Venezuela

[VelociMorte]

OIL DEPENDENCE


America's Achilles' heel

BY CARLOS ALBERTO MONTANER

www.firmaspress.com


President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela again has threatened the United States with canceling the sale of crude oil. He did so from the ''anti-imperialist tribunal'' with which Chavistas have been amusing themselves this summer, an anti-American circus where participants call Bush ''Mr. Danger'' and insult his Cabinet with terrible epithets.

According to Chávez, if Venezuela stops U.S. oil sales, it already has a substitute client. Chávez doesn't name it, but obviously he alludes to China.

Two large tankers loaded with Venezuelan crude sail to the United States every day. In one year, they deliver approximately 16 percent of all U.S. imported oil. It is not impossible to find other partial sources of supply, but at this moment any confrontation between Washington and Caracas will raise oil prices even higher.

Specialists estimate that when the price of a barrel climbs to $94 (today it's about $64) the increase is likely to create a recession in the still-booming U.S. economy, as happened in 1973, 1981 and 1990. Chávez, therefore, has chosen the right moment to huff and puff.

Whenever the United States enters into a recession, U.S. imports are reduced, stock prices drop, investors become queasy, the dollar hides behind gold bullion or other secure financial instruments, and the rest of the planet suffers the consequences.

It is hard to believe that the feverish leaders of the Banana Left have not discovered that whenever the First World is doing well, all other countries go forward -- to the degree of their economic efficiency -- and when the First World is doing badly, all other countries go under. A U.S. recession would, for example, reduce its imports from China, thus cooling China's impetuous growth and leading to a lesser need in Beijing for oil.

Just as astounding as the suicidal ignorance of the Banana Left -- which is willing to go blind so long as it can poke the United States in one eye -- is America's persistent and unpardonable lack of foresight. Since 1973, more than 30 years ago, the Americans have known that they cannot depend on oil imports, especially because a great portion of the reserves of that fuel lies in territories that are politically unstable and potentially hostile to the United States.

Ever since, all U.S. presidents, from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush, have insisted that they'll put an end to that fatal servitude, yet have never done so. Irresponsibly, all of them have gone for the short-term fix, in deference to private economic interests, merely stimulating partial measures that have not pried the problem from its site.

True, there is no cheaper source of energy than a barrel of oil priced at under $30, but that formulation is too simple to be true. How much does U.S. political and military support for Saudi Arabia and the Arab Emirates cost?

If the United States in 1990 had kept its promise to be self-sufficient in terms of energy, and oil had become a less-desirable product, would Saddam Hussein have sent his troops into Kuwait? What was the cost of the recessions caused by rising oil prices in the 1970s, '80s and '90s? What will be the cost of the next recession if the price per barrel reaches $94?

Billions, maybe trillions of dollars evaporate ceaselessly as administrations simplistically weigh the average industrial value of a barrel of oil against solar, wind or atomic energy and the rest of the available options without introducing into the equation the huge hidden cost of oil dependence and the periodic crises that dependence provokes.

Will the crisis with Venezuela be the starting point for a more serious and mature attitude on the part of the United States? If that happens, the miracle that Hugo Chávez has actually done something constructive will come to pass. An amazing consequence, indeed.

©2005 Firmas Press

[terriblet68]

Somewhere I have heard the saying that goes something like this, ( For Evil to prevail, all we need is for Good Men to do nothing. ), Wish someone would catch wind of this. Its like trying to make friends with a Viper or play with a scorpion. Sooner or later you will get bit or stung. Communism is lerking at our back door steps.

Thanks Dave

[Roguish Lawyer]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/11/28/venezuela.spain.ap/index.html

Spain to sell military planes, boats to Venezuela

Monday, November 28, 2005; Posted: 8:05 p.m. EST (01:05 GMT)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Spain agreed Monday to sell 12 military planes and eight patrol boats to Venezuela in a $2 billion deal that the United States has threatened to block.

