The government has rejected accusations by former US Ambassador to Venezuela and current Ambassador to Colombia, William Brownfield about an increase of drug routes through Venezuela to Europe and the USA. Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro calls the attack part of a new aggressiveness that characterizes the final months of the Bush administration. A Ministry communique says the US government should be more attentive to the questions raised against it by world public opinion and quips how is it possible that a government that can dispatch more than 200,000 soldiers to kill and die in Iraq is incapable of preventing an increase in the traffic and sale of drugs in its own country. Maduro claims that the trafficking, distribution and consumption of drugs in the US has tripled during the seven years of the Bush government. Fighting and cause for concern continues inside the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), despite the expulsion of National Assembly (AN) deputy, Luis Tascon after the latter lodged serious accusations against hierarch Diosdado Cabello's brother, Jose David halted for alleged corruption. Cabello senior has called Tascon part of the "false left" inside the Bolivarian moment and Tascon has replied calling him part of the "endogenous right." According to news reports, the expulsion took place at a plenary session of the party this weekend. PSUV national coordinator, Jorge Rodriguez admits that there are different currents inside the party, which is valid as long as they remain inside the party. "It is not healthy that they get easy access to Globovision to allow that channel to manipulate gossip and information and create scandals." Tascon has requested a House enquiry about alleged irregularities in money handed out to purchase 200 busses, 100 jeeps and other vehicles, while Jose David Cabello was Minister of infrastructure.
President Chavez addressed the fourth assembly of the PSUV delegates at the Teresa Carreno Theater in Caracas last Saturday. The President's speech was centered on Independence Liberator Simon Bolivar's speech at the Angostura Congress that paved the way for the independent State of Gran Colombia. Chavez says Simon Bolivar's ideas and his Angostura project could give birth within the context of Bolivarian Socialism to Venezuela's 21st century Socialism. The President sees Bolivar's ideas as merging with those of Karl Marx via a dialogue. Bolivar pursued a middle point, the President insists, between the quality, authority, national union and national strength. The Liberator's dream must be taken up as a standard of 21st Socialism Although he did not mention specifically the struggle between Cabello and Tascon, Chavez called on his audience to be united. The President's speech is important as he keeps Simon Bolivar central to his own political and economic thought and as one of the roots and inspiration of Bolivarian Socialism.
President Chavez held his Sunday radio address at the former ExxonMobil site in the Orinoco oil belt because of the importance of the current struggle between the Venezuelan government and the transnational, which has managed to freeze assets belonging to Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) abroad. The President's visit to the zone was broadcast on national TV and radio link-up. Chavez' statement that ExxonMobil will have to pay the country what it stole from Venezuela, around 400,000 barrels without permission, has not been widely publicized.
Chavez contends that he is assessing whether to slap a tax on sudden profits obtained by oil companies in the case of oil price increases. Clarifying his position regarding oil supplies to the USA, which did hit the headlines, Chavez maintains that they will be halted only in the event of an invasion. Regarding the new tax possibility, the President reveals that he got the idea from Noble prizewinner, Josef Stieglitz but states that the idea must be properly worked out first. The national linkup lasted one hour and a half after which normal format of the Sunday radio address was broadcast only on State TV. The statement that ExxonMobil might be sued for having extracted thousands of barrels of oil without paying for it came as Chavez listened to comments from former company workers. The site is now run by Petromonagas. The new company says it has recovered 6% of on-site original petroleum bringing the current level to 12%. The President accuses Exxon Mobile of opening oil wells but not fulfilling its role in supplying technological investment necessary to increase the recovery factor.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue
patrick.vheadline@gmail.com
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