Congress wrote to the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December raising concerns about the Venezuelan diplomat.
Their letter says that according to a documentary broadcast on the Spanish-language network Univision last month, Livia Acosta Noguera discussed attacking the US government’s computer systems with diplomats from the Iranian and Cuban embassies and students posing as extremists, while she was vice secretary at Caracas’s embassy in Mexico.
The congressmen requested the state department investigate the claims, and if found true, “declare her a persona non grata and require her immediate departure from the United States”.
At least 13 people have been killed and another 13 were injured after a petrol tanker crashed bursting into flames and engulfing seven cars and a bus in burning fuel in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.
Rescue workers have been pulling charred bodies from the scorched vehicles.
The tanker is reported to have flipped over after the driver lost control, spilling petrol that then caught fire. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Caracas fire department coordinator William Martinez said the crash sent a river of burning fuel down the Pan-American Highway west of Caracas, engulfing other vehicles.
The flames were so intense that vegetation beside the road also caught fire and nearby houses were threatened before the blaze was brought under control, William Martinez told Venezuelan National Radio.
Survivor Mariana Salas said the bus caught fire in a matter of seconds.
“People started to get out of cars, the traffic was paralyzed, nothing was moving in either direction,” she said.
“Around 15 or 20 of us opened a route through the vegetation and managed to save ourselves.”
President Hugo Chavez expressed dismay at the “lamentable tragedy”.
“I send my prayers to the victims of the accident on the Pan-American Highway. To their families my feelings of sadness and all necessary support,” Hugo Chavez wrote on Twitter.
The Italian clothing company Benetton has been heavily criticized by the Vatican for using an image of Pope Benedict kissing an imam on the mouth in its latest shock advertising campaign.
The controversial image, which was hung from a bridge near the holy city early today, shows the Pope embracing Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, one of Islam’s leading figures.
Other images in the campaign, which is part of the Benetton’s support for the Unhate Foundation, show various world leaders kissing on the mouth.
The Italian clothing company Benetton has been heavily criticized by the Vatican for using an image of Pope Benedict kissing an imam on the mouth in its latest shock advertising campaign
The campaign includes a picture of U.S. President Barack Obama kissing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi called the unauthorized and “manipulative” use of the pope’s picture in the photo montage “totally unacceptable” and suggested it might take legal action against the company.
“This is a grave lack of respect for the Pope, an offence against the sentiments of the faithful and a clear example of how advertising can violate elementary rules of respect for people in order to attract attention through provocation,” Federico Lombardi said in a statement.
Benetton campaign includes a picture of U.S. President Barack Obama kissing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
Benetton has run controversial advertising campaigns in the past, including one that showed grieving parents at the bedside of a man dying of Aids.
Other images in the latest campaign include Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel kissing French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in a clinch with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The latest Benetton campaign includes a image of Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel kissing French president Nicolas Sarkozy
Benetton says it hopes the campaign will held contribute towards combating hatred and lead to the creation of a culture of tolerance.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Alessandro Benetton, deputy chairman of Benetton Group SpA and son of the founder of the family-controlled company, said: “It means not hating. In a moment of darkness, with the financial crisis, what’s going on in North African countries, in Athens, this is an attitude we can all embrace that can have positive energy.”
Benetton is planning a series of live events in which youngsters will post the controversial images on the walls of locations of cities around the world.
The US Major League baseball player, Wilson Ramos, who was kidnapped by armed men, has been found alive, according to Venezuela’s government officials.
According to Information Minister Andres Izarra, security forces had located Wilson Ramos in the Montalban mountains near to where he was seized on Wednesday.
Wilson Ramos, 24, is a catcher for the Washington Nationals team.
It was reported that the families of wealthy athletes in Venezuela are periodically targeted in similar ways.
“The baseball player Ramos found alive by security forces in mountainous zone,” tweeted Andres Izarra.
The US Major League baseball player, Wilson Ramos, who was kidnapped by armed men, has been found alive
Andres Izarra said it was “a rescue operation by air”, which was authorized earlier in the day by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Information Minister said three men were arrested, including a Colombian “linked to paramilitary groups and to kidnapping groups”.
Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami said on TV that Wilson Ramos was “safe and sound”.
Wilson Ramos’ mother celebrated, exclaiming on television: “Thanks to God!”
The woman said she had spoken to her son by telephone, saying: “He’s fine.”
There are so far no details of how Wilson Ramos was located.
The baseball player was seized at his mother’s home in Valencia, 150 km (90 miles) west of the capital Caracas, after going to Venezuela to play games during the US close season.
Sports figures have found themselves the target of violent crime in Venezuela in the past, but this is thought to be the first case targeting a baseball player in the US Major League.
Most kidnappings in Venezuela are carried out to extort a ransom, but there have been no reports of any ransom demand in this case.
The Institute for Investigations on Coexistence and Citizen Security (Incosec), a Venezuelan think tank, estimated that last year Venezuela saw 1,179 kidnappings, or about three cases every day.
The rising rate of violent crime has become a major source of public concern in Venezuela in recent years, with many accusing President Hugo Chavez’s government of not doing enough to combat the problem.
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Columbus Day is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October and commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492.
The day is commemorated as the Columbus Day in United States, as Día de las Culturas (Day of the Cultures) in Costa Rica, as Día de la Hispanidad (Spanish Day), as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in many countries in Latin America, and a National Day in Spain, as Día de las Americas (Day of the Americas) in Uruguay, as Discovery Day in The Bahamas, and as Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela. And these celebrations have been commemorated officially in several countries.
United States Columbus Day Celebrations
Columbus Day became an authorized state holiday in Colorado in 1905 and became a national holiday in 1970.
Since 1971, the Columbus has been celebrated in U.S. on the second Monday of October, the similar day as Thanksgiving in nearby Canada. It is usually surveyed today by the bond market, banks, the U.S. Postal Service and further centralized agencies, most state Government offices, and some school districts; though, most stock exchanges and businesses remain open.
Columbus Day commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the New World on October 12, 1492
Columbus Day Celebrations across U.S.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in Alaska
The State of Alaska, which has a big native population, does not know about the Columbus Day.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in Arkansas
Some communal schools all through the state are closed in celebration of Columbus Day.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in California
The city of Berkeley commemorates native People’s Day in place of Columbus Day each year with a POW wow and Native American market.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in Cleveland
The Columbus Day parade in Cleveland occurs in Little Italy area near the University Circle. And the day starts with accumulation at Holy Rosary Church which attributes the combined choirs of 4 historically Italian Cleveland region churches – Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Holy Rosary, St. Rocco and Holy Redeemer. Then the parade descends Murray Hill featuring above 100 units and also a dozen marching bands.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in Colorado
The Columbus Day parade in Denver has been against through Native American groups and their followers for almost two decades.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in Hawaii
Hawaii does not legitimately tribute the Columbus Day and in its place celebrates the Discoverer’s Day on the similar day, on the second Monday of each October. And the day is “in recognition of the Polynesian discoverers of the Hawaiian Islands”. And Neither Discoverer’s Day and Columbus Day is observed as a celebration through State Government, city, state and county Government schools and offices are open for commerce on the Columbus Day, while centralized Government offices are clogged.
In Hawaii, the Discoverer’s Day commemoration has become a day of remonstration for some sponsorship groups. A trendy remonstration site is Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and Chancery building of Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu. And such sponsorship groups have been celebrating the Discoverer’s Day holiday as their own substitute, Indigenous Peoples Day. And the week is named Indigenous Peoples Week.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in Massachusetts
The city of Boston, which has a big Italian people, marks the event on the Sunday prior to Columbus Day with parade throughout the city that changes every year between the North End and East Boston.
All state groups are clogged, and parking at meters is at no cost in the city of Boston.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in New York
In New York State, The Columbus Day is a celebration, as Government offices and public schools are locked. On the other hand, the stock markets remain open. Columbus Day Parade is one of the biggest events of the year in New York City.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in Nevada
Columbus Day is not an authorized holiday in Nevada; however it is a day of celebration. City and county Government offices, schools and state are open for commerce on Columbus Day.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in Puerto Rico
As in mainland U.S., Columbus Day is an authorized holiday in unincorporated U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in South Dakota
In the state of South Dakota, the day is legitimately a state holiday which is known as “Native American Day”, not Columbus Day.
