The very sad fact is that Cindy Sheehan is misinformed!

In a postscript to an article "Last rites for the USA" published yesterday (March 8) in the (US) national black newspaper, 'San Francisco BayView,' anti-war peace activist made the assertion that the Venezuelan government's Correo del Orinoco English edition [...is...] "Venezuela's first and only English-language weekly newspaper."

Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth ... the very sad fact is that Cindy is misinformed!

Venezuela's first English-language newspaper was, in fact. the Caracas Journal -- founded in 1945 by Jules Waldman and later (as its circulation grew nationwide) renamed the Daily Journal. I had the privilege to meet Jules in 1988 when, with the progression of years, he was no longer able to keep up his daily supervision of the blue-top which graced news-stands all over the capital thanks to a distribution agreement with El Nacional. The venerable gentleman (77) died of a stroke in July 1990 just a month after being brutally bound and robbed at gunpoint in his own home in Caracas.

Under the continued ownership of Waldman's business partner, industrialist Hans Neuman, the Daily Journal survived several years -- notably through the US-backed April 2002 coup d'etat against President Hugo Chavez Frias -- and was about to pass into the hands of my esteemed colleague Janet Kelly when her untimely demise on March 24, 2003, plunged the publication into further controversy.

Political intrigues and dirty dealings apart, the Daily Journal passed into Chavez government control early in 2006 and experienced a rapid decline before ceasing publication completely!

President Hugo Chavez' pride and joy, the 'Correo del Orinoco' was launched in 2009 as an instrument of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) with former El Nacional reporter Vanessa Davies as editor-in-chief. It was originally designed to be a 'born again' version of The Liberator Simon Bolivar's June 27, 1818 launch of his 'Orinoco Post' which he himself clarioned as being "free ... we write in a free country, and do not intend to deceive the public." Readers of the subsequent 21st century political pamphlet must make up their own minds.

'Correo del Orinoco International' . .. the English edition ... was launched on January 22, 2010, with Chavez devotee Eva Golinger at the editorial helm.

The web-edition is now carried as a supplement to Venezuelanalysis.com where US-Venezuelan lawyer Eva also holds down a major editorial role in addition to a busy series of other roles on behalf of President Hugo Chavez and his Bolivarian Revolution including in Venezuelanalysis.com -- an e-publication launched on the internet in 2003 (at a critical time when VHeadline.com was suffering one of its periodic 'off-line' episodes through lack of independent funding) by Venezuelan diplomatic official Martin Sanchez.

More recently, Sanchez' participation has been assumed by the Fundación para la Justicia Económica Global (Foundation for Global Economic Justice) about which little is known other than that it is allegedly under the direct budgetary control of Venezuela's Ministry of Communications & Information (MinCI). Sanchez allegedly divested his registered 'ownership' of Venezuelanalysis.com registration in order to avoid accusations that might have jeopardized his continuing diplomatic role in the United States.

• Venezuelanalysis.com insists that it is independent, and continues to see financial support from its readers although it is seen as a major propaganda vehicle for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and President Hugo Chavez and is promoted as such by Venezuelan embassies and consulates worldwide. Available statistics, however, show that it has recently suffered a 30% month-on-month decline in readership.

VHeadline.com Venezuela -- which is now published under the auspices of the Daniel Florence O'Leary Foundation (honoring the life of the Irish-born Venezuelan independence hero!) -- is, on the other hand, NOT affiliated in any way with President Hugo Chavez Frias, the Venezuelan government or its political opposition and maintains editorial freedom. The O'Leary Foundation's charter directors -- Peter O'Leary, Patrick J. O'Donoghue and Roy S. Carson -- are pledged to continue to promote democracy in its fullest expression and the inalienable right of ALL Venezuelans to self-determination and the pursuit of sovereign independence without interference.

Our stance is decidedly pro-governance (defined as being contrary to anarchy) and pro-government to the extent that we support all and any government policies aimed at consolidating and improving the living conditions and future prosperity of Venezuelans, regardless of race, color or creed.

We also seek to shed an international spotlight on nefarious practices and corruption which, for decades, has strangled this South American nation's development and progress.

In every respect VHeadline Venezuela's declared editorial bias is most definitely pro-Constitutional, pro-Democracy and pro-VENEZUELA.