Investigations Reveal Illicit Business of Murdered Venezuelan Student Leader

[struggle4progress]

Investigations Reveal Illicit Business of Murdered Venezuelan Student Leader
October 7th 2008, by James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Mérida, October 6, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- ... According to CICPC investigators, the call history and number directory in Soto's cell phone reveal that Soto had contacts with members of the Zulia state police who are also involved in the illicit production and sale of government-subsidized student transportation tickets ...

Moreover, on his personal blog, Soto had written that he received death threats a week before his murder, a fact confirmed by his fellow student leaders.

The blog also showed Soto's ties to two opposition parties, COPEI and Un Nuevo Tiempo, which have been in conflict over party candidates and political agendas for the upcoming regional and local elections.

It is suspected that Soto was killed by a hired assassin involved in the mafia that regulates illicit business activity within the university ...

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3857

[Judi Lynn]

1. Fascinating, isn't it? At 31, he was clearly a little long in the tooth to consider himself

one of the ordinary college kids, even though it appears he loved to throw himself into the violent protests there.

It would be interesting to know where he spent those years between high school and the time he finally enrolled in the university. Prison? I might guess "death squad," but that would have required a lot of walking, I imagine, lifting heavy objects, like chain saws, and he didn't look as if he'd had much exercise below the mouth in his life.

Thanks for the update on this guy. If there's a truthful accounting of the evidence they find, it's going to be peculiar, but predictable remembering the right-wing loons chewed the scenery after this happening, seeing it as a ripe opportunity to exploit, pretending the President of Venezuela was trying to "silence" this fine scholar by having him "assassinated."


Julio Soto

[Judi Lynn]

2. Here's a crude google translation tool version of a current story:

Without ruling out disputes in Mafia killing of Soto
The Commission which is investigating the case summoned a group of students from LIGHT

Maracaibo .- One of the scenarios that are reinforced in the assassination of the president of the Federation Campus of the University of Zulia (LUZ), Julio Soto, is his alleged connection with the Mafia student ticket sales, according to members of the special committee of the National Assembly investigating the case in the western entity.

"The armed groups and fighting between gangs over the corruption that has generated the sale of student tickets is one of the major problems that exist within the University of Zulia. This is going to determine in any case the Attorney General the Republic and the CICPC. There's also the minister of Interior and Justice has already been addressing the issue, "said Congressman Edgar Lucena, who leads the parliamentary inquiry.

"This program (selling tickets) has been kidnapped by gangs who are living in light and being enriched by this. They are power groups vying for the chairmanship of the Federation of University Centers, which are also associated with the cooling of stolen vehicles within the university facilities and the collection of vaccines, "added the official gubernametal.

Jenny Cedeno, president of the Parliamentary Bloc Zulia, he added that "actually there are several scenarios with which they are working and one of them is the delicate situation that affects students, as is the student ticket."

The director of Polimaracaibo, Jose Gonzalez, said that there have been new raids in search of more evidence. Among the academics who have been called to testify by the investigating committee and the CICPC are: Milagros Paz, president of the Center for Students in the School of Social Communication; Yorman Barillas, a candidate for the FCU by the movement Initiative 13; Misael Cardozo, belonging to the DCU, and Ronny Prieto.

Original:
Sin descartar disputas de mafias en asesinato de Soto
La Comisión que investiga el caso citará a grupo de estudiantes de LUZ

http://www.eluniversal.com/2008/10/09/pol_art_sin-descartar-disput_1084564.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

3. You may find this translated story from last year helpful!

Remember it's a rough translation but I'm sure ENOUGH comes through to show something not mentioned in the early stories posted here after the killing:

Clash of armed gangs
Ungovernable at the University of Zulia
By: Aporrea.org
Release Date: 03/11/07