The State Department repeated reservations about the sale because the planes and boats carry U.S. parts and technology, but Spanish Defense Minister Jose Bono joined Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez in saying the sale should not concern Washington.

"Is there some rule that prohibits this sale? ... There is no international embargo," Bono said at the signing ceremony.

Spain is selling 10 C-295 transport planes and two CN-235 patrol planes, as well as four ocean patrol boats and four coast patrol vessels. It is Spain's largest-ever defense deal.

Bono said neither the boats nor transport planes were armed and that the patrol planes were only equipped for self-defense.

"This is not a warplane," he said.

100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles from Russia

Chavez also criticized Washington for trying to hold up the sale.

"Venezuela was a colony of the U.S. empire for a long time. Today we're free, and the world should know it," Chavez said, repeating his frequent criticism that in past decades the United States held sway over the oil-producing country.

"We in Venezuela don't have to be giving any explanation, much less under imperialist pressure."

Last week, the U.S. ambassador to Spain, Eduardo Aguirre, said Washington could refuse to allow U.S. technology to be transferred to Venezuela, and State Department spokesman Sean McCormack repeated concerns about the sale on Monday.

"We are currently looking at technology licensing issues," he said. "There hasn't been any final conclusion on that question yet."

Venezuelan Navy Vice Adm. Armando Laguna said the boats and planes would be delivered within seven years, and any U.S.-made parts could be replaced easily with others made in Europe.

"We'll change the equipment if their export isn't approved or if they don't grant the export license," Laguna said, adding that the U.S. components "aren't vital, really."

Chavez has said that the vessels and planes will be used to combat the drug trade in Venezuela, which borders Colombia, the world's top cocaine producer.

The United States alleges that Chavez, an ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, supports radical political movements in Latin America and is "destabilizing" the region -- a charge he denies.

Chavez, in turn, accuses the United States of planning to invade his country. The United States also has expressed concerns about Venezuela's purchase of 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles from Russia.

The first 30,000 rifles are set to arrive next month.

Relations between Spain and the United States also have chilled under Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who withdrew peacekeeping troops from Iraq immediately after taking office in April 2004.

Zapatero first announced the sale during a visit to Venezuela in March.

[jatx]

I am going to Venezuela for a week over the holidays, with plans to spend New Years on Maragarita Island with a buddy. Does anyone have any tips or ideas of other things I should try to do or see while in country?

Thanks in advance. :munchin

[aricbcool]

I am going to Venezuela for a week over the holidays, with plans to spend New Years on Maragarita Island with a buddy. Does anyone have any tips or ideas of other things I should try to do or see while in country?

Thanks in advance. :munchin

Drink lots of Margaritas? :D

--Aric

[The Reaper]

I am going to Venezuela for a week over the holidays, with plans to spend New Years on Maragarita Island with a buddy. Does anyone have any tips or ideas of other things I should try to do or see while in country?

Thanks in advance. :munchin

The anti-American riots staged by Chavez?

TR

[Leozinho]

I lived in Caracas for a couple of years.

I'd take a trip to Angel Falls to see the Gran Sabana. Incredible scenery. You have to fly in, and then take a motorized canoe up to the falls and spend the night in a hammock on the river. (There are no mosquitos, though. Something about the high tannin levels in the river) However, its not the rainy season, so there might not be much water coming off the falls this time of year. Still, table top mountains called tepuis are an incredible sight.

I never went to Margarita. The best beaches are in Los Roques. It's an achipelago of dozens of islands about 100 miles off the coast. All most all are uninhabited and some are nothing more than a strip of sand surrounded by coral reefs. Boat drivers take you from the main island to the outer island of your choice and pick you up in the evening. Pick one of the smaller islands and you may have it to yourself. (Though Christmas is a busy travel season in Venezuela.) I would only recommend Los Roques if you are traveling with a wife or girlfriend. There's almost nothing going on in the evening there.

Chichiriviche is a little beach town that you can get to in 3 or 4 hours by car from Caracas. I went there a lot.

Merida is a nice city in the Andes, and has a completely different vibe from Caracas' coastal/Caribe feel. Good trekking from Merida.

