CARACAS, Venezuela — The editor-publisher of the Daily Journal newspaper here, Janet Kelly, 56, has been found dead close to the Cota Mil highway above Caracas.

Her Toyota Yaris automobile was parked at a tourist vantage point overlooking the upper Altamira suburb of Caracas close to a major exit from the highway and her body found over the edge, 150 meters below. 

There are no indications as to how the death occurred, but detectives were at the scene through the morning. The site had been cordoned off while investigations proceed.

Ms. Kelly, who also was a leading economist, had only just taken over the Daily Journal March 10 and had great ambitions for the publication under her leadership.  She was also part of an international negotiating committee between the 

The Philadelphia-born woman had graduated in international studies at the Johns Hopkins University and had become a much-respected economics professor at the Institute for Higher Economic Studies in Caracas and had gathered a group of investors to buy out the newspaper from the Neumann family this month. 

She was an associate professor at the Simon Bolivar University in Caracas and a leading light in the expat American comunity as well as a director at the Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce.

Chacao Mayor Leopoldo Lopez was at the scene and said that it is up to the experts to determine what happened. Suicide has apparently been ruled out, and it is thought that she may otherwise have been the target of a political assassination.

Local news reporters called her "our highly-regarded colleague."

The report from the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional said the start of the rainy season is not a fixed date but usually is preceded by some three weeks of increasing wet days.

All other sections of the country will begin the 

The hurricane seasons begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30, the institute noted.

The report released Monday is based on computer modeling and historical averages, so the estimates are just that.

LIMA, Peru — A court here has sentenced former intelligence chief Vladimiro Montesinos to 64 months in prison for influence peddling. 

Montesinos, who was sent to jail last year on charges of abusing his authority, was found guilty of helping family members of his former secretary and girlfriend avoid legal and financial difficulties. Montesinos told the court Monday he reserved the right to appeal the sentence at a later time. Judges also sentenced the ex-girlfriend, Jacqueline Beltran, to four years in prison. 

The case is just one of dozens against Montesinos, who is accused of leading a giant corruption ring while serving as a top adviser to disgraced ex-President Alberto Fujimori. 

Current President Alejandro Toledo has asked Japan to extradite the former president to face charges of corruption and human rights abuses. Fujimori fled three years ago and insists he is innocent of the charges. 

Brazilian leader toils
under stagnant economy

BRASILIA, Brazil — President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is struggling to expand his nation's economy and his government's programs for the poor even as the war in the Persian Gulf puts pressure on economic growth prospects worldwide. 

Almost three months into his term, the leader is contending with numerous problems, including friction within his own party.

When he was elected last year, da Silva promised to provide his people with more jobs and expectations, especially among the poor, were set high. Now, with the worldwide economy still struggling to find its footing and a war raging in Iraq, the outlook for job growth in Brazil is somewhat clouded.

Political analyst David Fleischer says administration officials remain confident that the war will have little or no effect on Brazil's economic growth. 

"There are some in Lula's government who actually feel that exports might even increase and that capital flows to emerging markets, especially Brazil, might even be stronger," he said. "That may be wishful thinking and we will have to wait and see what the major consequences of the war are."

For now, Fleischer points out, the da Silva government is taking a moderate approach, continuing many of the same programs that were started under the previous administration of Fernando Henrique Cardoso. 

Since the country's tax rates are already high and its foreign and domestic debt is enormous, amounting to well over $250 billion, da Silva has concentrated on cutting costs rather than expanding new programs.

This has led to strife within his own Workers' Party, with so-called Radicals condemning their old comrade Lula for taking a centrist approach and forming alliances with other, more conservative parties.

Child advocacy group
seeks investigator

Casa Alianza said Monday that they would make a formal request to the Inter American Commission on Human Rights for the naming of a special investigator on extra judicial, summary and arbitrary executions for Latin America, said Bruce Harris, director of Latin American programs for the child advocacy group.

The group said this is in light of the significant increase in the numbers of murders of children and youth in Central America in the past few years.

A delegation from the commission was scheduled to meet with Casa Alianza and other child rights organizations in Guatemala City Monday as a part of an official visit to the Central American country, said the group.

“Casa Alianza feels there is a significant need for the naming of a specific Commissioner to permanently look into the increasing numbers of murders of children and young people in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua,” said Harris.

Casa Alianza says it has documented more than 1,700 Honduran children and youth under the age of 23 years of age murdered since January 1998. 

