Caracas  - A Venezuelan court Wednesday issued an international arrest warrant against opposition leader Manuel Rosales, who fled to Peru last week.

The court justified the warrant for Rosales, who is a fierce opponent of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, by arguing the 56-year-old former mayor of Maracaibo was avoiding a trial on corruption charges.

At the same time the authorities asked Interpol to assist the politician's arrest, who claimed political asylum in Peru.

Caracas (Venezuela), Apr. 18 : Raul Castro, the brother of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and de facto leader of the island nation 90 miles south of Florida, has admitted that his country may have been wrong in not engaging with the United States.

Speaking at a meeting of leftist leaders heading to the 34-nation summit here eager to represent Cuba''s interests. He said his country''s previous refusal to engage the U. S. earlier might have been a mistake.

Caracas (Venezuela), Apr. 18 : Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said that he would like to be good friends with US President Barack Obama, suggesting possibilities of an iminent thaw in hostile relations between the two countries.

According to Fox News, Chavez said: "I'd like to be your friend," while Obama reportedly expressed his thanks, though this couldn''''''''t immediately be confirmed.

Photos released by the Venezuelan government show Obama clasping Chavez''''''''s hand and smiling broadly.

Caracas/Port of Spain  - President Hugo Chavez warned Thursday that Venezuela and "other countries" will veto the final declaration of the Summit of the Americas that is set to take place from Friday in Trinidad and Tobago.

"Venezuela vetoes the declaration of the Americas," he said in the eastern Venezuelan town of Cumana.

La Paz/Caracas  - An elite Bolivian police squad killed three members of an alleged terrorist group Thursday at a hotel in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Bolivian President Evo Morales saif from the Venezuelan city of Cumana that the dead were foreign "mercenaries" who were planning attacks on Morales himself and other high government officials.

The Santa Cruz daily El Deber reported in its online edition, citing national Police Chief Victor Hugo Escobar, that the three dead included one Bolivian with a Hungarian and a Colombian.

Caracas  - Venezuela obtained a crucial 2-0 home win over direct rival Colombia late Tuesday in the South American qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The result leaves Colombia on 14 points from 12 games, with Venezuela on 13 points. If the qualifiers were to end now, neither team would continue to South Africa.

Despite Abel Aguirre being sent off in the first half, Venezuela could not crack the game until the last quarter-of-an-hour of play in Puerto Ordaz.