If you find yourself in Caracas, go to "El Mani es Asi" at night for live salsa music and dancing. It's a cool bar with a tiny and packed dancefloor. It's in Sabana Grande part of Caracas and any cab driver knows El Mani.

There aren't a lot o tourist attractions in Caracas. So if you do have a day in Caracas, I'd climb the Avila, the huge mountain ridge that separates Caracas from the coast.

Feel free to ask any questions.

[jatx]

Thanks Leozinho!

[Roguish Lawyer]

http://www.opinionjournal.com/wsj/?id=110007819

The Tehran-Caracas Axis
Hugo Chávez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are more than just pen pals.

BY MARY ANASTASIA O'GRADY
Monday, January 16, 2006 12:01 a.m. EST

With Iranian nuclear aspirations gaining notice, it's worth directing attention to the growing relationship between Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez. The Reagan administration repulsed Soviet efforts to set up camp in Central America. Iranian designs on Venezuela perhaps deserve similar U.S. attention.

The warmth and moral support between Ahmadinejad and Chávez is very public. The two tyrants are a lot more than just pen pals. Venezuela has made it clear that it backs Iran's nuclear ambitions and embraces the mullahs' hateful anti-Semitism. What remains more speculative is just how far along Iran is in putting down roots in Venezuela.

In September, when the International Atomic Energy Agency offered a resolution condemning Iran for its "many failures and breaches of its obligations to comply" with its treaty commitments, Venezuela was the only country that voted "no." Ahmadinejad congratulated the Venezuelan government, calling the vote "brave and judicious."

Three months later, in a Christmas Eve TV broadcast, Chávez declared that "minorities, the descendants of those who crucified Christ, have taken over the riches of the world." That ugly anti-Semitic swipe was of a piece with an insidious assault over the past several years on the country's Jewish community. In 2004, heavily armed Chávez commandos raided a Caracas Jewish school, terrifying children and parents. The government's claim that it had reason to believe that the school was storing arms was never supported. A more reasonable explanation is that the raid was part of the Chávez political strategy of fomenting class hatred--an agenda that finds a vulnerable target in the country's Jewish minority--and as a way to show Tehran that Venezuela is on board. Ahmadinejad rivals Hitler in his hatred for the Jewish people.


It's tough to tell whether Chávez is a committed bigot or whether his anti-Semitism and embrace of the mullahs are simply a part of his calculated efforts to annoy the Yanquis. But it doesn't make much difference. The end result is that the Iranian connection introduces a new element of instability into Latin America.

In his efforts to provoke the U.S., the Venezuelan no doubt hopes that saber rattling against imperialismo can stir up nationalist sentiment and save his floundering regime. That view argues that the U.S. would do best to ignore him, but it's not easy to ignore a Latin leader who seems intent on forging stronger ties with two of the worst enemies of the U.S., Ahmadinejad and Fidel Castro.

That Chávez is making a hash of the Venezuelan economy while he courts international notoriety is no secret. There are shortages of foodstuffs that are abundant even in other poor countries. Milk, flour for the national delight known as arepas, and sugar are in short supply. Coffee is scarce because roasters say government controls have set the price below costs, forcing them to eat losses. The Chávez response last week was a threat to nationalize the industry.

Property rights are being abolished. Last week, authorities invaded numerous "unoccupied" apartments in Caracas to hand them over to party faithful, part of a wider scheme to "equalize" life for Venezuelans.

A bridge collapse earlier this month on the main artery linking Caracas to the country's largest airport, seaport and an enormous bedroom community is seen as a microcosm of the country's failing infrastructure. Aside from the damage to commerce, it has caused great difficulties for the estimated 100,000 commuters who live on the coast, Robert Bottome, editor of the newsletter Veneconomy, told me from Caracas on Wednesday. The collapse diverted all this traffic to an old two-lane road with hairpin turns and more than 300 curves. It is now handling car traffic during the day and commercial traffic at night, with predictable backups.

