What's up with Citgo's profits?

[The Backlash Cometh]

Okay, I posted a thread on DU at the beginning of the week to gather information to reply to a right-wing astroturfed e-mail regarding illegal aliens and got some valuable information from DUers. I wasn't going to reply harshly to the e-mail, but, unfortunately, I'm very impulsive and when the iron was hot, I struck. I did try to write it in a nice way, in order to maintain the friendship, but wasn't sure how it came across.

Then, I received this e-mail in reference to Chavez:

ANNOUNCED JUST RECENTLY, CITGO, BEING AWARE THAT
SALES ARE DOWN DUE TO U.S. (CUSTOMERS NOT WANTING
TO BUY FROM "CHAVEZ"), HAVE STARTED TO CHANGE THE
NAME OF SOME OF THEIR LOCATIONS, TO: "PETRO
EXPRESS"

DO NOT BUY FROM "PETRO EXPRESS"

"PETRO EXPRESS" IS ALSO 100% OWNED BY COMMUNIST

DICTATOR "CHAVEZ" . THERE'S NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY

WITHOUT HIM "BAD MOUTHING" THE USA! YET, HE STILL

GETS RICH OFF US BY BEING ABLE TO SELL HIS GASOLINE

IN THE USA. LETS SEE IF WE CAN'T CHANGE THAT!

PLEASE KEEP THIS MEMO GOING SO EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT
IS HAPPENING. WITH ENOUGH PARTICIPATION, WE CAN

MAKE A LOT OF CITGO AND PETRO GAS STATIONS DRY UP!

UNLESS YOUR TANK IS BONE DRY, DON'T EVEN STOP THERE,

AND IF YOU HAVE TO, ONLY BUY A GALLON!


PASS THIS ON....I DID!

- - - - - -

I clarified the obvious mistakes and shot off a reply, but this time, I'm pretty sure the friendship is over.

Anyway, what happens to Chavez really isn't too much of my concern, except that I sense that the Right-wingers at the top are instilling this unthinking, negative reaction in their minions and will ultimately turn Chavez into a Fidel Castro, and this will suit someone's purpose here in the USA, to provoke him into a fight to go after his oil. A self-fulfilling prophecy. Well, that's my prediction.

But that's not my question for this thread. What I'd like to know is if that e-mail had any truth that the profits are being hurt and that they're changing the name of Citgo?

[hobbit709]

1. 7-11 stores ended their contract with Citgo

everything else is RW BS

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. That's a pretty big market, isn't it?

[meegbear]

2. From snopes ...

<snip>

In October 2006, the following e-mail about Citgo and Petro Express began circulating:

CITGO, BEING AWARE THAT GASOLINE SALES ARE DOWN DUE TO U.S. CUSTOMERS NOT WANTING TO BUY FROM "CHAVEZ".... HAVE BEGUN CHANGING THE NAME OF SOME OF THEIR CIRCLE K STORES IN TEXAS & OKLAHOMA...AND POSSIBLY OTHER PLACES AS WELL, TO: "PETRO EXPRESS"

THEREFORE, DO NOT BUY FROM "PETRO EXPRESS", ...NOR CITGO....

"PETRO EXPRESS" IS ALSO 100% OWNED BY "CHAVEZ" ....

Both Circle K and Petro Express are privately-owned chains of convenience stores, the former an international property of Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard, and the latter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Neither is owned by Citgo or the Venezuela government.

Although Petro Express outlets have sold Citgo gasoline, the company announced in <NOBR>October 2006</NOBR> that the chain was phasing out sales of Citgo Petroleum Corp. gasoline and by 2007 would no longer be vending the brand.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/citgo.asp

[B Calm]

5. Neither is owned by Citgo or the Venezuela government. ha ha ha

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Could Petro Express sue for this e-mail blast?

With Petro Express and 7-11 phasing them out, I don't see how it wouldn't affect Citgo. But why should Chavez care? He can always find a customer in China.

Boy, right-wingers are so stupid.

[LynnTheDem]

3. Sure wish rightwingnuts would explain how a popularly ELECTED

person equals a "dictator".

And just WTF does that make George W. bUsh??!

Oh wait...rightwingnuts don't have minds of their own so can't explain shit.

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. I cannot believe the level of ignorance they will accept. It just shocks me.

He's not a dictator, he's not a Communist. How much wrong do they have to get before they admit it's wrong?

[LynnTheDem]

8. Tell ya what shocks me far more...

is how so many so-called progressives are at that same level of ignorance.

[robcon]

11. He's a dictator, he is as "Communist" as Castro.

He rules by decree. Like Hitler, he's dismissed his legislature.

He is Castro's lap-dog. Castro isn't really "Communist," he's just like any other dictator - developing a one-party state to maintain his rule.

[rman]

9. PDVSA (Ven. state oil corporation) still sells as much oil to the US

as it ever did. It is one of the primary suppliers of US oil.
It's just that US oil corporations no longer make much of a profit off of it.

So much for "US consumers don't want Chavez's oil"

[Nicole]

10. Valero has replaced Citgo in many places in Oklahoma

All of the former Circle K stores, now called Stripes, are selling Valero gas. So are the Phillips 66 stores and some independents.

I haven't seen any Petro Express stores or gas pumps around here.

[KharmaTrain]

12. Most People Don't Connect Citgo & Chavez

Wingnuts and their emails...gotta love 'em. They always have the latest conspiracy and boogie man to warn us about...based on nothing but rumors and fear. "Dictator" Chavez? I'm not a fan of his bombastic personality, but at least we know he won a majority of the popular vote.

The other night I saw someone on TV from Boston and there was the famous Citgo sign...which the wingnuts wanted to rip down last year. There it stands, there it stays since it's a landmark. People don't associate Citgo with Venezuela or Shell with the Netherlands...most can't even figure out what the B in BP stands for.

Profits are down since the price of oil has dropped. It's been manipulated to hurt Chavez and Iran. Venezuela makes far more money from exporting raw crude than they do owning gas stations. Any major revenue drop is all but sure to come from the price of the exports.