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in U.S. Virgin Islands
As a result of hostility against Columbus Day, in the province of U.S. Virgin Islands, the day is commemorated as “Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands Friendship Day.”
Columbus Day Celebrations & Activities in Virginia
The second Monday of October is an authorized holiday in Virginia: Yorktown Victory Day, Columbus Day and reverence Christopher Columbus, and the ultimate victory at Yorktown in Revolutionary War.
The 60th annual Miss Universe Pageant crowned its winner Miss Angola on September 12 in São Paulo, Brazil. Miss Ukraine (Olesia Stefanko) was First Runner Up, followed by Miss Brazil (Priscila Machado), Miss Philippines (Shamcey Supsup) and Miss China (Luo Zilin).
Ximena Navarette (Mexico), Miss Universe 2010, crowns Leila Lopes (Miss Angola) as Miss Universe 2011
Miss Angola, Leila Luiliana da Costa Viera Lopes, 25, is a business student from Benguela and thinks her smile was her best card since her friends have always told her that she has a smile which can “motivate people” and indeed her appearances on the stage of Credicard Hall theater were very well received by the public.
Ximena Navarrete (Mexico), the last year’s winner, crowned Leila Lopes, the first from Angola who won Miss Universe.
Leila Lopes, Miss Universe 2011, says she focuses on fight against AIDS and poverty
When Lea Salonga, member of Miss Universe jury, asked Miss Angola: “If you could change one of your physical characteristics, which one will it be and why?”, Leila said she was very happy with her look and she would not change a thing.
Leila Lopes said she wished to “become an important businesswoman” in her country and to continue the battle against AIDS and poverty.
Olesia Stefanko, Miss Ukraine, was First Runner Up at Miss Universe 2011
With seven titles won in the last ten years, the contestants from Latin America were considered the biggest favorites of Miss Universe 2011.
Shamcey Supsup (Miss Philippines) was an early fan favorite of the first online fan vote of Miss Universe 2011
Vanessa Gonçalves, Miss Venezuela, the biggest favourite, did not enter the Top 10 round.
Shamcey Supsup placed Third Runner-Up after she answered a question asked by Vivica A. Fox. When she was asked if she would marry someone of a different religion, Shamcey, wearing a silver and transluscent white long gown, said she would not marry a man that will ask her to change her religious beliefs. “The first person that I love is God, ” she said. Miss Philippines, 25, is a magna cum laude architecture graduate and she was an early fan favourite, receiving the most of online votes (first ever worldwide fan vote debuted for the 60th annual Miss Universe Pageant) before the Miss Universe telecast from Credicard Hall.
The two-hour Miss Universe 2011 ceremony was watched by over 190 millions people from over 190 countries.
Natalie Morales (NBC) and Andy Cohen ( Bravo) hosted the show that featured live musical performances by Brazilian artists Claudia Leitte and Bebel Gilberto.
Nikolina Loncar (Montenegro) won Miss Congeniality, Ronnia Fornstedt (Sweden) won Miss Photogenic award and Sheldry Saez (Panama) was awarded for Best National Costume.
The competitors from Kosovo, Colombia, Puerto Rico, The Netherlands, USA, and Venezuela entered Top 16 round for the swimsuit competition, while the contestants from Australia, Costa Rica, France, Portugal, and Panama made it to the Top 10 round for the evening gown competition.
The contestants have to be between 18 and 27 years old and unmarried women, who have not been pregnant and have not posed naked.
The jury members were: Lea Salonga (Filipina actress), Vivica A. Fox (American actress and television producer), Isabeli Fontana (Brazilian model), Adrienne Maloof-Nassif (American businesswoman ), Amelia Vega (Miss Universe 2003), Connie Chung (American news anchor), Helio Castroneves (Brazilian auto racing driver).
The Miss Universe Organization, a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture, is a global community empowering role models of beauty, health and leadership for young women of today.
Photos from www.missuniverse.com
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