------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Nov. 9, 2000 issue of Workers World newspaper ------------------------- FIDEL GETS HERO'S WELCOME IN VENEZUELA: FORGING TIES ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN By Teresa Gutierrez Two important Latin American heads of state held a meeting of great historical significance at the end of October: Cuban President Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. A major outcome of President Castro's five-day visit to President Chavez in Venezuela was the signing the Caracas Energy Agreement. The two signed the agreement at an Oct. 30 joint news conference that was broadcast throughout Latin America and transmitted to Spain and the United States. Other Central American and Caribbean countries had previously signed the trade agreement. The document will take effect immediately and remains valid for five years. The accord was in direct defiance of the U.S. blockade of Cuba. The agreement states in part that Venezuela will supply around 53,000 barrels a day of crude oil and its derivatives directly to Cuba. The deal circumvents the third parties that currently route oil to the island. The oil sales, currently worth about $1 billion annually, are part of a wide-ranging economic cooperation agreement. The Venezuelan government will provide 25-percent financing for the oil sold to Cuba. The Cubans can pay for the oil in barter for goods or services such as health care and education. The agreement affirms that Cuba will bring expertise in medicine and agriculture to Venezuela. A special provision establishes that Cuba will provide doctors, medial specialists and health technicians free of charge. The personnel will work in areas of Venezuela where they will not displace existing medical staff. President Chavez told reporters that he and President Castro had also discussed how Cuba might help the sugar industry in Sanabeta, Venezuela. Cuba agreed to provide technical assistance to run refineries and develop sugarcane agriculture and will also help construct three new sugar refineries. U.S. 'UNEASY' OVER VISIT Early accounts in the U.S. corporate media reveal the significance of this visit. The Associated Press wrote Oct. 26 that Chavez' close friendship with Castro "has made the United States uneasy." Experts in international relations warned that Venezuela "risks weakening its ties with the United States, its largest oil market, by defying its embargo," according to an Oct. 26 Reuters dispatch. During much of the visit, both leaders were dressed in military fatigues instead of business suits. While in Venezuela, Castro had the opportunity to comment about the situation in that county as well as all of Latin America. On Oct. 27, he addressed the Venezuelan National Assembly. His talk followed a small right-wing protest by some Assembly members who boycotted the speech. But in the streets, especially on the day he arrived, thousands of people, many wearing red berets, cheered the Cuban president with great emotion. FIDEL SALUTES BOLIVAR At the National Assembly, Castro recognized the role that the great 19th century Venezuelan leader Simon Bolivar played in the anti-colonial struggles of Latin America and the Caribbean. President Castro highlighted Bolivar's thinking on the need for unity and independence for the entire continent. He pointed out that even at that early stage of the development of U.S. imperialism, Bolivar's genius "allowed him to guess" that the U.S. "seemed destined to spread calamities in the Americas in the name of freedom." The full speech can be read at the Web site www.granma.cu. During his five-day stay, Castro addressed legislatures, students, campe sinos and many workers. He advised the Venezuelan masses to protect their popular leader. "There is no doubt that Chavez' enemies here and abroad will try to eliminate him," warned the experienced revolutionary, who has successfully led socialist Cuba since the 1959 overthrow of Fulgencio Batista. He also urged the masses to take an active role in building a new society in Venezuela. He called on the people to organize themselves and depend less on the president since Chavez "cannot be mayor of the whole of Venezuela." The Cuban president affirmed his confidence in the Venezuelan leader. "At this moment, in this country, you have no substitute," he told Chavez. President Castro also commented on the Nov. 7 U.S. presidential election. "I recommend that the American voters go to the beach on election day" instead of voting for either Bush or Gore, he said. AID FROM THIRD-BIGGEST OIL PRODUCER Because the spokesperson of the Cuban Revolution still has a broad following throughout the continent, friends and enemies alike carefully scrutinize every word he utters. The capitalist class also closely analyzes every agreement and action made by socialist Cuba. So it is of note when Venezuela, the world's number-three exporter of oil, makes such a favorable and public trade agreement with Cuba and helps Cuba break out of diplomatic and economic isolation. Chavez presides over a country that has a valuable world commodity--oil. Imperialist powers have fought great wars over control of this commodity. Recently the media credited--or blamed--Chavez for the rise in oil prices. It's true he hosted the last OPEC summit in Caracas and has worked to stabilize oil rates at a level that can sustain development in the producing countries. When some imperialist powers complained of the prices, Chavez stated in response that the rise in prices is "fair and just. For a century, they [industrial nations] took millions of barrels of oil at giveaway prices. How nice it would be if they also lowered the prices of things they sell to us, lowered the prices of computers, medicine, cars and the interest rates on the foreign debt." Chavez and Castro have company in their stand against corporate control of the world economy. Not just in Havana and Caracas but in Palestine and Colombia, in Prague and Seattle, the masses are moving in defiance of imperialism. They will soon take center stage around the world. - END - (Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) ------------------ This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. 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