US claim Chavez tried to channel funds to Kirchner campaign

A United States prosecutor has claimed that three covert Venezuelan agents offered $2 million to hush an alleged attempt to pump $800,000 from Venezuela into the Argentinean presidential campaign.



Argentina’s president, Cristina Kirchner, has dismissed the claim that Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez tried to channel funds to her presidential campaign.



The allegation was made on Friday after the Venezuelans were arrested in Miami last week, and charged with failure to notify US authorities that they were agents of the Venezuelan government.



The arrests follow the seizure, in August, of a bag with $800,000 in Buenos Aires aboard a chartered flight from Caracas.





Parliamentarians to get 20% salary increases

Parliamentarians are to be given a 20 per cent salary increase early next year.



Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw made the disclosure during today’s meeting of the Standing Finance Committee at Gordon House.