Venezuela may sell U S oil plants

[CottonBear]

Venezuela may sell U S oil plants

Posted Thursday February 03, 2005 ECT

CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said his government may sell eight U.S. refineries as part of a strategy by the world's fifth-largest supplier of oil to reduce dependency on sales to the United States.

''Not one Venezuelan works at these refineries,'' Chávez said in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, according to Venezuela's Communication and Information Ministry. ``They don't give us one cent of profit. They don't pay taxes in Venezuela. This is economic imperialism.''

...snip...

''We have serious concerns,'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday at a press briefing when asked about Chávez's plan to reduce oil business with the United States.

``We have made our concerns known when it comes to President Chávez. We have talked about our concerns with other leaders in the Americas.''

more...

http://www.caribupdate.com/Venezuela%20Oil%20Feb%2003.htm

Chávez is seemingly fearless. Bu$hCo is very worried.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. Sadly, Scott

Our stock in Latin America is very low right now thanks to a)years of the sort of crap Chavez is talking about (folks, Latins are not against our corporations making money; they are against their making ALL the money and ducking the costs) and b) Dim Son's ineffable bullying charm.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. -snip-

...not against our corporations making money; they are against their making ALL the money and ducking the costs...


Yep.

[understandinglife]

2. Chavez and 150 of his colleagues having a great time in China, as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/01/business/worldbusiness/01oil.html


BE THE BU$H OPPOSITION;24/7

[Ironpost]

3. so this explains the ships off the coast of Venezuela

[AP]

4. Venezuela is not cutting off the US. It does 22 bil p/a in oil bus with...

...the US. CITGO alone generates almost 3 billion a year in revenue.

The problem for the US is that VZ's deals with other countries (along with the fact that VZ is now selling heavy crude, which is more expensive to procsse) is driving up the price.

It's MARKET FORCES that are limiting the US's access to VZ oil, and the US is trying to personalize the responsibility -- they want Americans to believe that it is the VZ government that is cutting off the US.

It's a lie.

And VZ is entering into deals all the time -- just last week with ChevronTexaco, and with BP, and with Sunoco, and all the rest -- to develop oil fields. They simply are not maliciously cutting off the US.

[smoogatz]

5. Even if they were

It'd be their right as a sovereign nation to decide with whom they do and do not want to do business.

[AP]

7. But there's no suggestion that they're motivated by anything other than

getting the highest price for their most precious national commodity.

Venezuela drew it's first drop of oil in the 1860s, if I understand correctly. Over the course of history, they've probably sold over 200 billion dollars worth of oil, yet, today, 80% of the population lives on less than 1 dollar a day. So, now, Venezuela is saying tha they're going to put this wonderfully valuable natural resource to work for the people of Venezuela.

They're not trying to capriciously cut off anyone from buying oil. They're just saying that they're expanding the list of potential customers to include developing countries all over the world, and that the US will need to compete in that marketplace, and that Venezuela can't waist their time letting America compete on a playing field that isn't level and that doesn't create as much value for Venezuela as their other market opportunities.

Of course, that doesn't play well in the Good Vs Evil polarization of everything lens through which RW'ers and the media like to look at everything. I mean, how the hell can you justify undermining Chávez when you explain his motivations as merely getting the best price for his nation's most precious resource? Jeez, if you do that, you're not likely to get an atmosphere in which VZ might elect a leader willing to give up its nation's resources at a price which makes Texans much richer than Venezuelans.

So, yeah, it'd be VZ's right to cut off the US. But, seriously, they're not doing that, they never had, and they probably never will because they're not going to jeopardize a 22 billion dollar p.a. market for their oil (and a 25 billion dollar total market for their products). Their goal is to make money for Venezuelans. It is not to capriciously cut off markets.

I really think that a lot of progressives are playing into exactly the media environment the RW wants to see on this issue when they say things like you've said in your post.

[CottonBear]

6. Venezuela wants to review the current contracts

between Petróleos de Venezuela and the various oil companies. They are concerned about losing tax revenue because of unfair contracts.

[AP]

8. That's practically a meaningless phrase.

And other things that are going on in VZ hardly justify the meaning this article tries to give it. VZ is signing development deals left and right. Just last week or the week before, they signed a huge one with ChevronTexaco.

On many levels, this article is merely propaganda.

[CottonBear]

9. Well then, in your opinion, how much propaganda

is being disseminated in the Eastern Caribbean media and by whom. Is it being directed primarily by the US or by the local governments themselves or by the former colonial powers? The news source which I referenced reports on a good deal of Grenadian news. I have a personal interest in the eastern Caribbean and I consult a wide variety of Caribbean news sources and message boards each week. On many sites, especially message boards, the US propaganda is quite overt. There seem to be quite a few Americans and self-proclaimed US military posting regarding Grenadian issues. I do know that certain issues and news stories are never reported in the US press. One story that I have followed for many years was mentioned once for about 10 seconds on NPR about 15 years ago. I've never found another report again.

[AP]

10. It sounds like you're in a better position to answer that question, and...

...it sounds like you have.

You say that US propganda dominates E Carib news.