Posted on 08/25/2005 11:05:53 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, popular with the poor at home, offered on Tuesday to help needy Americans with cheap supplies of gasoline. "We want to sell gasoline and heating fuel directly to poor communities in the United States," the populist leader told reporters at the end of a visit to Communist-run Cuba. Chavez did not say how Venezuela would go about providing gasoline to poor communities. Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA owns Citgo, which has 14,000 gas stations in the United States. The offer may sound attractive to Americans feeling pinched by soaring prices at the pump but not to the U.S. government, which sees Chavez as a left-wing troublemaker in Latin America. Gasoline is cheaper than mineral water in oil-producing Venezuela, where consumers can fill their tanks for less than $2. Average gas prices have risen to $2.61 a gallon in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Chavez said Venezuela could supply gasoline to Americans at half the price they now pay if intermediaries who "speculated ... and exploited consumers" were cut out. Venezuela supplies Cuba with generously financed oil and plans to help Caribbean nations foot their oil bills. Chavez, in Cuba to attend the graduation of Cuban-trained doctors from 28 countries, was seen off at the airport by Cuban President Fidel Castro. Washington has accused the two leaders of being a destabilizing influence in South America. Chavez and Castro offered to give poor Americans free health care and train doctors free of charge.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Something does NOT sound good about this...not good at all.
Why does this strike me as severe case of meglomania?
So, he wants to lead a socialist revolution in North America as well??!!
Chavez did not say how Venezuela would go about providing gasoline to poor communities.
Of course he didn't because this is all BS.
Citgo, eh.
OK.
No Citgo gas for me.
Your right. It's a simple con. The slave idiots that put up with his crap are just going to get poorer sending off the bait/bribe.
I'm pretty sure Chavez aims to keep himself in the spotlight after Pat Robertson's comments. His pretty blatant "Robin Hood" approach to appeal to lower class Americans will fall on deaf ears. I think you are right BigSky about it being reminiscent of Stalin but even though there is a huge difference in terms of monetary possessions between the rich and poor in this country, the "poor" still have it a lot better here in America than in other countries. Besides, football season is approaching, there are other things to turn our attention to;)
EXACTLY. It's a shell game.
Yeah, by pretending to be a Good Samaritan.
You expected Milton Friedman?
Instead of giving it to the poor, Chavez should take a bath in the stuff and light himself up a cuban cigar.
It's disgusting. Should we anticipate Chavez's arrival in Crawford too? He'd fit right in with the Nazis, Al Sharpton and that disgraceful Cindy Sheehan.
That oughta be interesting, Al Sharpton showing up with a bunch of white racists.
Tell him to stick it up the seat of his pants and light a match.
In due time this SOB is going to be humbled severly.
What a deal. On behalf of the poor in the U.S., I'm so grateful.
/sarcasm
Worth the price of admission.
Obvious ploy by a leftist dictator. Still I like the idea of cutting out the speculators that have artificially driven up prices.
I say we send a battalion or two Marines along with appropriate Navy support vessels and aircraft down to Venezuelan to knock on this tin-horn dictator's door and say, "We're here for the gas - or you - your choice."
This guy is a flippin idiot. I'd like to understand his distribution logistics channel... Invite the poor to fly to Caracus for a fill-up? I spent several weeks across from his palace in the fancy Tamanaco Hotel, which had bullet holes in the facade. The cab ride from the airport to the hotel was scary as hell. Going through the tunnels were filled with smoke so badly that the driver had to turn on the headlights. I will never go back to that God-Foresaken country.
Give him your credit card number and ask him to ship it via UPS.
LOL
Is that "your" or "you're," or "you are"? Im confused hear.
If anyone in this country believes they have seen "poor" take a trip to Mexico, Brasil, or Venezuela. It is un-friggin believable. I spent six months in SA. the poverty is... indescribable. Six year old kids in filthy urine stained clothes selling dolls and blankets for a few pesos. I can't say enough, except the libs in this country pretend they care about everything and pander to those who DO NOT want to work. /rant
The last time I looked, we get about 11% of our gasoline from VZ. I'm assuming 99% is supplied via Citgo. Well, (and I don't believe in pricing boycots) but we could DECIDE not to purchase gasoline from Citgo. My wife was the one who informed me years ago that Citgo is totally owned by VZ. I sorta believe her since she work for Texaco in a variety of positions since 1969, including in the trading, E&P and TIMM.
Im confused hear.
Is that I'm, or I am? :)
We have two gas stations in town here, one was $2.76 and the other one was $2.67, now they are both $2.76 since the one with the lesser price gasoline got their resupply yesterday.
Im confused hear.
I
s that hear or "here"?
I found out just from this article that Citgo is a VZ firm. I hadn't realized it was a VZ owned company. If I remember right, VZ is the 4th or 5th largest supplier to the US.
Good nite BSF.
Yesterday, $1.39 for regular here.
Don't you mean $2.39? LOL! :) G'Night to you onyx!
I gess I prooved mi pointe.
Eye here ya.
The leaders of Venezuela would be nice to us, if we would only buy and import enough of their products--like oil, for example. Surely, they'd follow China's good lead. Or maybe we could give them land for peace.
[...irony...sarcasm.]
I can just see the implementation plans of Chavez and Castro with their "free healthcare" and "cheap gasoline": they'll sweetly ask that all the pesky middlemen and government hindrances be swept aside, then they'll declare their gratitude for the state of Texas and the nice new capitol buildings in Sacramento. That they are already using. And that they can be addressed as Senior Ruler and Senior Messiah.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. Or, in this case, Chavez and Castro bearing, um, dictatorial demands.
you know our govt won't allow taxes on gas to be cut, average fillup here in PA gives govt $7 worth of tax, and after the first of the year it will be alot more because they tax at 4% per gal based on previous year prices
"EXACTLY. It's a shell game."
Shell? I thought we were talking about Citgo?
EXACTLY. It's a shell game.
________
"Shell" game? This just gets by "BP" up.
AS a person SS who has been left on the side of the road with a bicycle as the only means to get to the store with two bad knees and having to breathe exhaust of others SUV's. So as one you has been left out and forgotten in this country, I think I would like to hear more of what he has to say. He may be an abuser in his world but at least he may be able to Identify the abusers in this country, as it take one to know one.
The oil resources of Venezuela should belong to the people of Venezuela instead of a communist dictator like Chavez. By getting less than full value for their oil, Chavez is robbing the people of Venezuela for his own agenda.
Bad things always seem to happen when central governments own the natural resources and work product of a nation. There should be a world wide movement to stop central governments from owning property. When governments own lots of property, way to much time and money is wasted fighting over control of government and way to little time is spent on what's important to families and communities.
Instead of building a wall to keep central and south Americans out, we should be trying to get the natural resources and work product of central and south American nations out of the hands of central governments and into the hands of families living in those nations. You don't here to much about Costa Rican and Chilean illegal immigrants and drug gangs for a reason.
Let me back my 1970 ford pickup to the pump,tank in the cab,behind the cab, and under the cab.Thank you Mr chavez,now GTFO.
Something to keep in mind next time you fill up...
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