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Hugo's Revenge? US Citgo Stations To Start Selling Venezuelan Coffee

So out with the Colombian Beans and in with those from Venezuela. I doubt the Miami Citgo Customers will even notice. LOL Now I think I will stroll down to the corner Citgo for my morning pick me upper(of coffee) LOL

CARACAS -- How about a cappuccino with that fill-up?

Citgo stations throughout the United States are now selling Venezuelan java along with their gasoline, providing consumers with a bit of fuel for themselves while offering an important overseas market to the South American nation's coffee producers.

The marketing scheme was devised by President Hugo Chávez as a means of diversifying his country's exports while helping more than 3,000 Venezuelan coffee farmers fetch higher prices for their harvests, Alejandro Granado, president of the Venezuelan-owned Citgo Petroleum Corp., said Wednesday.

''This is a win-win initiative for everyone involved,'' Granado said during a telephone interview from Citgo's headquarters in Houston, Texas. ``It helps the small growers in Venezuela and provides U.S. consumers with coffee of extraordinary quality.''

Citgo, which is working with Pennsylvania-based Golden Valley Farms Commodity Group to market the ''Café Venezuela'' coffee brand, launched the program this week at more than 50 Citgo service stations in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/624350.html

By miamimike on Jul 31, 2008, 06:17 in Friendly Talkzone.

mariacvetanoski says on Jul 31, 2008, 06:53:

IT would be nice to see the company Juan Valdez coffee be sold in gas stations here in the US and Europe also ...

Save the street children of Colombia Now!!

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GregYohn says on Jul 31, 2008, 07:02:

Hola!

I have a friend opening a grocery store and they LOVE Bemoka! I plan to visit Bemoka near Cali next trip and learn how I can import it.

12VOIP.com gives free calls to Colombia.Greg

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august says on Jul 31, 2008, 07:10:

Don´t you need high elevations for coffee bean cultivation? Where are these beans coming from in Venezuela?

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GregYohn says on Jul 31, 2008, 07:17:

Hola!

I just finished my 2 mugs of Bemoka!

12VOIP.com gives free calls to Colombia.Greg

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bamacellist says on Jul 31, 2008, 07:27:

Venezuelan coffee is very very good. I don't have any idea how easy it will be for them to ramp up production to supply a big export market on top of local consumption, though. Maybe that fits in with the expropriation and redistribution of land. They ought to push for better distribution of their rums, imo.

"The future is much like the present, only longer."

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tasco66 says on Jul 31, 2008, 07:36:

Not being bound to swear to the dogmas of any master

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Bill Turley (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jul 31, 2008, 07:56:

Coffe doesn't need HIGH altitudes, I would think anyplace about 1200 meters is fine. I am trying to grow coffee at 1500. Just a few bushes not production- Guyata does produce a lot of coffee at 1300

Mr. Bill Somondoco

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Monpirri says on Jul 31, 2008, 07:57:

So chavez is back on the arena again. I would not trust him for anything.
Anyway, I received this email yesterday, it's asking all drivers around the globe not to use their autos on August 3 and not to buy gas the day before and after August 3.

"CORRAMOS LA VOZ , APOYEMOS

Paro Internacional el 3 de agosto
Señores, Iniciemos un paro mundial de COMPRA DE GASOLINA. SE HA DECRETADO que se hará un paro de compra de combustible en todo el mundo el día 3 de agosto de 2008.

Si hacemos presión en todo el mundo, lograremos que los precios del combustible bajen drásticamente. Nunca antes el mundo se había puesto de acuerdo en algo tan grande e importante. Si conoce a alguien con correo electrónico envíele este mensaje.

Siga las siguientes instrucciones,

1. NO COMPRE EN GRANDES CANTIDADES EL DÿA ANTERIOR O POSTERIOR
2. COMPRE UN POCO MAS DE LO NORMAL CADA DÿA PARA NO PARAR SUS OPERACIONES EL DIA DEL PARO.
3. NO PLANEE NINGUN VIAJE LARGO PARA EL 3 DE AGOSTO
4.. ES DOMINGO, QUEDESE EN CASA, PLANEE ALGUN EVENTO FAMILIAR EN CASA
5. COMUNIQUESELO A TODAS LAS PERSONAS QUE CONOCE. VERBAL O POR ESCRITO.
6. ES HORA DE UNIRNOS MUNDIALMENTE PARA UN PROPÓSITO MUNDIAL."

