Venezuelan Opposition Gives Ground after Regional Elections
The result of the Venezuelan regional elections, held yesterday, reflects a loss of positions for the opposition with three states against 20 for the Socialists and their allies.
In a first assessment of results, pollsters experts agreed on the lack of identity and opposition proposals, which was reflected in the election statistics.
In this regard, German Campos, director of Consulting agency 30.11, and Oscar Schemel, president of Hinterlaces, called on the opposition to review their leaderships.
The election day left about 20 governments in equal number of states for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies of the Great Patriotic Pole.
That coalition regained the governments of Carabobo, Nueva Esparta, Tachira, Zulia and Monagas, while the opposition only maintained three of eight states where it ruled: Miranda, Lara and Amazon.
For Executive Vice President Nicolas Maduro, this result shows that the people support the country program the Revolution is boosting.
Together with that, he recognized the importance of access to the governments of states of Zulia, Carabobo, Tachira, Nueva Esparta and Monagas.
Regional elections closed with 46 percent abstention, with the highest levels of participation in the states of Zulia, Amazonas, Nueva Esparta, Tachira and Miranda.
Rioters Stone Tunisian Prez During Arab Spring Commemoration
Participants at an act commemorating the second anniversary of the uprising that in Tunisia and other states that became known as the Arab Spring threw stones on Monday at President Moncef Marzouki in a central region where the rebellion began.
The attackers threw stones at the head of state and leader of the National Constituent Assembly, Mustapha Ben Jaafar, when the latter spoke to about five thousand people attending the commemoration.
Members of the security services evacuated the two leaders unharmed from the Sidi Bouzid square, a very poor area where uprisings began with the self-immolation of peddler Mohamed Bouazizi on December 17, 2010.
Marzouki managed to speak long enough to ask the population for patience and remind people of the limitations of government to resolve problems created during 50 years of dictatorship, but was booed by the audience at the ceremony.
Protesters inside the demonstration angrily charged that a year ago he had promised to change the terrible situation in the region within six months, but nothing has changed, and he is not wanted here.
USA: Connecticut Shooter Planned a Bloodier Massacre
The perpetrator of the massacre in an elementary school in the U.S. city of Newtown, Connecticut, who killed 20 children and six adults, planned to carry out an even bloodier action, authorities said on Monday.
Adam Lanza, the attacker, had in his possession hundreds of unused bullets in many clips of 30 munitions each for the semi-automatic .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle and two pistols made by Glock and Sig Sauer he was carrying, though he used one pistol to kill himself.
The Connecticut PD still has no details on the killer’s motives and warned that the investigation process will be slow and some time will be needed to understand the causes of the massacre.
According to the official version of local authorities, on Friday morning, Lanza, 20, shot his mother in her room several times, then jumped into her car carrying the guns she had legally bought.
When he entered Sandy Hook Elementary School, Lanza started shooting in the hall and two classrooms with his rifle. During the attack, the school principal and the psychologist tried to stop him. Four teachers and 20 children between the ages of six and seven were killed by three bullets each.
Via PL