Venezuela, China vow deeper ties after Chavez death

[Judi Lynn]

Venezuela, China vow deeper ties after Chavez death
AFP March 10, 2013, 8:10 am

CARACAS (AFP) - Venezuela's new acting president, Nicolas Maduro, held talks with a Chinese delegation on Saturday and the two sides vowed to deepen strategic relations in honor of late leader Hugo Chavez.

Maduro, who was sworn in late Friday, met with the chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, Zhang Ping, who represented President Hu Jintao at Chavez's funeral.

"The best tribute that we could give to our comandante Chavez is to deepen our strategic relationship with our beloved China," said Maduro, who served as foreign minister for six years before becoming vice president last year.

Maduro, whose inauguration was rejected by the opposition as unconstitutional, thanked China for providing scientific and medical support for Chavez's cancer treatment. Chavez lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday at age 58.

More:
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/16334488/venezuela-china-vow-deeper-ties-after-chavez-death/

[Catherina]

1. That's not going to please the US

I didn't hear Jesse Jackson's invocation but I did hear him after the funeral services and I was so offended by what he said.

He started off mentioning oil, drug trafficking and how they needed to forget the past (uh Jesse, the past is RIGHT NOW with US embassy officials being caught trying to cause problems getting some people in the Venezuelan the Army to betray their country for US interests). Then he went on with how oil from the Middle East takes 4 days to get to the US but from Venezuela only 4 hours. Seriously Jesse? At the funeral?

"Whatever problems that we may have had in the past, let's try to look at the mutual benefit of our relationship," he said after the service. "Forgive, redeem and move on."

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/08/5248517_venezuela-bids-farewell-to-chavez.html

and, according to my notes, ended with "Yes We Can! Si se puede!"



I gagged. There wasn't even a hint of an apology for any wrongdoings on our part, just that same "impeachment is off the table, let's all hold hands and move forward" attitude.

[No Vested Interest]

2. It would have been improper

for Rev. Jesse Jackson to apologize for U.S. wrongdoings, unless he was instructed by the President of the U.S. to do so. He was representing the United States in a honorific manner, not as a person directed to discuss policy. He (and by inference President Obama) would have been subject to much criticism had he gone further in his remarks.

His invocation may be heard on C-Span online. Click on March 8, and go forward to about 8p.m. on C-Span 1. While acknowledging that there had been differences between the U.S. and Venezuela, he spoke of the commonalities the two countries have.

Jesse Jackson has in the past been "over the top" in some of his statements, both domestically and internationally, and rightfully criticized. I believe he was right on the mark for this somber occasion and conducted himself in a manner of which Americans can be proud.

[Catherina]

3. Our opinions differ

I don't see anything proper in going to a funeral of a man the US still demonizes and scrambling so blatantly for oil with a "let's all hold hands and move on". I find that as disrespectful as telling the American people to forget about the Bush war lies and crimes and to move on instead.

[No Vested Interest]

4. I would have been very disappointed if the U.S.

was not represented at all.
I'm glad Rev. Jackson represented the U.S. so well.
Yes, we differ.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Problems in the past, like supporting the armed kidnapping and coup of the elected President

who had done NOTHING whatsoever against the people who massively elected him, and who rushed into the streets, after they found out (despite the media's news blackout) about the coup and demanded their President back immediately, overturning the coup.

Then having the absolutely filthy audacity to way through various officials that the elected, beloved President brought it upon himself.

Yeah, they should forget about that, and remember how much money they get from the United States. Fuck that.

China is quickly becoming a powerful customer for Venezuela's oil.

Jesse shows his true colors. What a nasty, ugly shame.

He, above many, should have a grasp of the real dynamics at play, at least an inkling of the suffering this country has caused THROUGHOUT the Americas for ages.

I would gag, too. Thank you for illuminating me over his "contribution" to that intensely serious event. He should have had more character than that. I will hold it against him, period.

[Catherina]

6. This is the interview I'm talking about

[newfie11]

8. Disgusting!! Jesse Jackson lost any respect I had for h

He is a shill for oil companies licking their chops at all that oil.

[wayne_fontes]

10. It certainly is reprehensible

that oil companies want to pay money for VZ's oil.

[Judi Lynn]

11. They were stealing it before Chavez, with arrangements made with the filthy right-wing oligarchs

who controlled Venezuelan oils. That was when NOT one dime was being used for the people of Venezuela, and the Venezuelan elite shared the profits among themselves, and offered Venezuelan oil to international oil companies at vastly undertaxed rates.

The poor lived on in deep squalor throughout the country, many of them having NEVER seen a doctor in their entire lives, living without running water, electricity, education, of COURSE, or adequate food and shelter, and they lived in full knowledge HOPE was futile for them.

Take some of your time you might spend otherwise and invest it in finding out what has happened in Venezuela since 1999, and maybe the answer will suddenly loom before you explaining why it is the last Venezuelan President has been relected and has been cherished above all other Venezuelan presidents in history.

Oil companies want to PAY for oil? Is that right? They want to pay it the way they used to pay for it, which is only barely different from stealing it.

[wayne_fontes]

14. In Jauary the VZ government lowered

the tax rate on oil. Chavez wasn't even at room temperature yet and they were giving money away to the evil oil companies.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/28/venezuela-oil-windfall-tax-idUSL1N0AX96K20130128

Good God Judy, did you really mean to say " NOT one dime was being used for the people of Venezuela, and the Venezuelan elite shared the profits among themselves". Really, not one thin dime?

The oil companies will try to buy (or produce) oil as cheaply as possible and the VZ government will try to get as much as they can for it. If VZ doesn't maximize it's return the fault lies with the government of VZ.

[ocpagu]

12. Well...

Halliburton also pays for Iraqi oil... still, nobody in this planet thinks it is not reprehensible...

[wayne_fontes]

13. Haliburton buys oil?

I didn't know that. Since they don't refine, transport or sell oil what do they do with it?

[ocpagu]

15. Got no idea. Why don't you ask your former vice-president, Dick Cheney?

He seems to be an expert in the subject.

[naaman fletcher]

9. " China is quickly becoming a powerful customer for Venezuela's oil. "

But at what price? That is, what sort of discount are they getting for their oil in exchange for the cash loan they have given VZ?

One would need to know that in order to understand how beneficial this if for Venezuela.

For example:

Let's say that for VZ to borrow money in the international markets, it has to pay 10% interest.

Instead, VZ borrows money from China and pays with it in oil.

One would need to know the details of that plan in order to know the effective interest rate that it is paying for the loans. Is it effectively 5%? 10%? 30%

Nobody has any idea.

Of course, one could just take the approach that since Chavez was flawless that it can't possibly be a bad deal for VZ, but I personally would like to see the details before I make a judgement.