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China adviser helping Venezuela’s Chavez on oil
From Geostrategy-Direct.com
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has brought on a Chinese government official to advise him on oil-related issues, according to U.S. sources.
Hugo is keeping company now with ME types, Cubans, and ChiComs. I hope that we are not sitting idly by.
The adviser has raised new concerns that Beijing is making inroads into Venezuela’s leftist government.
Venezuela is a major supplier of U.S. oil and there are fears that the Chinese adviser could influence Chavez to move further in an anti-American direction.
China announced in May 2001 that it had formed a "strategic partnership" with the Chavez government.
That is certainly reassuring.
Venezuela exports some 2.5 million barrels of oil a day.
This is about 10% more than the maximum rate pumped down the pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope, which is down to 1.2 MBD. Sure could use ANWR oil now to boost domestic flow.
With growing instability in Saudi Arabia and with Iraq behind schedule in rebuilding its oil resources, U.S. officials are concerned that China could use its influence in Venezuela to cut off oil shipments to the U.S. if there were a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.
Chavez has supplied small arms to Colombia’s FARC terrorists and has aligned his government with Fidel Castro’s Cuba, U.S. intelligence officials said.
Cuban intelligence personnel have been assigned to posts in key Venezuelan ministries. Chavez also is backing anti-government rebels in Bolivia.
There have been reports recently of high level military contacts between the ChiComs and Fidel Castro’s regime.
Gen. James T. Hill, head of the U.S. Southern Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he is concerned about Chavez’s crackdown following a two-month strike. Chavez’s "actions may portend a move toward greater authoritarianism. In my mind, that bears watching very carefully. I have directed my people to do that," Hill said.
We better get our oil supply revamped. Our butts are hanging out with Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-11-19
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=21487