News Briefs: Venezuela (aside from Hugo Chavez' health)

Rumors abound over the health of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who has mostly been quiet since he underwent surgery in Cuba to weeks ago. Hours after the government suspended a regional summit next week state TV showed footage of Chavez and ex-Cuban leader Fidel Castro allegedly filmed on Tuesday:

While speculation continues over Chavez’ state, it’s worth noting that plenty of other news headlines emerged from Venezuela over the past few days. Some of them include the following:

• Authorities arrested the directors of the El Rodeo prison two weeks after deadly rioting took place. The situation continues to be tense, however, as representatives for the inmates alleging abuses and the government meet at the negotiating table.
• The Foreign Ministry “repudiates the hypocritical attitude of the government of the United States” as part of their response to a State Department report blasting Venezuela on human trafficking. (Venezuela wasn’t the only Latin American state to criticize the report, however).
• Officials at state-run energy firm PDVSA said that the company tripled its social development contributions in 2010. The firm also received a financial boost this week with a $1.5 loan from Japan.
• The legal wrangling over the remains of ex-president Carlos Andres Perez continues over six months after his death. The body of the former leader will be placed temporarily in a mortuary while the courts keep hearing arguments from family members based in Venezuela and the U.S.
  

Video Source- Associated Press Via YouTube
Online Sources- Bloomberg, The Guardian, El Universal, Dominican Today, Forbes.com, Reuters, MSNBC