Chavez Meets with Arab Leaders in Qatar

At a summit of Arab and South American leaders in Qatar, President Chavez appealed to oil-producing states to support the creation of a petroleum-backed currency, AP reports. Chavez also supported the Arab League’s declaration Monday to reject the International Criminal Court charges against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes in Darfur. Chavez noted the hypocrisy of the ICC, saying “Why don’t they order the capture of (former President George W.) Bush? Or the president of Israel?”

In an interview with the pan-Arab TV network Al-Jazeera, Chavez said there were no plans to restore relations with Israel, according to the AP. He added that he would only reconsider if Israel’s leaders cease being a “genocidal elite subordinated to the United States.”

Finally, Central American leaders met yesterday in Costa Rica with Vice President Joe Biden and urged Washington to slow deportations of Central Americans. According to the AP, Biden said there would be no immediate response but asked the group to be patient and assured them that the US would put together a policy with the region, not for the region.  El Salvador’s President-elect, Mauricio Funes, was present and told reporters that while his party has close ties with Chavez, “that does not mean my foreign policy will be subordinated to Chavez.”

Venezuelan President Travels to Asia

Today President Chavez set off on an official trip that will take him to Qatar, Iran and Japan, the AP reports. In Qatar, Chavez will attend a summit of Arab and South American Countries. In Iran, he will inaugurate a joint development bank between that country and Venezuela. He will then visit Japan to approve a bilateral energy pact, which will give Venezuela access to Japanese technology for its oil industry.

The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. officials froze a Bank of America account which had been used to carry out numerous transactions on Venezuela’s black market currency market.  The owner of the Miami-based company that controls the account,  Rama Vyasulu, has been arrested for allegedly laundering $900,000 in drug profits.

An article in the Economist print edition, “Hard landing” argues that spending cuts announced by President Chavez will have a bigger impact than the government is publicly admitting. The Economist states that according to  Finance Ministry’s figures, there was only $6 billion left in the National Development Fund (FONDEM) at the end of December, instead of the $57 billion publicly stated by Finance Minister Ali Rodriguez.  The article does not appear to take into account the vast quantity of foreign reserves that remain in the hands of the Central Bank and the Venezuelan government.

An AP article argues that the slump in oil prices has recently caused Venezuela to begin seeking foreign investment for its oil industry. However, Venezuela has shown openness to oil partnerships with multinational and state oil companies so long as they respect Venezuela’s sovereignty and majority stake. Venezuela began soliciting bids for oil exploration and production in the Orinoco oil belt in the Summer of 2008, when oil prices hit record highs.

Finally, an op-ed in the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel argues that Milwaukee’s sister city agreement with Carora, Venezuela serves as a propaganda tool for Chavez.  A Heritage Foundation expert is quoted criticizing the plan for Carora to establish a Casa del ALBA in Wisconsin’s largest city.  The truth is, the “expert” says, Casas del ALBA are “centers of pro-Chavez indoctrination.”

Vandals Apprehended in Caracas

For the third year in a row, many rural Alaskans will receive free heating fuel from Citgo, Venezuela’s state owned oil company, AP reports. The effort is part of a nation-wide subsidized heating oil program run by Citgo that benefits thousands of low income communities across the United States.

Venezuelan prosecutors have filed charges against 11 individuals apprehended in the break-in and vandalizing of a Caracas synagogue in January, according to AP. Venezuelan authorities have said that the intruders may have vandalized the synagogue premises in order to turn attention away from the motive of theft.

In a Washington Post op-ed by Abraham Cooper and Harold Brackman of the Los Angeles based Simon Wiesenthal Center, the authors draw comparisons between Chavez and Hitler and assert that the Venezuelan government has carried out anti-semitic acts. It should be noted that, in 2004, the Wiesenthal Center directed similar accusations of anti-Semitism at Chavez, drawing a sharp rebuke from Venezuela’s main Jewish organization which stated that it rejected the accusations and lamented not having been consulted beforehand by the Center.

Earlier in the week, in an op-ed distributed by the Jewish Telegraph Agency, Angelo Rivero-Santos, the charge d’affaires of the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, responded to allegations of anti-Semitism directed at the government of Venezuela.  Rivero- Santos states that “Venezuela’s Jewish community is an integral and essential part of our country’s singularly diverse society.” Given President Chavez’s efforts to fight racism and discrimination,  accusations of anti-Semitism have been “especially painful for the government of Venezuela.”

