[NYTr] Summary of New Cuban-Venez'n Agreements
 
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:14:34 -0500 (CDT)

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
The Guardian - October 17, 2007
http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,,2192656,00.html

ChC!vez talks of Cuban and Venezuelan confederation

By Rory Carroll

Venezuela and Cuba have cemented their alliance with a range of
economic deals which President Hugo ChC!vez said could pave the way to a
confederation.

The Venezuelan leader wrapped up a three-day visit to the communist-run
island with agreements on 14 joint ventures, including oil refining,
nickel production, fishing and tourism. The package consolidated
Venezuela's role as ally and benefactor in easing Cuba's economic
crunch and boosting the regime's chance of retaining power after the
death of the ailing leader Fidel Castro.

Mr ChC!vez signed the deals on Monday with Fidel's younger brother Raul,
signalling a determination on both sides to sustain the alliance
despite the apparent lack of chemistry between the Venezuelan and
Cuba's acting leader.

Venezuela's socialist revolution was forging closer ties with its
Caribbean brother, said Mr ChC!vez. "Cuba and Venezuela could easily
form a confederation of states, two republics in one, two countries in
one. This is no delirium."

The former soldier, who was making his seventh visit to Havana, has
used his country's vast oil reserves to reduce Washington's sway over
Latin America and ease the impact of its embargo on Cuba.

Discounted Venezuelan oil and other deals are valued at around B#1.5bn a
year, not far off Moscow's Soviet-era subsidies and a lifeline to a
government struggling to ease crippling fuel, transport and food
shortages.

There are plans to modernise the decaying Cienfuegos refinery so that
it could process 65,000 barrels of crude a day, distil gas and make
petrochemical products.

For its part Cuba has dispatched thousands of nurses, doctors and
teachers to slums in Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and other leftwing
allies.

In addition to socialist solidarity Mr ChC!vez's talk of confederation
stems from his dream of uniting Latin America along the principles of
SimC3n BolC-var, the region's 19th century liberation hero.

Nevertheless many middle class Venezuelans are emigrating over fears of
expropriations and socialist indoctrination in schools. Polls show few
Venezuelans want to swap their Americanised consumer culture for Mr
ChC!vez's vision of a "new socialist man" but that has not dented his
high popularity.

During a weekend meeting with Fidel Castro, Mr ChC!vez praised him in
quasi-religious tones as "the father of all revolutionaries" and "our
father, who is in the water, earth and air". The 81-year-old Cuban
leader, convalescing from a serious intestinal illness, looked frail
but alert.

A US state department spokesman said in response: "We are delighted
that Fidel Castro has had an opportunity to discuss things with his
friend President ChC!vez. It's too bad that in almost half a century of
misrule in Cuba, he's never had the same conversation with his own
people."

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