Chávez announces quick agreement to buy Banco de Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced on Tuesday in Buenos Aires that a 'prompt agreement' is envisaged to buy Banco de Venezuela, a Venezuelan subsidiary of Spanish financial giant Grupo Santander. Chávez said at a press conference that a meeting held on Monday night between the Venezuelan Vice-President and a group of executive officers of Spain's Grupo Santander 'was excellent, extraordinary and willing.' 'An agreement is envisaged soon; we will recover Banco de Venezuela,' added the head of state. Banco de Santander is trying to sell its Venezuelan subsidiary 'quietly,' said Chávez, and explained that when he heard the news about the operation of the Spanish group, from intelligence sources, ordered to investigate and got a copy of a deal that had been made earlier. 'Intelligence sources told me about it. I ordered an investigation, a query. Getting the information was not very difficult. They brought me a copy of the draft agreement they had signed already. Therefore, I got the price they had agreed in advance.' 'Even the Venezuelan banker was to pay almost everything in bonds, just paper,' Chávez added.