In economic news, Reuters reports that trade in Venezuela’s parallel market for exchanging Bolivars for dollars has been largely paralyzed due to the freezing of a key account by US government authorities.  The authorities did not comment on the reason behind their decision.

The Venezuelan government will create several state owned companies to replace oil service contractors, the Miami Herald reports. President Chavez said that the new companies will carry out oil services such as the maintenance and operation of oil wells – not private contractors.

Finally, an article by Oxford Analytica asserts that the recent budget cuts and economic measures taken by the Venezuelan government are primarily symbolic and won’t reverse the current economic trend in Venezuela. The article states that more changes should be expected by the government. However, the Chavez administration has ruled out currency devaluation or a hike in domestic gas prices. In addition, with $20 billion being invested in non-oil sector industries, and over $70 billion in reserves, the government has a significant cushion to deal with the economic situation.

Venezuelan City has new Sister in Wisconsin

Tom Barrett, mayor of Milwaukee and Edgar Carracaso, mayor of Carora, signed a sister city agreement on Tuesday. It marks the first such agreement between a Venezuelan and a U.S. city in the past 10 years. Mayor Carrasco stated that “Our governments may have differences, but that doesn’t offset our countries’ abilities to know each other.” Carrasco added that Carora will be developing the Casa El Alba to promote cultural and economic ties between the two cities and offer US visitors information about the city of Carora and Venezuela.

Venezuela’s biggest mosque, located in downtown Caracas, was robbed and ransacked according to the Associated Press. No suspects have yet been identified. An administrator said it was the second time the mosque had been broken into since September of last year.  In February of this year, an important Caracas synagogue was also broken into and vandalized.  Though various news outlets presented the incident as an “anti-Semitic” attack, a police investigation indicated that the primary motive was theft.

Venezuela’s Supreme Court has decided to move the corruption trial of Maracaibo’s mayor Manuel Rosales from the state of Zulia to Caracas, as judges in Rosales’s home state were allegedly caught meeting with the opposition mayor. Four judges in Zulia have also been suspended from their duties by the Supreme Court for participating in the alleged meeting. Rosales asserted that the decision was made by the Chavez government in order to find an “obedient judge.” Zulia lawmaker Calixto Ortega, however, stated that at least one of the four sanctioned judges was in a position to exercise direct influence on the Rosales case.

In economic news, the AP reports that progress is being made in establishing the Bank of the South, a regional financial institution designed to provide an alternative to the IMF and World Bank, both of which have strong ties to the US Treasury Department. The Bank of the South is expected to launch its operations in May with $10 billion in initial capital. Its members are currently Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Finally, McClatchy reports that CIA cybersecurity expert Steve Stigall has claimed that Venezuela’s electronic voting system is not secure and was tampered with by President Chavez during a 2004 referendum on his presidency. Without providing any evidence to back his assertions, Stigall stated that “it was my understanding that” the computer program used for the audit of the voting machines “was provided by Chavez.” Stigall’s claims, made before a hearing in Orlando, Florida, run contrary to the assessment made by independent electoral monitoring missions from the Carter Center and the OAS, that concluded that the 2004 elections had been fair and transparent.

Venezuelan Economy Adjusts to Oil Prices

After President Chavez on Saturday announced a series of economic measures to adjust for lowered oil prices, the Associated Press reports that on Monday several analysts warned that the steps would not be enough to tackle the more serious economic problems of inflation and slowed growth. Reuters quotes a Morgan Stanley analyst as saying that, after several years of record economic growth, Venezuela’s economy will likely contract by 4% this year.  However, with over $70 billion in foreign currency reserves, Venezuela is sticking to its plan to invest $20 billion in non-oil sector development projects this year.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that Venezuela’s Bolivar strengthened on Monday in the parallel market after Chavez ruled out a currency devaluation.

The AFP reports that President Chavez denied rumors of a rift between Raul Castro and himself, and described such talk as “a little campaign.” The rumor of such a rift was promoted by former Mexican foreign minister, Jorge Castaneda, who later signaled that he has absolutely no evidence to back up his claim.

Honduran president Manuel Zelaya has proposed that the nation’s charter be re-drafted in order to adapt to the “substantial and significant changes” that have occurred since the adoption of the current constitution in 1982. Zelaya wants voters to decide by June 24th whether a constitutional assembly should be convoked. The move would follow in the footsteps of other countries in the region such as Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador.

In an op-ed distributed by the Jewish Telegraph Agency, Angelo Rivero Santos, the charge d’affaires of the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, responds to allegations of anti-Semitism directed at the government of Venezuela.   Rivero states that “Venezuela’s Jewish community is an integral and essential part of our country’s singularly diverse society.” Given President Chavez’s efforts to fight racism and discrimination,  accusations of anti-Semitism have been “especially painful for the government of Venezuela.”  But Rivero signals that these accusations have been made primarily by organizations based outside of Venezuela and that an organization representing Venezuelan Jews has rejected the claims and expressed disappointment at not having been consulted beforehand.

Finally in an interview by Fareed Zakaria, President Lula da Silva of Brazil was questioned about why his government does not speak out against how Hugo Chavez has “destroyed democracy in Venezuela.” Da Silva responded by stating that “…no one can say that there is no democracy in Venezuela. He (Chavez) has been through five, six elections. I’ve only had two.”  There have in fact been fourteen national elections in Venezuela since Chavez first came to power in 1998, all of which have been characterized as free and fair by independent electoral monitoring groups.

Chavez and Delahunt Meet in Caracas

United States Congressman William Delahunt (D-MA) met with President Chavez in Caracas, and told reporters that he had a “very positive and constructive conversation.” The AP states that Mr. Delahunt left the meeting expressing hopefulness about the prospect of improved relations between the United States and Venezuela.

On Thursday, Venezuelan public prosecutor Katiuska Plaza called for the arrest of Manuel Rosales, mayor of the city of Maracaibo, on charges of corruption during his previous years as governor of the state of Zulia. The Miami Herald quotes an opposition-aligned commentator who suggests that the decision is a political one by President Chavez aimed at inciting fear within the opposition. . The Herald also quotes Human Rights Watch to substantiate the claim that Chávez has “effectively neutralized the judiciary as an independent branch of government.”  The article states that the Venezuelan government accuses HRW of anti-Chavez bias.  It fails to inform readers that critics of HRW’s work on Venezuela also include an independent group of 100 academics that recently signed a letter arguing that HRW’s 2008 report on the Chavez government’s human rights record was methodologically flawed and highly biased.

The government of Venezuela is to announce measures to combat the effects of the global economic crisis Saturday. Reuters reports that the Bolivar is losing value due to economic fears, and Bloomberg reports that Goldman Sachs believes that President Chavez may announce a currency devaluation tomorrow.  President Chavez said that public officials needed to stop living “lavish lifestyles”but insisted that the government’s many popular social programs would be maintained.

Japan and Venezuela signed an oil cooperation agreement yesterday. Bloomberg reports that the deal clears the way for Japanese companies to co-develop oil reserves in the Orinoco Delta, with Venezuela’s state oil company.

President Chavez said Thursday that Venezuela will go ahead with the nationalization of Santander bank, and that negotiations regarding payments are continuing. Reuters quotes Chavez as stating “We are not retreating. Today we have returned to the subject, I announce the nationalization of Banco de Venezuela to strengthen the national public banking system.”

A letter to the editor “Misguided guilt by association” by Jacob Feinspan of Jews United for Justice in the Washington Times sends a strong rebuttal to a previous letter from Brad Botwin on Monday titled “The new face of anti-semitism.” Botwin argued that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was promoting anti-semitism and that Casa de Maryland, a community organization in the DC area, was expressing approval for antisemitism by accepting funding from Citgo, a US subsidiary of Venezuela’s national oil company. Feinspan stated that the “Jewish community also knows all too well the dangers of false and baseless accusations or conspiracy theories.”

Finally, Korea and Venezuela will face off against one another in the World Baseball Classic tomorrow.

Venezuelan President to Visit Japan

Bloomberg reports that President Chavez will visit Japan in April, according to statements made by energy minister Rafael Ramirez who is currently visiting that nation.  Venezuela is set to sign an energy cooperation agreement with Japan today that may lead to an increase in loans to Venezuela by Japanese financial institutions, according to Reuters.  The South American nation also recently announced that it will invest more than $6 billion in oil projects with Russia.  In other energy news, President Chavez said that his government is open to El Salvador’s participation in Petro-Caribe, an energy initiative that removes middlemen and provides petroleum and other resources at market prices through beneficial financing terms.

Bloomberg reports on Venezuela’s recent moves to nationalize certain companies and claims that the government has an inadequate amount of cash to do so. While it is true that the oil market has affected Venezuela, the country maintains record levels of foreign currency reserves and has not, to date, defaulted on payment to national or foreign companies.

Venezuela beat the US 10-6 in a World Baseball Classic match yesterday in Miami.  Both teams will be competing in this weekend’s semifinals.  Meanwhile, NPR reports that the well-known Venezuelan baseball player Magglio Ordonez has been booed during his games with the Detroit Tigers for having supported President Chavez publicly. Of the mostly upper-class Venezuelan fans who partake in this behavior, Ordonez says “I have nothing against [the fans],”but, “I don’t think they’re well-informed.”

The Washington Times reports on remarks made by President Obama’s special advisor to the Summit of the Americas, Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow.  “He is going to Trinidad with the intention of treating all the presidents there with the respect that they merit as elected heads of state… And it is my hope that all the other presidents there will treat each other with that same kind of respect and use the kind of language one would expect in polite company.” With no factual basis for the suggestion, the Times goes on to opine that Davidow was probably referring to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Finally, an article in Washington Jewish Week contrasts the views of various American Jews regarding an alleged “climate of fear and intimidation” affecting Venezuela’s Jewish community.  While a Washington-based rabbi compares the situation to that which existed in Nazi Germany, a representative of the American Jewish Congress states that she is “guardedly encouraged” by actions taken by the Venezuelan government.  Largely absent from this article is the point of view of representatives of the Venezuelan Jewish community, with only a brief quote from a Venezuelan Jew in the second to last paragraph.  No mention is made of the fact that President Chavez and other high level officials have consistently condemned all forms of anti-Semitism.

It is also worth noting that the accusations of anti-Semitism that have been directed against President Chavez and his government have appeared, for the most part, in the press releases and articles of organizations and media outlets based outside of Venezuela.  These accusations often refer to President Chavez’ strong condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza without taking into account accompanying statements making clear that the Venezuelan government unequivocally rejects anti-Semitic behavior and actions.  The accusations also focus on an incident earlier this year in which a Caracas synagogue was broken into and vandalized.  Often unreported is the fact that a police investigation revealed that the primary motivation for the break-in was theft.

Venezuela Prepares for Summit of the Americas

President Chavez said yesterday that he is preparing a strong diplomatic agenda for the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, which he believes will be “very interesting,” according to the AP. The Venezuelan leader suggested metaphorically that he is “getting our artillery ready,” and “we’ll see what the pitcher throws.” The Venezuelan leader — like many others in the region, including Brazil’s president — will advocate ending the U.S. embargo against Cuba, which he called “an aggression against all the people of Latin America and the Caribbean.”

A Miami Herald article argues that recent moves to federalize control of transportation hubs in Venezuela is an attempt to “siphon” power from regional opposition leaders. The measure was approved by elected lawmakers in Venezuela’s National Assembly, many of whom pointed out that federal management of highways, airports, and seaports would boost national security and anti-drug efforts. Key transportation hubs such as seaports are under federal jurisdiction in many other nations including Canada.

In economic news, Venezuela and China have begun construction on a joint refinery in China. The AP reports that Venezuela expects to boost oil exports to  China to reach 1 million barrels a day in the coming years. Also, Venezuela and Russia have formed a joint oil company with an initial investment of $6 billion to explore and develop Venezuela’s Junin 6 oil field.

Finally, CNN reports that several Cuban experts deemed ‘creative,’ and ‘speculative’ a recent, bizarre report by Jorge Castaneda, Mexico’s ex-foreign minister linking Cuban President Raul Castro’s recent decision to oust two top Cuban officials for their plotting against the president – with the support of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Even Mr. Castaneda admitted that he had no evidence, and that he was merely speculating.

Venezuela has the World’s Second Biggest Oil Reserves

Venezuela has the world’s second-biggest oil reserves, Bloomberg reports today. Its proven reserves increased by 14% last year to reach 172.3 billion, passing Iran and putting the country closer to the current leader, Saudi Arabia. More reserves are yet to be certified by independent analysts.

The AP reports that opposition state governors in Venezuela yesterday challenged the decision of President Chavez to bring the maintenance of highways, airports, and seaports under federal management, asking the Supreme Court to rule on whether or not it is constitutional. Meanwhile, a group of 13 elected lawmakers in the National Assembly issued a statement defending the move as a bid to ensure the efficient use of public services. They asserted that the opposition arguments were designed to “confuse the public.”

Sentencing occurred yesterday in the trial of Franklin Duran, who was given four years in jail and a $175,000 fine. Prosecutors argued that he attempted to help Venezuela cover up the “suitcase scandal,” in which cash was allegedly sent to Argentina. According to the AP, U.S. District Judge Lenard said yesterday that Duran “did not commit espionage against the U.S. or threaten its national interests,” but that “The respect of the sovereignty of the United States is paramount.” The Miami Herald reports: “Federal prosecutor Tom Mulvihill recommended more than 13 years, saying Duran might not have been a “spy” for the Chávez government but that he did ”harm” the United States.” Many commentators agree that the case was heavily politicized.

The Inter American Press Association, a Miami-based group of newspaper editors and owners, said at the close of a meeting in Paraguay on Monday that press freedom is deteriorating in the Americas. It also accused President Chavez of “humiliating the press,” and claimed his “incendiary rhetoric” is being adopted by several other leaders throughout the region. Most of Venezuela’s media is private-owned and virulently anti-government, and criticizes the Chavez administration freely and openly. Meanwhile, IAPA “applauded a drop in violence against journalists in Colombia,” where it found that last year 29 death threats were reported and five journalists went into exile.

Venezuela’s baseball team beat Puerto Rico 2-0 in Miami yesterday to move on to the World Baseball Classic semi-finals. The AP reports that some Venezuelan fans cheered especially loud for Magglio Ordonez of the Detroit Tigers due to his public support for the constitutional amendment approved by Venezuelan voters in a referendum last month.

Venezuela to Manage National Transportation Hubs

President Hugo Chavez dispatched the Navy to Venezuela’s seaports yesterday, after elected lawmakers in the National Assembly voted to bring the country’s transportation hubs under federal management. The AP reports that President Chavez said the move is aimed at improving Venezuela’s national security, including counter-narcotics efforts.

A Russian Air Force chief said Saturday that President Chavez offered an island off the coast of Venezuela for use as a temporary base for Russia’s strategic bombers. Yesterday, though, Chavez made clear that there would be no foreign bases on Venezuelan soil, but that he had told Russian President Medvedev that his country’s strategic aviation was welcome to “make a stop in Venezuela.” While much media attention has surrounded Russia’s improved ties with Venezuela, its diplomacy with other nations including regional heavyweight Brazil have been downplayed.

A commentary in the Guardian suggests that, for Chavez, “it was easy to score points, both at home and abroad, by bashing President Bush,” but that this tactic has proved difficult with President Obama, who is popular in Latin America. However, President Chavez does not seek an antagonistic relationship with Washington. In fact, he has frequently said that he welcomes talks with the Obama administration, and believes bilateral ties could improve. Any recent criticisms directed at Washington have consistently been about U.S. foreign policy.

In a Newsweek article by Jorge Castaneda, the author makes the absurd speculation that Cuban President Raul Castro’s decision to remove two senior Cuban politicians from office was due to their plotting to overthrow him, and that such a move was supported by President Chavez of Venezuela. No supporting evidence is provided.

Also in regional news, Mauricio Funes, the moderate leftist and FMLN candidate in El Salvador’s presidential race, won the election with 51.3% of the vote. The victory breaks a 20-year grip on power by the country’s right-wing Arena party, whose founder was associated with some of the most repressive elements in the country’s U.S.-backed civil war. Funes, whose FMLN party has been in the political arena since a 1992 peace agreement, pledged to work toward Central American integration as well as strengthen ties with the U.S.