Chavez welcomes friendly relations with Obama based on "respect and dignity, not only for Venezuela but for Latin America as a whole!"

VHeadline Venezuela News reports: Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez says there's no need to devalue the country's Bolivar currency in the "short term" ... that his government has been making some economic adjustments and there have been good results.

In a report published in today's editions of the national broadsheet, El Universal, Chavez says that Venezuela's reserves in international currencies are enough to bear with the low oil prices "for now (por ahora!)."

"If the oil prices remain where they are, we'll have to raise taxes or devalue
the Bolivar but we the ability to face this situation!"

Speaking on the US network CNN, Chavez emphasized the short-term but went on to say that it was impossible for him to discuss the long-term since Venezuela's economy and politics are "very dynamic processes."

On the subject of economic and personal liberties, Chavez said he had issued a decree to make February 2 a national public holiday to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his presidency and that allegations that businesses were forced to close by the National Guard were "all a lies! That would be unthinkable ... it is a fabrication by the opposition in their attempts to discredit a government that "proceeds according to the Constitution and the Laws ... there is hardly a country that has greater liberties than Venezuela."

• Chavez was at pains to absolutely deny that Venezuela, particularly Caracas, is one of the most dangerous areas in Latin America because of crime ... "that's another lie to discredit!"

With regards how Venezuela's plans to deal with a potential decrease in US oil purchases as a consequence of its search for alternative energy, Chavez said that he "prefers to look at the world as a whole. No doubt about it, the world is going to need to maintain its industrial pace and the increase in oil consumption is unstoppable. It looks to me that President Obama is being fooled ... it's quite possible that since he's just arrived (in office), he doesn't have much knowledge about energy. I don't know how he's going to achieve what he has announced but it is highly unlikely that the United States will decrease its dependence on oil, their own and/or that which they import."

"What we all need is an agreement to respect each other's sovereignties," Chavez told CNN. "We have seven refineries in the United States and we have around 12,000 gas stations ... we provide jobs for thousands of US workers ... we're aiding hundreds of poor families in the US ... that the United States should have projects to deliver alternative energy is phenomenal ... if only we could do more ... all that is wonderful … but it's very difficult for the United States to decrease its dependence on oil in the short term."

As to a future encounter with US President Barack Obama at The Americas Summit later this year, Chavez said that being polite does not diminish personal courage and he wishes that he can reach the same level of relations he had had with the Clinton administration ... "with respect and dignity, not only for Venezuela but for Latin America as a whole!"

VHeadline Venezuela News
news.desk@vheadline.com