With Venezuelan oil fields experiencing an annual depletion rate on the order of 25% and little government reinvestment in the sector, similar infrastructure problems are looming in oil. In November, Goldman Sachs emerging markets research commented on a fire at a "major refinery complex" in which 20 workers were injured: "In recent months there has been a string of accidents and other disruptions [of] oil infrastructure, which oil experts attribute to inadequate investment in maintenance and lack of technical expertise to run complex oil refining and exploration operations."


Chávez is notably nonchalant about all this, as if the health of the economy is the last thing on his mind. His foreign affiliations are more important to him. The Iranian news agency MEHR said last year that the two countries have signed contracts valued at more than $1 billion. In sum, Iranians, presiding over an economy that is itself crumbling into disrepair, are going to build Venezuela 10,000 residential units and a batch of manufacturing plants, if MEHR can be believed. Chávez reportedly says these deals--presumably financed with revenues that might be better employed repairing the vital bridge--include the transfer of "technology" from Iran and the importation of Iranian "professionals" to support the efforts.

Details on the Iranian "factories"--beyond a high-profile tractor producer and a widely publicized cement factory--remain sketchy. But what is clear is that the importation of state agents from Hugo-friendly dictatorships hasn't been a positive experience for Venezuelans. Imported Cubans are now applying their "skills" in intelligence and state security networks to the detriment of Venezuelan liberty. It is doubtful that the growing presence of Iranians in "factories" across Venezuela is about boosting plastic widget output. The U.S. intelligence agencies would do well to make a greater effort to find out exactly what projects the Chávez-Ahmadinejad duo really have in mind. Almost certainly, they are up to no good.

Ms. O'Grady edits the Americas column, which appears Fridays in The Wall Street Journal.

[VelociMorte]

I hear that the latest crop of U.S. guided munitions is amazingly accurate. Sounds like we need to use a couple of them. A 2000 pound exploding bullet to center-mass should bring about a change of heart.

[lrd]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061023/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/venezuela_embassy_scare_1

Venezuelan detained near U.S. embassy By FERNANDO LLANO, Associated Press Writer
Mon Oct 23, 1:12 PM ET



Venezuelan police detained a university student outside the U.S. Embassy on Monday, saying he had planted two pipe bombs nearby.

Police closed the street to traffic and set off the two low-intensity explosives, which they said were essentially homemade fireworks. Dozens of children were evacuated from an adjacent school. Nobody was injured.

Embassy spokesman Brian Penn said a motorcycle taxi driver "started screaming" to alert security guards after the youth made a remark to the driver. Penn said the embassy would defer to Venezuelan police to comment on specifics of the case.

Local police chief Wilfredo Borraz told reporters that one of the devices was found outside the school and the other in a planter about 50 yards from the embassy entrance.

He said both were wrapped in black plastic bags and contained "small fliers with publicity alluding to Hezbollah" — the Lebanese guerrilla group that recently fought a monthlong war with Israel. He said police glimpsed electrical wires protruding from one of the plastic pipes before setting it off.

"The idea was apparently to create alarm and publicize a message," Borraz told reporters, saying the explosives were made to scatter the pamphlets.

Police did not release the age or name of the student.

The youth told police "the devices were programmed to explode in 15 minutes, and that he had gone on the Internet, looking for pages that talk about explosives" to help prepare the devices. A motive remained unclear.

Borraz said the youth's knapsack held materials for making the small explosives, along with a card identifying him as a student of the state-run Bolivarian University — a school offering free education that was founded by President Hugo Chavez.

Neighbors in the wealthy community of Valle Arriba, where the embassy is located, alerted police and provided a description that helped catch the suspect, Borraz said.

Inside the student's knapsack, police found six containers of black powder, pliers, and electrical wires, Borraz said.

[mixmatch]

The embassy was moved out of the downtown area and given a wide perimeter, exactly for threats like these. From what I have seen even a blast as large as the Oklahoma City federal bombing would have a hard time damaging the building itself. This was clearly a PR/PSYOP stunt more than an attack on the embassy.