Hugo Chavez aims for $100 a barrel
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is seeking to raise world oil prices to $100 a barrel this year. Chavez needs a high and rising stream of oil revenues in 2006-2007 because Venezuela’s oil production capacity is collapsing, and his Bolivarian revolution can only be sustained by evergreater public spending. Chavez, who is seeking re-election to a second six-year term in December 2006, plans to spend up to $65 billion this year on social programs and infrastructure projects. He needs significantly more fiscal revenues, and oil is Venezuela’s only cash cow.
To advance his goal of $100 per barrel oil, Chavez is aligning Venezuela’s government with Iran and Syria, which are challenging the West over Tehran’s nuclear plans and the U.S. military presence in Iraq. Chavez this year also will embrace the Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement), Hamas, which on Jan. 25 won 76 of 132 seats in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, giving the group the right to form the next Cabinet. The U.S. government considers Hamas a terrorist organization. Hamas leaders already vowed they will never recognize Israel and refused to renounce violence to achieve their political aims.
Hamas already has singled out Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia officially as the most important countries in Latin America for the Palestinian group’s geopolitical needs. Mohammed Nazzal, a member of the radical Palestinian militant group’s political bureau, revealed its foreign policy agenda on Feb. 9 in Damascus. “First we’re visiting the countries of the Middle East, and then we will go to Latin America,” he said. “We are very interested in Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela. Up to now we have not made contacts (with the governments of those countries), but we are going to visit them.”
Iran and Venezuela have enjoyed close relations for over 20 years, based largely on oil and shared interests in OPEC. Last year, they signed bilateral investment and cooperation agreements worth over $7 billion. The Chavez government also has quietly established good relations with the Syrian government. Tehran and Damascus consider Chavez a friend and strategic ally because of his virulent opposition to the U.S. military presence in Iraq and his strong support for Iran’s nuclear development program. Chavez also endorses an independent Palestinian state, and soon he will embrace Hamas publicly as the legitimate democratic ruled of the Palestinian people.
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To advance his goal of $100 per barrel oil, Chavez is aligning Venezuela’s government with Iran and Syria, which are challenging the West over Tehran’s nuclear plans and the U.S. military presence in Iraq. Chavez this year also will embrace the Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement), Hamas, which on Jan. 25 won 76 of 132 seats in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, giving the group the right to form the next Cabinet. The U.S. government considers Hamas a terrorist organization. Hamas leaders already vowed they will never recognize Israel and refused to renounce violence to achieve their political aims.
Hamas already has singled out Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia officially as the most important countries in Latin America for the Palestinian group’s geopolitical needs. Mohammed Nazzal, a member of the radical Palestinian militant group’s political bureau, revealed its foreign policy agenda on Feb. 9 in Damascus. “First we’re visiting the countries of the Middle East, and then we will go to Latin America,” he said. “We are very interested in Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela. Up to now we have not made contacts (with the governments of those countries), but we are going to visit them.”
Iran and Venezuela have enjoyed close relations for over 20 years, based largely on oil and shared interests in OPEC. Last year, they signed bilateral investment and cooperation agreements worth over $7 billion. The Chavez government also has quietly established good relations with the Syrian government. Tehran and Damascus consider Chavez a friend and strategic ally because of his virulent opposition to the U.S. military presence in Iraq and his strong support for Iran’s nuclear development program. Chavez also endorses an independent Palestinian state, and soon he will embrace Hamas publicly as the legitimate democratic ruled of the Palestinian people.
( For the complete story, Click here )
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