Venezuela before Iran: Oil Co. profits in danger

Venezuela tightens grip on Western Oil Companies
tax evasion charges planned, joint ventures required

According to media reports from Venezuela, the Venezuelan Energy Ministry said on April 14th that it is beginning a full-scale tax investigation into all foreign firms operating in the oil industry and is expecting to get some $2 billion back once the "tax evasion" investigations are complete. The ministry also will force all foreign-run projects in the petroleum sector to be reorganized into joint ventures, in which state oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela will hold a 51 percent stake. Under the plan, designed to maximize government income, foreign firms will have a maximum income cap instead of the current per-barrel fee scheme that is indexed to oil prices.

India Daily

Go go Chavez!
I applaude the initiative, but I also question the extention that can logically be carried out: we've had the US government acting as enforcer for the Energy Industry, as evidenced in the Businessman's War of First Resort.

How long do you think it will be before the US backed coup attempts move into more active aggression?

Interesting I never heard that one before, now instead of paying by world oil prices he is planning to charge per wealth of the country, I guess US will be paying top dollars for the oil from Venezuela.

Now I see now how Chavez will be making sure his government doesn't fall pray to any "foreign intervention" how dare him to go against the might of the USA.

How long do you thing he will last in his position as leader of Venezuela after this.

[edit on 18-4-2005 by marg6043]

Originally posted by Bout Time

Go go Chavez!

I second that

How long do you think it will be before the US backed coup attempts move into more active aggression?

Not long at all, if I was chavez I would put some sort of check into place. I'm thinking something that would completely cut off their oil supply to the US in the event of his assasination.

I only hope that the american media won't be able to make him look like a dangerous despot. Venezuela is a lot closer than Iraq.

as posted by Bout Time
How long do you think it will be before the US backed coup attempts move into more active aggression?

What is quoted above is almost funny, BT.
Why?

I find it near laughable that you, and others, back a 'Castro mini-me' that is supporting Islamic terrorist organizations, bought chemical warfare agents from Spain, and is re-arming the narcotics-dealing leftist guerrillas in Columbia, all the while fearing he will be removed or targeted for a coup-attempt.

Question: Did not this 'Castro mini-me' stage two military coups himself?

Typical Communist attitudes.
'They' stage coups to take power and yet fear being removed by the very methods that put them in power?! Then to bolster that 'Castro mini-me' was "legit," he riggs a couple of elections, all the while, Democrat "I used to be president" Carter calls them 'fair and legit'? Hilarious. But hey, what goes around comes around, and as such, 'Castro mini-me' continues to mouth off that the US is attempting to remove him by a US-backed coup? Oh my, how ironic, eh?

Tell you what, 'Castro mini-me' is not going to clamp down on Western Oil companies as you think. Btw, you fill your vehicle with Citgo?





seekerof

[edit on 18-4-2005 by Seekerof]

I find it near laughable that you, and others, back a 'Castro mini-me' that is supporting Islamic terrorist organizations, bought chemical warfare agents from Spain, and is re-arming the narcotics-dealing leftist guerrillas in Columbia, all the while fearing he will be removed or targeted for a coup-attempt.

Honestly now where do you get this stuff?
That has to be the worst bit of propoganda I've heard in months, what's being discussed is him clamping down on tax evasion and working to make a system that allows the goverment to make more money. The people that will suffer most are those outside his country who aren't his responsibility anyways, and a small minority of upper class people involved in the oil industry. On a whole this is simply good policy that benefits his people which is his job.
Further more attacking the legitimacy of him being in office is quite laughable given his experiences of being the victim of a military coup not all that long ago and restored because of widespread unrest and opposition to the coup. While he did try a coup in 1992 it failed and his election in 1998 is a very different matter. The people in his country who oppose him the most and who discuss how he "must" be thrown out and how "undemocratic" he is are that same upper class grown rich off of Venezuela's oil. He campained to educate the 80% of the population that was too poor to educate themselves about their democratic process and in doing so got much of their support. This sudden change in the power of their vote must have seemed odd to that 20% that was so used to getting their way, perhaps it is this that motivated them to conduct a long smear campain against Chávez through the privite media, owned by them.
I for one see the fact that it was mass populous support of his presidentcy that restored him to power after the coup that legitimizes his role and proves a very moving tale of true leadership.
www.gregpalast.com...