been caught web surfin, once … Liberal Street Fighter
I stumbled across a couple of interesting tidbits today in my link hopping. Pat Robertson’s bete’ noire, President Hugo Chavez, made another provocative statement in a BBC interview:
Asked why he thought the US was trying to invade Venezuela, Mr Chavez said: “We have denounced intentions.
“A coup happened in Venezuela that was prepared by the US. What do they want? Our oil, as they did in Iraq.
“We have detected with intelligence reports plans of a supposed invasion, one that would never happen. But we have to denounce it,” Mr Chavez said.
So what does this have to do with France?
President Chavez was interviewed by the BBC while on an official visit to France. Before I get to how the French get involved, lets check out a few other little bon mots shared by the irrepressible populist President:
Mr Chavez went on to describe the US as a terrorist government.
“It is an imperialist government, one that says it fights against terrorism but protects it. The US throws stones to Latin America.
“But apart from that, Venezuela is the world’s fifth oil exporter, and we send a million and a half barrels to the US every day,” he added.
“We sell oil to people. Another thing is our political differences that I wish could be toned down.”
He also denied claims that Venezuela was a threat to the international community, saying that his country wanted open relations with the whole world – a multi-polar world – but “with respect”.
“George W Bush should not have any reason to fear. If he does it is because he has a dark ghost in his subconscious,” he said.
So, given that President Chavez has made such statements in the past, and plainly believes the threat is real, is he in France hoping for a friend who might act as a counterbalance?
France and Venezuela Affirm “Common Vision,” Deeper Ties
France and Venezuela affirmed their strong ties and said they wanted deeper cooperation “on all levels” in a Paris meeting of their leaders which was sure to add another sore point to their already prickly relations with the United States.
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said after meeting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez there was “a common vision between the two countries on relationships between the north and south (hemispheres) and on the need to change things, to have new ideas.”
Villepin added, in an impeccable Spanish he learnt growing up in Caracas, that “relations between France and Venezuela are very good and we are looking to develop our cooperation on all levels,” citing the sectors of education, energy and defence specifically.
“I think the next few months and years are going to prove very important in the cooperation between our two countries,” he added.
Chavez went from that meeting to one with President Jacques Chirac.
This is an interesting development, especially given the recent news that VENEZUELA PLACES RESERVES IN EUROS:
And now Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has reportedly moved his country’s monetary reserves out of Treasuries and over to Europe where presumably they reside in euro-denominated instruments of some sort.
Moving assets from dollars to euros or gold is a way of launching a bloodless but fairly effective attack on the United States which routinely spends a great deal more than it takes in from taxes and other revenue sources. Were other countries to follow this lead, the United States would have a harder time finding buyers at Treasury auctions – and would either have to find another of funding its deficits or would have to cut back on social and military spending. Chavez announced his monetary reconfiguration on TV, from a South American summit he was attending. “We’ve had to move the international reserves from U.S. banks because of the threats [from the United Staes],” the AP quoted him as saying. “The reserves we had [invested] in U.S. Treasury bonds, we’ve sold them and we moved them to Europe and other countries.”
President Chavez is plainly playing a high-stakes game of David vs. Goliath. Could one of the reasons he’s in France be that they have some very effective stones to sell?
The fact that his country is a major exporter of oil to the US, that he is building up his military forces and that he has developed close relations with Cuban leader Fidel Castro all means Washington is wary of him and his attempts to forge a Latin American grouping opposed to US “imperialism”.
US officials are also worried that Chavez might be embarking on a nuclear programme, according to a report in Monday’s Washington Times newspaper.
“They are quite kissy-kissy with Iran,” the paper quoted an unnamed official as saying. “There is a lot of back and forth. Iranians show up at Venezuelan things. They are both pariah states that hang out together.”
France was evidently not treating Venezuela as a pariah, however.[…]
Chaderton said Venezuela viewed France as a “privileged partner” and said: “Our relationship with France goes beyond sentimentality and is based on political convergence, a similar vision of the world and significant trade.”
Exchanges between the countries in the first half of this year stood at 235 million euros (280 million dollars) with the balance tilted in favour of Venezuela, thanks to its exports of oil and derivative products to France.
The French oil group Total is involved in Venezuela through a consortium called Sincor, which includes the state-run Petroleos de Venezuela company and the Norwegian group Statoil.