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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mcheasley says on Jul 31, 2008, 08:02:

Glad we dont have Citgo stations around here!

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august says on Jul 31, 2008, 08:55:

Monpirri, point #2 is interesting:

2. COMPRE UN POCO MAS DE LO NORMAL CADA DÿA PARA NO PARAR SUS OPERACIONES EL DIA DEL PARO.

Wouldn´t that basically negate the not-buying on August 3rd? I say just don´t buy any gas at all - demand public transportation, sell the damn car and buy a bike.

Bill Turley, interesting info - thanks! I´d like to grow my own coffee one day too, seems like a real salt of the earth sort of thing to get into.

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Joel y Luza says on Jul 31, 2008, 09:08:

Juan Valdez for me! I haven't drank much coffee in my life, but my wife brings Juan Valdez up from Colombia alot. The stuff is Damned good!!

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miamimike says on Jul 31, 2008, 13:41:

Monpirri--I buy my Gas at the station that sells it the cheapest, my only consideration! No way to know here in Miami what country Gas comes from as when its unloaded from a Tanker, its pumped into a Generic Tank with all the rest. Only way to stop Venezuela Gas is to refuse to unload the Tankerships and with Gas at $4 Gallon, that won't happen anytime soon. Really NO way for the average driver to know whether he has Venezuelan Gas or not, even if you buy it a Citgo Station.

Coffee is raised in the foothills of the mountains so no great altitude is needed. If Mountains were the dealbreaker, Venezuela would have no problem. In Merida, Venezuela, the Cable car goes to a Mountain(andes) with an altitude of 15,000 feet. There are a lot of countries that raise great coffee only they don't get the Publicity Colombia gets. At least not yet. The Vatican gets its Coffee from Puerto Rico which is raised in the foothills outside of Ponce. Me, I buy my Col Beans(as well as from other countries) from a few good suppliers that sell on eBay and grind them myself. why Lug the beans all the way from Col when I can have them delivered to my doorstep?? And they are just as good!!

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

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miamimike says on Jul 31, 2008, 13:51:

August-- FYI, Pico Bolivar in Venezuela is 5007 Meters,,,

http://www.pbase.com/mr2c280/image/5590851

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

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GregYohn says on Jul 31, 2008, 13:56:

Hola!

Those billboards about Citgo basically are located in an area where many of the residents could not even tell you where VZ is located or that Hugo Chavez was its President!

12VOIP.com gives free calls to Colombia.Greg

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august says on Jul 31, 2008, 14:03:

miamimike, also good info, thanks! I was in Mérida a while back and totally forgot about those mountains, those were big.

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Monpirri says on Jul 31, 2008, 14:12:

August, "I say just don´t buy any gas at all - demand public transportation, sell the damn car and buy a bike. I agree!

Yep, Miamimike thanks for the info!

The life spam of a taste bud is ten days

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miamimike says on Jul 31, 2008, 15:00:

AUGUST, thats what I do for the most part, Walk, Use the Bus, Bicycle and my MotorScooter before shelling out $80 to fill my Tank!

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

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Iowano says on Aug 1, 2008, 08:27:

I always buy my gas at Citgo. I feel it's my Christian duty.

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scumbuster says on Aug 1, 2008, 08:52:

For the last year i have bought 100% of my gas from Quik Fill. They advertise they are 100% north american crude.

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Iowano says on Aug 1, 2008, 10:26:

It's ironic that the anti-Citgo movement (see the you tube videos Tasco posted above) uses John Lennons' "Imagine", which is a call for atheism.

Or maybe it's not ironic. Jesus said "Blessed are the poor." Citgo money, at least some of it, actually trickles down to the poor in Venezuela, and even in other countries.

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sanandressi says on Aug 2, 2008, 13:11:

Venezuelan coffee? If Hugo still cared for the poor he would stop buying Russian military equipment for the 5 or 6 BILLION he is spending!

"This train will stop in Tucumcari"

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