Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Venezuelan Bits and pieces
So much to blog and so little time but here are the essentials:
Contrary to all the opposition non-sense about PDVSA supposedly falling apart it keeps getting stronger. That was recognized by the U.S. business rating firm Standard and Poors when they upgraded PDVSA’s debt rating to B+ from B. I guess the fact that PDVSA released its audited financial statements showing that it was telling the truth about it production (contrary to all the lies and smears by the opposition) and that it has almost completely paid off its debt impressed S&P enough to warrant an upgrade. This comes less than a week after they also upgraded the credit rating for Venezuela as a whole. But when your oil policies are bringing in money hand over fist, your tax collection agency is the model for all of Latin America, and you have now $32 billion in foreign reserves (the highest ever) people will notice.
And not to pile on with the good news but Venezuelan owned Citgo released First Quarter financial results showing an increase in profits of 44.2%. I guess that “Buycott” is going pretty well.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
A U.S. General sent a letter to high ranking Venezuelan officers explaining that the U.S. wants to continue having military exchanges between the two countries. Currently there are none as the Venezuelan government forced the U.S. military advisers and attaches to leave. But the U.S. General, Norton Schwartz said that he feels bad about the decision of the Venezuelan government “to cut a successful program with 35 years of history. The armed forces of the United States value the relations that generations of Venezuelan’s and Americans have worked to develop.”
Now, if you were a poor country with a government that was opposed by the United States why would you want U.S. military advisers running around your country and having contact with your own military? Does this person really think Venezuelans are so stupid as to not know what these U.S. officers are there for? I’m sorry but letting the U.S. go around and try to round up support for a coup and giving it advice doesn’t sound like a good idea. I know they want another bit of the apple after coming up just a wee bit short in April 2002 but I think Chavez is a little too smart for that.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Another farm worker was murdered by assassins working for landlords. The worker, Carlos Wilfredo Hernandez, was killed in Portuguesa state. This murder is on top of the scores of farm workers already murdered. But don’t expect to see this headlined on Globovision or Union Radio.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
To wrap up, some good news on the environment. Venezuela will now begin selling only unleaded gasoline. Up to now, much of the gasoline refined and sold in Venezuela has contained lead with obviously negative consequences for the Venezuelan environment. This is a long, long overdue change. And it is more than a little ironic that it is done now under the current administration when the previous so-called “meritocracy” that was running things was never able to do it. Yet another example of where the merit truly lies.
|
Contrary to all the opposition non-sense about PDVSA supposedly falling apart it keeps getting stronger. That was recognized by the U.S. business rating firm Standard and Poors when they upgraded PDVSA’s debt rating to B+ from B. I guess the fact that PDVSA released its audited financial statements showing that it was telling the truth about it production (contrary to all the lies and smears by the opposition) and that it has almost completely paid off its debt impressed S&P enough to warrant an upgrade. This comes less than a week after they also upgraded the credit rating for Venezuela as a whole. But when your oil policies are bringing in money hand over fist, your tax collection agency is the model for all of Latin America, and you have now $32 billion in foreign reserves (the highest ever) people will notice.
And not to pile on with the good news but Venezuelan owned Citgo released First Quarter financial results showing an increase in profits of 44.2%. I guess that “Buycott” is going pretty well.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
A U.S. General sent a letter to high ranking Venezuelan officers explaining that the U.S. wants to continue having military exchanges between the two countries. Currently there are none as the Venezuelan government forced the U.S. military advisers and attaches to leave. But the U.S. General, Norton Schwartz said that he feels bad about the decision of the Venezuelan government “to cut a successful program with 35 years of history. The armed forces of the United States value the relations that generations of Venezuelan’s and Americans have worked to develop.”
Now, if you were a poor country with a government that was opposed by the United States why would you want U.S. military advisers running around your country and having contact with your own military? Does this person really think Venezuelans are so stupid as to not know what these U.S. officers are there for? I’m sorry but letting the U.S. go around and try to round up support for a coup and giving it advice doesn’t sound like a good idea. I know they want another bit of the apple after coming up just a wee bit short in April 2002 but I think Chavez is a little too smart for that.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Another farm worker was murdered by assassins working for landlords. The worker, Carlos Wilfredo Hernandez, was killed in Portuguesa state. This murder is on top of the scores of farm workers already murdered. But don’t expect to see this headlined on Globovision or Union Radio.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
To wrap up, some good news on the environment. Venezuela will now begin selling only unleaded gasoline. Up to now, much of the gasoline refined and sold in Venezuela has contained lead with obviously negative consequences for the Venezuelan environment. This is a long, long overdue change. And it is more than a little ironic that it is done now under the current administration when the previous so-called “meritocracy” that was running things was never able to do it. Yet another example of where the merit truly lies.
|
