Castro Joins Chavez At Oil Company Opening In Havana

[Itsthetruth]

Castro Joins Chavez at Oil Co. Opening
Thursday April 28, 2:49 pm ET
By Anita Snow, Associated Press Writer
Castro Joins Venezuelan President Chavez at Oil Company Opening As Allies Deepen Economic Ties

HAVANA (AP) -- Fidel Castro joined Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at Thursday at the opening of the South American nation's new oil company office here as the leftist leaders further integrated their economies and promoted a hemispheric trade pact that would exclude the United States.

Later Thursday afternoon, Chavez was to formally receive from Cuba the operating licenses for the new Havana offices of Venezuela's state oil company and a government bank, then lay a wreath at a statue to South American independence hero Simon Bolivar.

In the evening, he and Castro were presiding over an international gathering of opponents to the Free Trade Area of the Americas, a U.S.-backed pact to join the economies of countries across the Western Hemisphere.

At the same time, they were to promote their own idea for a hemispheric trade pact, the Boliviarian Alternative for the Americas, which would tie together the region's developing nations without U.S. involvement. The name refers to South American independence hero Simon Bolivar, frequently invoked by the Chavez government.


http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050428/cuba_venezuela.html?.v=4

[Spazito]

1. There is NO way those two are not having great fun at

'tweaking' the bush cabal's nose every chance they get. I love it!!!

[Just Me]

5. True. However, they are well aware that their actions will,...

,...bring the wrath of US-backed multi-national corporations. If they are truly going to be a force to be reckoned with,...they will have to grow beyond just two in this new little club.

[Spazito]

6. I believe they have through various contracts with China and

Russia.

Chavez has made it very public that the US is trying to bring him down and that is the antithesis of what the cabal wants to be public. They do their best 'work' when no one is aware they are 'working'.

[Imperialism Inc.]

2. I think Venezuela (and other left LAtin American countries)

have it right with regards to the FTA. They aren't going to grow their societies by selling off everything to US corporations who will then take the profits and dump them in to more economically depressed areas (read areas with low wage workers). It's a shame they have to exclude the US but we won't accept controls on capital (only controls on labor) so I don't think they have a lot of choices.

[Double T]

3. United States left out in the cold....................

........Thanks GW For Winning Friends and Influencing People From The Other Americas.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Sources in the U.S. keep hitting on the oil arrangement with Cuba

without ever admitting to their readers that Venezuela and Mexico BOTH have had special arrangements with local governments in the region for over 20 years. From the A.P. article posted originally:

Under Chavez, Venezuela in 2000 began selling 53,000 barrels of crude a day to oil-import-dependent Cuba under preferential terms, allowing the island to withstand tough economic times that began with the Soviet Union's collapse more than a decade ago.

In turn, communist Cuba has sent 13,000 Cuban doctors to work in Venezuelan state-run clinics located in poor neighborhoods.

Cuba also plans to open in Venezuela a bank branch of its own, as well as a chain of 14 government-run stores that will sell goods at subsidized prices.
(snip/...)

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From one of many, many articles you can read about,showing much depth behind this they don't reveal. Just look for "San Jose Accord" or "Caracas Accord:"

Venezuela, Mexico to Extend Oil Supply Agreement
July 21st, 2004
Source: Bloomberg

Venezuela and Mexico, Latin America's two largest oil producers, plan to extend an accord that provides oil to 11 Central American and Caribbean countries at preferential terms in exchange for trade perks.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Mexican President Vicente Fox will sign the extension of the San Jose Agreement on Aug. 3. The accord, first signed in 1980 in the Costa Rican capital of San Jose, supplies about 160,000 barrels a day to the recipients.

The agreement allows the oil-importing countries to write off the cost of their purchases by selling goods and services at reduced prices to Mexico and Venezuela.

The accord provides extra financing to the oil consumers when the price of crude tops $15 a barrel. Venezuelan crude now is trading at about $33.50 a barrel.

