Aragua, Venezuela News

CARACAS, Venezuela - CARACAS, Venezuela a ' Venezuela has closed four banks, saying authorities have detected major financial problems.

Venezuela on Monday shut down four private banks a day after socialist President Hugo Chavez warned he would not hesitate to nationalize any financial institutions failing to help national development.

Prosecutors say those prohibited from travelling include six directors of Banco ProVivienda , eight of Banco Confederado, and two of Bolivar Banco.

Hugo Chavez says he is going out to "bombard" clouds now that Cuba has provided Venezuela with cloud-seeding help in an effort to produce rain and alleviate the effects of a severe drought.

A regional Latin American meeting focused on defusing tensions between Colombia and Venezuela, despite Bogota's absence which was characterized by Caracas as a "huge mistake." Defense and foreign ministers from Unasur's member nations were welcomed as the meeting opened Friday by Ecuador's Foreign Minister Fander Falconi.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas dismissed an Israeli plan to halt new construction of West Bank settlements as insufficient on Friday, saying it won't be enough to restart peace talks.

Caracas, Nov 27 President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have consolidated a relationship here that the former called 'exemplary'. They signed new accords and gave speeches defending their cooperation.

Venezuela urged the UN Security Council on Wednesday to review the long-running military conflict in neighboring Colombia, which Caracas says is threatening peace and stability across Latin America.

Venezuelan soldiers prepare to blow up a footbridge that crosses the border between Colombia and Venezuela, in the Colombian town of Ragonvalia in North of Santander department, on November 19, 2009.

If Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants his Latin America tour this week to deflect attention away from political repression at home, he should probably reconsider giving Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a warm embrace when they meet in Caracas Tuesday.

The two controversial leaders have been extolling each other's virtues for years as both have sought to vilify what they call the American-dominated world order - and to extend their influence. But recently, Mr. Chavez has been singing the praises of such globally-recognized despots as Robert Mugabe and Idi Amin - and clubbing Mr. Ahmadinejad with them.

LA PAZ: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Bolivia for a short visit on Tuesday, the second leg of a Latin America tour of three leftist nations sympathetic to his administration.

Unfazed by a recession and rampant inflation, image-conscious Venezuelans show no signs of cutting back on the facelifts, liposuction, and breast augmentation that have become de rigueur beauty treatments.

Guyana and Venezuelan authorities agreed to strengthen cooperation to combat the drug trade during a meeting in the Venezuelan capital earlier this month.

Deputy Foreign Minister Francisco Arias Cardenas said tensions between Caracas and Bogota should be taken up by the Union of South American Nations, a 12-member organization known as Unasur.

Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, addresses the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters on September 24, 2009 in New York City.

Venezuelan authorities have captured a former Colombian official wanted for collaborating with outlawed right-wing paramilitary fighters.

Eds: APNewsNow. Will be led. For global distribution. CARACAS, Venezuela Hugo Chavez is defending alleged terrorist mastermind Carlos the Jackal, saying the Venezuelan imprisoned in France was a "revolutionary fighter." Chavez mentioned the Venezuelan whose real name is Ilich Sanchez Ramirez during a speech saying: "I defend him.

Caracas, Nov 16 Thousands VUSP members elected 772 delegates to the Venezuela United Socialist Party's Extraordinary Congress that will be held next Saturday, reported the director of the organization Jose Rodriguez.

Caracas, Venezuela - Esther Benchimol de Roffe arrived in Venezuela as a young bride, leaving northern Morocco more than 50 years ago to meet her groom in a prosperous foreign land.

TENSIONS mounted between rival South American nations Venezuela and Colombia on Tuesday as Caracas accused Bogota of detaining four of its soldiers in international waters.