Chaderton said Venezuela also “admired France’s military infrastructure” but said he was not aware of any deal for Paris to sell Mirage fighter jets to Caracas, despite behind-the-scenes lobbying by French officials.
Chavez arrived in Paris from Italy, where he called Tuesday for a “strategic alliance” with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in the oil sector.
“Venezuela wants to become the principal oil provider for Europe and Italy,” he said.
Some very interesting developments in President Chavez’ aggressive strategy to press back against what he insists continuously is unwelcome bullying behavior by the American government in South and Central America. He could develop as a standard bearer for numerous small countries fed up with our cowboy politics, and present a very interesting problem for international diplomats.
but I was noticing some interesting developments … I’d be interested in what those of you who know more about this stuff than I do think about it.
by numerous small countries with a decided preference for a future for their children that does not involve being slaves of US corporations.
In a very short time, he has already successfully achieved the objective of ensuring that his martyrdom would be counter-productive to US interests. 😉
it’s very interesting to watch him build his little coalition. He’s following a complete “Art of War” strategy … when faced with a big, clumsy enemy, chip away at his strengths. By being SO confrontational, and in the press all the time, he makes it HARDER for the Bushies to drive the propaganda.
I wish an American opposition would learn to fight like that.
Chavez is a brilliant political tactician.
After two failed coup d’etats, some say US engineered, he warned loudly, publicly, and internationally that if he were to die under any circumstances in the near term, Bush would be the one responsible.
He has resisted US directed Colombian belligerence, constantly stressing the commonality of Ven. and Colombia’s history/ culture.
Before Condi’s visit to the Americas to drum up support against Chavez, and well before Katrina, he offered to send/sell cheap gasoline and home heating fuel and offered health care services for poor, urban communities in the USA.
Post-Katrina, he offered the services of thousands of mobile health care practitioners and was rebuffed by Condi’s team.
In addition to allowing the French a larger stake in Venezuela’s oil industry he has also been allowing China a larger piece of the action.
Agreed on that.
Great diary madman, I’ve been following the Venezuela story. I’ve even got a file folder just for that one.
But I really wish I had the link to the text where Chavez was saying how Condi was actually in love with him. That one caught be by surprise and I was ROFL for quite some time.
If he’s going to oppose the US he needs alternate sources of industrial and engineering goods and services for petroleum handling. Valves alone are expensive and have to be made to tight tolerances. There are a whole raft of things he needs a industrial partner for. Europe makes top quality stuff equal to that made in Houston, and a lot of what Chavez needs can be from either French suppliers or from suppliers through French sources. France’s long independence from American foreign policy makes them attractive, plus Latin Americans like going to Paris.
Or if the U.S. is going to oppose him.
Either way, diversifying suppliers and markets are merely sensible tactics in an industry prone to oligopoly.
My sketchy understanding is that Citgo, now a division of the state oil company, recently relocated its headquarters to Houston from Tulsa, Oklahoma — the reddest state — but remains captive to the handful of refineries that can process its thick crude, and must either reinvest or sell. The question isn’t why they’re fixing this shortcoming but how Venezuela’s oil market got so confined.
These moves sound more like autonomy than hostility — except among that set who spot ambulatory South Americans and start worrying where their own wallets are.
Houston and Halliburton — or Paris. You’re right.
to the Bushites, autonomy IS hostility. I think he’s doing what he has to do to protect his country’s interests. the wingers here don’t see it that way.
Democracy Now did two days of interviews with Chavez-and they were great! Worth a listen if only to hear the head of any nation reply to the question (rough paraphrase) “what have you been reading lately?” with the answer-“Chomsky”.
I walked around smiling all day after that.
Great diary!
do you remember when this was? i’d like to take a listen.
This is good news. Chavez is one smart cookie. First the deal to form a consortium of SA countries to provide cheap oil and energy to the less prosperous Carib and SA countries, the discovery of oil by Castro and the partnership with Chavez, the arrangements with the Chinese , the consortium of oil producing nations who now include Brazil & Venezuela, and now on to Europe.
Great diary Madman, thanks for keeping this front and centre. I’d been following the situation quite closely but then it fell off my radar for some reason.
For some additional background check out Soj’s blog archives… man I miss him.