CARACAS (Reuters) – Found wandering injured in a small town before dawn, the Costa Rican attaché was the latest victim of kidnappers who have seized several diplomats and underscored the scale of Venezuela’s crime problem.

As President Hugo Chavez seeks re-election in October, the debate about who is blame for the unusual wave of attacks – at least four foreign envoys have been abducted in Caracas in less than sixth months – has quickly escalated to serious allegations.

CARACAS (Reuters) – A Costa Rican diplomat kidnapped last weekend and held for ransom in the latest attack on foreign envoys in Venezuela was released on Tuesday and is in good health despite having suffered a blow to the head, authorities said.

Several abductions in the past few months have worried the diplomatic community and underlined Venezuela’s high crime rate – the top concern of voters during an election year.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Gunmen have kidnapped a Costa Rican diplomat and are holding him for ransom in the latest high-profile abduction to rock crime-plagued Venezuela during an election year, officials said on Monday.

The diplomatic community in the South American nation has been targeted in several attacks in recent months, underlining the rampant insecurity that mostly affects Venezuelans and which voters say is their biggest concern as President Hugo Chavez seeks a new six-year term.

CARACAS (Reuters) – President Hugo Chavez hiked Venezuela’s minimum wage by almost a third on Saturday as the ailing socialist leader aimed to solidify his political base among the poor and win re-election in October.

Chavez is flying back and forth for cancer treatment in Cuba, fueling doubts about his future and removing himself from the daily political debate as his rival, state Governor Henrique Capriles, pushes ahead with a national campaign tour.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wept and asked God to spare his life during a pre-Easter Mass on Thursday after returning from his latest session of cancer treatment in Cuba.

Very little is known about the 57-year-old socialist leader’s condition, including even what type of cancer he has. Chavez has undergone three operations in less than a year, and received two sessions of radiation treatment.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s government says it has cut the murder rate in the capital Caracas and is launching two new organizations to combat a crime wave that is worrying voters ahead of this year’s presidential election.

Murders, kidnappings and armed robberies are common in the South American country, and residents routinely list insecurity as a top concern ahead of the October 7 vote, when socialist President Hugo Chavez will seek a new six-year term.

CARACAS, April 3 (Reuters) – The European Union banned
Venezuelan state airline Conviasa on Tuesday from flying in the
27-nation bloc over safety concerns in a move that Venezuela’s
government said was disproportionate.

The European Commission said in a statement that Conviasa
was added to its latest list of carriers banned from operating
in member states “due to numerous safety concerns arising from
accidents and the results of ramp checks at EU airports.”

CARACAS (Reuters) – President Hugo Chavez returned home to Venezuela on Thursday after a first session of radiation treatment in Cuba that he hopes will cure his cancer and allow him to win a new six-year term in October.

The 57-year-old socialist leader has said he will be flying back and forth between Caracas and Havana over the coming weeks as he undergoes therapy, removing himself from the political stage just as his election rival gears up his campaign.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is due to begin radiation treatment on Sunday in Cuba, where he could also meet Pope Benedict in the latest high profile development as the president tries to fight off cancer and win re-election.

Chavez flew back to Havana a month after he had surgery there to remove a second malignant tumour from his pelvis. The treatment will take him off the political stage just as his election rival gears up a nationwide campaign tour ahead of the October 7 vote.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is due to begin radiation treatment on Sunday in Cuba, where he also could meet Pope Benedict in the latest high profile development as the president tries to fight off cancer and win re-election.

Chavez is returning to Havana a month after he had surgery there to remove a second malignant tumor from his pelvis. The treatment will take him off the political stage just as his election rival gears up a nationwide campaign tour ahead of the October 7 vote.