VENEZUELA: Chavez Purging Some Loyalists With Cuban Help.

NYTIMES ANALYSIS/   A purge is underway in Venezuela, a power struggle at the highest levels powered by information from Cuban intelligence agents. "We are witnessing the battle between competing mafias who prospered at Chávez’s heel,” said Ismael García, a leftist legislator. Chavez is consolidating power during an economic crisis with secret-police raids and expropriations of powerful supporters’ businesses.