Recipients of the Mexican and Venezuelan oil are: Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
(snip/...)

http://www.manattjones.com/newsletters/newsbrief/20040727.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The San Jose Petroleum Accord

In 1980, the San Jose Petroleum Accord was created to facilitate the supply of petroleum products on favorable terms to eleven developing nations within the Central American and Caribbean region. The agreement, jointly administered by Mexico and Venezuela and renewed annually, provides signatory nations up to 160,000 bbl/d, with 80,000 bbl/d coming from Mexico, and 80,000 bbl/d from Venezuela. The two nations will finance the purchase of oil for their neighbors up to 20% of the total invoice.
(snip)

The Caracas Energy Accord

The Caracas Energy Accord, a regionally-inclusive bi-lateral cooperative energy agreement administered by Venezuela, expands the coverage of the San Jose Accord, and has been designed to function parallel to it. This Accord effectively ensures that favorable trade terms will continue to expand within the region, solidifying a vision for regional energy integration and economic development.

Under the terms of the Accord, Venezuela will finance one quarter of crude (if prices rise over $15/barrel) as a 15-year loan at 2% interest. The loan holds a one year grace period on repayment, and the Accord holds provisions for in-kind repayment (products and services). The pricing scale for setting preferential, long-term and low-interest terms on country loans is based on the amount of oil purchased buy the borrower.

The Accord was originally extended to the original beneficiary countries of the San Jose Accord, and has since been expanded. Signing on to the new accord in 2000 were Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, and Nicaragua. Cuba signed on shortly after, and Guyana is expected to join in May of 2004. All members of the Association of Caribbean States (Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, all Central American Countries, CARICOM, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Panama, France {associate membership on behalf of French Guiana, Guadalupe, and Martinique}, Aruba, and the Netherlands Antilles, which combined represent 71% of all Latin American and Caribbean states, a combined GDP of some $751 billion) are eligible to receive the benefits of the Accord. Continued favorable relations will encourage the region to explore other areas of mutual cooperation.

ALSO....

Bilateral Petroleum Accord with Argentina

In addition to the San Jose and Caracas Accords, Venezuela has recently entered into an oil-for-food accord with neighboring Argentina, which is facing an impending energy crisis. The aim of this accord is to increase regional cooperation and integration. The terms of the agreement include an exchange of 8 million bbl of fuel oil and 1 million bbl of diesel oil, in exchange for agricultural products such as grain, soy, dairy products, beef and 250,000 heads of cattle, at a value of an estimated $200 million.
(snip/...)

http://www.rethinkvenezuela.com/downloads/oil_accords.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The info. our media won't give out is that Venezuela and MEXICO have both arranged more favorable terms for poor countries since 1980. This would have happened LOOOOOONG before Hugo Chavez showed up, and can't honestly be laid at his feet as if it were his own revolutionary brain-child, no matter how they try to paint it otherwise.

He's NOT playing three-card Monte with anyone's oil.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Growing U.S. Alarm over Venezuela-Cuba Axis

4:11am (UK)
Growing U.S. Alarm over Venezuela-Cuba Axis

The opening of offices for Venezuela’s state oil company and a government bank were among other major events planned for this week’s trade and business meetings between the two left-leaning developing nations – a growing alliance that has increasingly alarmed Washington.
(snip)

Meanwhile President Chavez yesterday rejected US criticism of his plans to buy 100,000 Russian assault rifles, accusing Colombia’s Defence Minister Jorge Uribe of parroting Washington’s concerns as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived for a visit in Bogota.

Chavez pointed out that Colombia has received massive military aid from the US as it fights rebels in a four-decade-long civil war.

He didn’t refer by name to Rice, who has criticised what US officials call an erosion of Venezuela’s democracy. But Chavez said there appeared little coincidence in Uribe’s comments.

“The imperial lady arrived, and so a pawn said what the lady wants to hear,” Chavez said.
{snip/...)

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4470895
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