VENEZUELA: Chavez Gets New Discretionary Powers For 18 Months; Still Objects To U.S. Ambassador.

LATIMES/
    The National Assembly overwhelmingly approved giving President Hugo Chavez  new broad discretionary powers for 18 months.
   It was Chavez's fourth grant of temporary power since he took office in 1999.
   He had argued the special law was needed to deal with severe flooding that killed 40 and left 133,000 homeless.
   The assembly even gave Chavez six months more of special powers than he requested.

   ALSO...The U.S. refuses to drop Larry Palmer as nominee for Venezuela's ambassadorship.

  Chavez rejects Palmer because some critical remarks about Chavez's government disqualify him.
  During confirmation, Palmer suggested that morale was low in Venezuela's military and was concerned about Colombian rebels getting refuge in Venezuela. Washington refuses to drop the nomination.
 
 Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/18/1979551/us-venezuela-at-odds-on-ambassador.html#ixzz18Uklelw8