Given the chaotic process that lives the University of Zulia (LUZ), students are directed to the university community in general and the Venezuelan people to repudiate the actions vandalism that results in the death of innocent students this Alma Mater, the events Yesterday, Friday 02 November, at the facilities of the University of Zulia, specifically in the Faculty of Engineering Technical Center in Maracaibo and the two headquarters of the Rector of the house of study, by a dispute between rival gangs, such as the Group Ingenio 13 supported and funded by the Rector of the University of Zulia, and Leonardo Atencio A NEW TIME supported and funded by the regional government of Manuel Rosales, with the participation of the youth group of DCU COPEI.
These groups have been created as a shock brigade of the university authorities and sectors that have the power within the university, said students. "Today the University of Zulia has become a place of chaos and sosobra, bringing as a result, institutional instability. It is unfortunate today to see how these groups are in control inside the campus of the university, the sale of tickets or ticket custom preferential passage of the student until the recovery of shots from any position of informal traders such as phones or pegaditos Sales of candy and theft of vehicles inside the campus, this under the gaze accomplice of the university authorities. " He told us that a student for his safety asked that his identity was not disclosed.

These student bands have remained in power for over 4 years in the presidency of the FCU and Centers of Students taking the front of the student JULIO SOTO current president of the FCU to Yorman Varillas current candidate for the FCU which is protected by Group 13 and by a hired assassin who is called Altamar who daily go to campus armed intimidation of the university population.

The students are wondering what fate has been the multimillion budget designated by the State Government through the Venezuelan Bolivarian for the safety of the University of the Punjab University and its community? if insecurity in LUZ.

Faced with this situation students make a call to the country, workers, employees and university professors to avoid being confused by these groups, and build a university more humane, participatory, democratic, popular, inclusive and cope with the obscurantist today directed that the LIGHT.

Taken from this original article:

Choque de bandas armadas
Ingobernabilidad en La Universidad del Zulia
Por: Aporrea.org
Fecha de publicación: 03/11/07

http://www.aporrea.org/educacion/n104130.html

[struggle4progress]

4. LUZ may have a serious problem. Some additional links:

Maracaibo, Viernes 10 . 10 . 2008
Opinión
LUZ: ¿corrupción estudiantil?
Israel Fernández Amaya /Abogado

... En primer lugar, el occiso era estudiante profesional, murió de 31 años y desde los 17 años estaba inscrito en LUZ, deambulando por diferentes carreras con incidencia de repitencia y escaso rendimiento académico, pero haciendo política en la universidad, manejando como presidente de la FCU elementos de administración pública no determinados ni por la ley de Universidades ni por las características legales de la representación estudiantil. En tales circunstancias ¿cómo quedan las autoridades universitarias y su control y responsabilidad?

En segundo lugar, y como se dice Entre Abogados, el hecho notorio de la exhibición de bonanza económica, no justificada a través de medios normalmente aceptados, evidencian que, en todo caso las autoridades universitarias pasaron inadvertidamente tal hecho que no fue fugaz, sino que por lo menos duró varios años. En todo caso, es imposible justificar en el patrimonio de un "estudiante" los volúmenes de dinero mencionados por la prensa, sin ser desconocidos o rechazados, situación que evidencia un hecho: manejaba grandes cantidades de dinero y su único oficio era ser presidente de la FCU ...

http://www.laverdad.com/detallenew.asp?mostrar=10&idcat=2&idnot=81560



"Julio era la piedra de tranca para la mafia de los tiques"
María Teresa Chourio / [e-mail]

... Chirinos le contó a Imérida Weir, novia de Soto, los últimos momentos de quien sería su eterno amor. Le pidió disculpas por no poder ayudarlo, aunque ella entendió lo difícil que debió haber sido la situación. "Solo tienen la culpa los asesinos de Julio. Ahora se mata tan fácilmente. Todos fueron víctimas de personas sin escrúpulos".

Aseguró que Julio Soto era la piedra de tranca para el desarrollo de la mafia de los tiques dentro de la universidad. Los autores intelectuales y materiales del hecho serían personas ajenas a la alma máter. "Dentro de LUZ somos contendientes políticos, pero también somos amigos y compañeros estudiantiles. Nadie de la universidad podría haber hecho eso" ...

http://www.laverdad.com/detallenew.asp?mostrar=10&idcat=10&idnot=81581