Chávez: Defeat in Bariloche

poco says on Sep 6, 2009, 18:27:

Nice link, I'll bookmark it. I liked this note:
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06:59 PM. Economy. Lengthy maintenance downtime in three out of the major domestic refineries in Venezuela, taking longer than planned, has undermined production, curtailed gasoline inventories in the refining circuit and could also endanger the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is used to fill domestic gas canisters in some sites.
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I truly surprised there hasn't been a major fire in the last,, 6 years ? The refineries weren't in top shape 8 years ago and my understanding it is worse now. Even if Chavez left tomorrow, the refineries need a major overhaul.

Colombian Chickens are crowing about the new President of the U.S. who will assure that From each according to their ability to each according to their need.

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El Expatriado says on Sep 7, 2009, 01:02:

Not to mention the oilfields themselves, which are depleting rapidly due to underinvestment.

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Dolfi says on Sep 10, 2009, 03:40:

You seem to be a bit confused. even the colombian pres states: "Colombia aislada, A pesar de que Uribe tenía razón, al país no le fue bien en Unasur."

http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?IdArt=127954

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tasco66 says on Sep 10, 2009, 04:16:

Yep, Chavez got his ass kicked one more time by Uribe.

"President Uribe, who is a lawyer and, certainly, a statesman, orator y patriot defended the thesis of Colombia and his government in a way that, at the end, it won in this debate where hostility was the main characteristic in the first part of the conference. The hostility of those who were attacking him crashed against the soundness of his arguments and the firmness of his exposition. This was a victory for Colombia and also, because of his arguments, for the United States of America, which was being accused of installing military bases with aggressive purposes against the governments of the Southern Cone which, in great part, are enemies of the United States and allies of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez."

http://www.diariolasamericas.com/news.php?nid=84244

The trouble with free elections is, you never know who is going to win (Leonid Brezhnev)

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tasco66 says on Sep 10, 2009, 07:02:

Unasur shows Dictator Hugo has no clothes

After a couple of weeks of threats against Colombia from economic blockade to war and his promise that he would show the world how dangerous Colombia’s agreement with the US is, not even his buddies, including the revolutionary ones, bought the story and despite the Dictator’s claim that he had achieved everything he wanted to, this was very far from the truth.

Chavez spent his time backing up his claims with an academic white paper that does not represent US policy but apparently Ms. Golinger sold to him and his advisers as the Rosetta stone on US strategies. But it was one of hundreds of such papers available over at the National Defense University website. Hell, as you can see on the top, just contact the staff if you want to add another white paper to the list.

In the end, there was no condemnation for the US-Colombia agreement, no mention of military bases and some, like Evo Morales and Chavez did not deliver on any of their threats that “if the agreement does not contain x,y, or z” they would not sign. None of their demands were included and they all signed.

I managed to watch bits of the Unasur meeting at lunch time and I think I watched the best highlights from everything I have read. From an overall point of view, it is clear that there is a fairly professional class of Presidents in South America led by Lula Da Silva, who appeared impatient and with better things to do. In the end he even said it, as he blasted Ecuador’s President Correa for giving a speech for the gallery and trying to grab the limelight.

But it is clear that Brazil, Chile and Argentina know well that the US is their main customer and they do not want to upset those relations, while they are getting tired of Hugo’s antics, jokes and “I am going to be brief” speeches. Lula reportedly convinced Chavez not to create a crisis, but this seems to be the story of Chavez’ life at these summits, someone convinces him to be the sheep he has always been when another President is in the same room.(Or when someone confronts him like February 1992 or April 2002)

Evo Morales was absolutely pitiful, blaming all but his haircut on US imperialism. Correa was clearly “on” lying once in a while to show us all what a great job he has done as President, but with little substance.

I was surprised at Alan Garcia, who gave a very in your face speech, essentially blasting everyone around for holding a summit on such a narrow topic. His best quip was to say something like ” While we all claim to love our people, we spent US$ 38 billion in weapons last year”. You had to love that one even if coming from a man which such a corrupt past. He also laughed at Chavez asking him why would the “US want to dominate your oil if you sell it all to them”. There were smirks and laughs all around the table and the snide by Garcia and Chavez’ defense after the meeting was equally pitiful, arguing that Venezuela does that because it has “10,000 gas stations and seven large refineries in the US”. Another fib by Chavez, who should know as Gustavo Coronel points out today that there are only three left (Hugo sold them!) and the 10,000 gas stations use CITGO gas and sign, but are independently owned. Moreover, Venezuela still exports more oil than even the seven original refineries used to ever consume.

Ms. Kitchner was her proper self, more concerned with the Summit being successful than saying anything with content. Ms. Bachelet had more substance than most, making more realistic and practical proposals with substance.

Uribe as usual held his ground, responding with facts and refusing to yield on Colombia’s right to reach an agreement with any country it wants. AS Correa criticized Colombia ’s asylum of Carmona, Uribe snapped back, saying he could not compare a legal process that took place in his country with the fact that the top two leaders and terrorists of the FARC are currently in Venezuela and that information has been provided to the Venezuelan Government and nothing has been done.

In the end, I came away with the feeling that they were divided in three groups and only Peru, Chile and Colombia have given any serious thought to Latin American integration. Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia are trapped in blaming everything on the US and most of our countries are focused in their own problems and politics.

In the end, it was a waste of time, a step back for whatever Unasur wants to be and a clear demonstration that our fascist Dictator has fewer and fewer pieces of clothing and most of those at the Unasur meeting are tired of him.

http://devilsexcrement.com/2009/08/29/unasur-shows-the-dictator-hugo-h...

The trouble with free elections is, you never know who is going to win (Leonid Brezhnev)

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