[Marxism] Fw: [NYTr] Venez/US: Unsolicited Aid Offers Can be "Counterproductive"

["acpollack2@xxxxxxxx" <acpollack2@xxxxxxxx>]

The PDVSA head was actually in Louisiana, which is more than we can say for our 
frat-boy-in-chief.
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit

sent by Cort Greene

Venezuelanalysis - Sep 1, 2005
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1743

U.S. Says unsolicited offers can be "counterproductive"

Venezuela Offers $1M, Oil, Food and Equipment
for U.S. Victims of Hurricane Katrina

By Cleto Sojo

Sept 1, 2005 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- CITGO Petroleum Corporation has
pledged a $1 million donation towards Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, the
company?s President and CEO Félix Rodríguez announced yesterday through a
press release.

Rodríguez said this donation had the full support of the company?s parent
organization, the Venezuelan state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A.
(PDVSA), as well as Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

?Our hearts go out to the victims of this terrible tragedy and CITGO stands
prepared to offer its assistance,? Rodríguez said.

According to the CEO, the funds will be directed to appropriate relief
organizations in the affected areas.

CEO Rodríguez traveled yesterday to Lake Charles, Louisiana where he met
with local officials and visited the city?s Civic Center, which has been
turned into a full-service shelter for storm refugees.

Rodríguez presented the local chapter of the American Red Cross, in charge
of operations at the shelter, with a separate $25,000 donation to assist the
organization in its efforts at the center.

2,200 victims are currently housed at the Civic Center, and more victims are
expected to arrive.

A group of volunteers from the nearby CITGO Lake Charles Manufacturing
Complex, known as Team CITGO, are helping in the relief efforts.

Rodríguez met with local and state officials, including Lake Charles Mayor
Randy Roach, Louisiana Senators Willie Mount and Jerry Theunissen, and State
Reps. Ronnie Johns, Chuck Kleckley, Elcie Guillory and Dan Morrish.

Rodríguez stressed that CITGO stands prepared to offer additional
assistance.

He also presented officials with a letter from Venezuelan Energy Minister
Rafael Ramírez indicating that Venezuela is prepared to offer additional
assistance in the form of fuel supplies to help offset shortages.

Ramirez, who also serves as president of the Venezuelan national oil
company, PDVSA, stressed that the offer of support for storm victims comes
from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

President Chávez announced yesterday that Venezuela will send oil and
humanitarian aid to the U.S. to help alleviate the effects of the hurricane,
which he described as "a catastrophe."

Sources at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC, told
Venezuelanalysis.com that apart from the million dollars in monetary
assistance, Venezuela is offering two mobile hospital units, each capable of
assisting 150 people, 120 specialists in rescue operations, 10 water
purifying plants, 18 electricity generators of 850 KW each, 20 tons of
bottled water, and 50 tons of canned food.

According to the Embassy, Venezuela's Consulate in New Orleans will remain
closed until further notice.

More Venezuelan aid for victims

Yesterday, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing
solidarity with the people and government of the United States. "The
Venezuelan government and nation express to the United States and its
leaders their dismay regarding the magnitude and consequences of Hurricane
Katrina," read the statement.

"As a way of expressing its solidarity and sentiments of compassion towards
the families of the victims that are facing the loss of their material
goods, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates the offer made by
President Hugo Chavez, of sending fuel and humanitarian aid to the United
States..." the statement continued.

U.S. Says unsolicited offers can be "counterproductive"

The U.S. State Department welcomed the willingness of foreign nations to
help, but said they do not have information on Venezuela´s offer.

However, according to The Washington Times, a senior State Department
official said he was not aware of the Venezuelan offer, but noted that
unsolicited offers can be "counterproductive."

Venezuela´s offer comes amid renewed tensions between the United States and
the left-wing government of President Hugo Chavez. Washington continuously
accuses democratically-elected Chavez of being a threat to stability in
Latin America, while Chavez accuses the Bush Administration of wanting to
destabilize or overthrow his government.

                                *
================================================================
.NY Transfer News Collective    *    A Service of Blythe Systems
.          Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us         .
.339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012     http://www.blythe.org
.List Archives:   https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/
.Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr
================================================================


________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism