Castro to visit Venezuela ally Chavez

Castro to visit Venezuela ally Chavez
22 December 2003

CARACAS: Cuban President Fidel Castro will fly to Venezuela tomorrow (NZT) 
to talk co-operation with his biggest regional ally Hugo Chavez at a time 
when the Venezuelan president is facing a campaign by foes to vote him out 
of office.

Left-winger Chavez, who is resisting opposition efforts to trigger a 
referendum on his rule next year, today announced the surprise visit by his 
close friend and political ally during his weekly Hello President 
television and radio show.

"We'll have lunch and talk for a few hours," Chavez said, adding the 
77-year-old Cuban leader would return to Havana the same day.

If Chavez, a 49-year-old populist former paratrooper, was voted out in a 
referendum, this would deprive Castro of a major source of political and 
material support in the region.

The Venezuelan leader said they would discuss tomorrow growing bilateral 
co-operation between the world's No5 oil exporter and the communist-ruled 
Caribbean island.

This co-operation in energy and social programmes has irritated Washington 
and provided a vital oil lifeline to cash-strapped Cuba.

Under a three-year-old energy accord, Venezuela sends Cuba up to 53,000 
barrels per day of oil – about one third of the island's consumption.

The two leaders, who consult frequently, share "revolutionary" ideologies 
and are outspoken critics of US policy, even though Venezuela is one of the 
top suppliers of oil to the United States.

They are sure to discuss the political situation in Venezuela, where foes 
of Chavez filed with electoral authorities Saturday more than three million 
signatures requesting a referendum on his rule next year.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2765141a12,00.html

-- 
Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
In the contradiction lies the hope
		--Brecht.



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