And in Guatemala’s capital, the group says, more than 50 children and youth are being murdered each month — more than 600 each year. In Nicaragua a total of 132 children and youth under the age of 23 were murdered in 2002, the group added.

Robbers knife driver,
steal his cash

A Pavas-bound bus was robbed in La Sabana Monday night as the driver stopped to pick up passengers.

Almost 200,000 colons (about $515) was stolen by three persons, who were posing as customers, during the robbery. The driver incurred a knife wound to the leg. 

She had bought some time, managing to stay ahead of the dark cloud chasing her. She found some luck, much of which was rooted in the generosity of readers.

But for Margaret Cowell, that time is almost up. She is a Villalobos investor. That’s where she put all the money she had, some $25,000. Ms. Cowell is broke and surviving mainly on others’ generosity. The now-defunct investment firm operated by Luis Enrique Villalobos Camacho closed its Mall San Pedro office Oct. 14.

When a reporter contacted Ms. Cowell, she was living in El Roble, in the hills overlooking Barva de Heredia. That was Jan. 10.

Now she is living with a new friend, who learned of Ms. Cowell’s plight through A.M. Costa Rica. Her current situation is the culmination of a run of events spanning the two-and-a-half-months since her story first appeared.

There have been highs, and there have been lows, as Ms. Cowell readily admits. She has seen hopes arise, some bearing fruit, while others have fallen.

For example, one male reader, a dog lover, contacted Ms. Cowell from Atlanta, Ga.. He eventually sent her $500. Then another lady offered Ms. Cowell a place in her new home in Tilaran. The woman was moving to the home from the United States. 

But when the woman arrived, Ms. Cowell said she could not make contact. 

The stories of devastated Villalobos investors are abundant. Some investors despaired: a German man committed suicide. And many other investors have already had to leave Costa Rica.

What seemed to warm readers to Ms. Cowell’s story in particular were her dogs. In her initial interview, she spoke of the hurt and fear she had, as she pondered her departure from Costa Rica and the pets she would have to leave behind.

She said at the time of the interview her three dogs and cat, all rescued from the street, might have to be put to sleep.

That situation though has improved. Ms. Cowell said two of her dogs and her cat have found homes.

She still holds hope her remaining dog, Ben, will find a home before she leaves the country. 

However, Ms. Cowell said the dog is old and fears no one will want him because of this. And, she said, she would rather his life was brought to a peaceful end rather than he be placed in a shelter where his life is likely to be unpleasant.

Meanwhile, for Ms. Cowell either Canada or her native England beckons. She said England looks more likely. There she has many friends. But resolute to the last, she said: "You never know till the last minute."

Meanwhile, Villalobos continues to be an international fugitive being sought to face fraud and money laundering allegations.

This newspaper seeks the prompt return of two men who ran high-interest investment operations that have gone out of business.

Luis Enrique Villalobos Camacho, 62, was associated with Ofinter S.A., a money exchange house, and with his own private investment business that had about $1 billion in other people’s money on the books.

Villalobos closed his business Oct. 14 and vanished.

Louis Milanes operated Savings Unlimited and several casinos in San José. He left the country with other members of his firm the weekend of Nov. 23. He may have as much as $260 million in his possession. Both operations catered to North Americans.

Villalobos and Milanes are the subjects of international arrest warrants.  Associates of both men have been jailed.

A.M. Costa Rica has posted a $500 reward for information leading to the detention of either man with the hopes that others will make similar pledges. The newspaper believes that investors only will see some of their money when the two men are in custody.

Milanes has few supporters in San José. On the other hand, as the letters frequently on this page show, Villalobos still has supporters who believe that he will reappear and settle his debts. They believe he is in hiding because of a predatory Costa Rican government.

An open letter to Luis Enrique Villalobos Camacho

Dear Luis Enrique Villalobos:

You should know that relying upon your claim of being an honest and upright Christian — and who for almost 20 years did meet all of your obligations faithfully — your investors/lenders merely want to know that the funds entrusted to you have not been lost. Some of your very close intimates have stated that money is still being invested and that funds are safe.

Are those who believe that you do intend to meet your obligations naive and foolishly trusting or are they correct in believing that your honesty, integrity, Christianity and good motives are intact? 

In order to restore confidence it might well be to your advantage to show a token of good faith by making at least at this time small token payments. You should also avoid possible criminal action in the States by honoring those checks which were issued but which were returned as marked account closed or insufficient funds.

It is to be hoped that your counsel is really giving you good advice. But your complete silence is not helpful to your cause. May we hear from you directly as to your intentions?