Venezuela's regional energy program Petrocaribe wobbles

Guatemala announced in early November that it was pulling out of Venezuela's Petrocaribe alliance. The Chavez-era oil-for-regional-influence program could be on its last legs.

By Ezra Fieser November 15, 2013

When Guatemala announced it would join Petrocaribe, the alliance where Venezuela sends petroleum to 17 countries at below-market prices, there was little worry about the program’s future. Oil was trading at more than $100 per barrel and Venezuela was sitting atop the world’s largest reserves.

But that was 2008.

Since then, President Hugo Chávez succumbed to cancer, leaving behind a Venezuela with serious economic concerns that put in question his ideology of “Socialism for the 21st Century,” and how flagship programs at home and abroad might be affected.The future of Petrocaribe, a pillar of Mr. Chavez’s foreign policy, is top of mind.

Guatemala announced in early November that it was pulling out of the alliance as the cost of staying within it increased. Guatemala's decision was the clearest sign yet that the program could be on the verge of serious changes.

“Either they save their own regime, or they keep doing what they’re doing, which is contributing oil wealth to friends and associates and comrades. In that case, the whole thing [Petrocaribe] collapses,” says Evanan Romero, an energy consultant who served on the board of PDVSA, the Venezuelan state oil company, until 1999.


While the Venezuelan government has promised to keep Petrocaribe intact, it has quietly cut oil shipments, and may be contemplating pushing up interest rates and modifying repayment terms. Any such changes could have deep and lasting impacts on small countries accustomed to propping up their economies with the shipments.

KENNY ANTHONY EXPOSED (Lie of the century)

What does Kenny know one year on?

In 2012 Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, chairman of the group of principal shareholders in LIAT – the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines – announced that he was confident Dominica and Saint Lucia would buy into the airline’s redevelopment plan. Gonsalves had reportedly made a special appeal to his Saint Lucian comrade, Prime Minister Kenny Anthony, to fast track a decision to increase the island’s investment in LIAT. The government of Saint Lucia is a minority shareholder in LIAT to the tune of EC$6 million.
Prior to Gonsalves jostling, Anthony had met with LIAT’s Board of Directors, Chairman Jean Holder and then CEO Captain Ian Brunton. At the time, Anthony was “circumspect about investment in the financially strapped airline.” He also expressed concern that the new aircraft LIAT was proposing to purchase as part of its fleet expansion was “a tall order for the carrier, which has accumulated millions of dollars in debt.”
However, the prime minister went on to explain that Saint Lucia should be more responsive to the plight of LIAT given that the island provides minimum guarantees for aircraft from other countries bringing tourists into the island. “It seems unfair that we are subsidising other aircraft and we do not extend assistance to LIAT,” Anthony said at the time.

Press release uwp launches 50 th anniversary celebrations

Press release uwp launches 50 th anniversary celebrations from Unitedpac Saint Lucia

Press release uwp held meeting with diaspora in new york and canada

Press release uwp held meeting with diaspora in new york and canada from Unitedpac Saint Lucia

Carrying The VAT Cross

Creole Friday (Vandwedi Kweyol) Oct. 25 provided the ideal opportunity for one citizen to play on St. Lucia’s Creole-English vocabulary to protest the effects of the value added tax (VAT) on himself and the rest of the population.

Using the buzzing Constitution Park/Boulevard as a stage, cultural activist, Laurent Jn Pierre, b.k.a, ‘Jomo’, carried a crown of leaves to resemble the crown of thorns carried by Jesus Christ; a wooden cross fitted with a tie (kwavat) in the traditional ‘madras’ fabric; and two madras ties around his own neck.

Jn Pierre is Chairman of the Folk Research Centre’s Kweyol Language Committee, which organizes Kweyol literacy classes and produces the Kweyol Poetry Competition during Kweyol Heritage Month.

His piece of drama on Kweyol Friday made use of similarly pronounced words in different languages to mean different things. The kweyol word for cross is ‘kwa’, and the word for ‘tie’ (the item of clothing) is ‘kwavat’. Separate the word into ‘kwa vat’ and the direct English interpretation is ‘the cross of vat’!

Figuratively, Jn Pierre was carrying the financial burden of the value added tax on the people. ‘Mwen ka pòté kwa-vat la!’ (I am carrying the cross of VAT), as he himself declared.

According to Jn Pierre, his action on Creole Friday was not only a protest, but also an awareness campaign and political statement.

HAROLD DALSON UNDER SCRUTINY ONCE AGAIN THIS TIME OVER SHADY LAND DEAL: "CABINET CONCLUSION 418"

Investigations into a piece of waterfront property in Soufriere appears to be effecting puzzling reactions from authoritative figures in the government, but then this may all be the imagination of the reporter.

This piece of property, owned by the Crown has a bit of controversy attached to it, so The VOICE has learned, further that more than one proposal has been forwarded to the respective authority by individuals interested in purchasing the said piece of property.

The Cabinet of Ministers on 29th July, 2013 considered a Memorandum dated 26th November, 2012 submitted by the Ministry of Physical Development, Housing and Urban Renewal and approved the sale of that piece of waterfront property, block and parcel No. 0031C 460, comprising approximately 6000 sq. ft. to GMC Holdings Inc. for the purpose of implementing a Tourist Development.

This is Cabinet Conclusion 418: Sale of a portion Block and Parcel No. 0031C 460 to GMC Holdings for the purpose of implementing a touristic development.

No. 418 went on to state that this approval is subject to the purchaser bearing the cost of relocating squatters, and that the Crown should undertake the completion of the surveying and valuation exercises to determine the sale price.

Efforts to get Minister Harold Dalson to comment on the relocation of squatters, he being the parliamentary representative for Soufriere, were pointless.

On Thursday his office on the Castries Waterfront said he was not on the island. Friday morning his office said he was in office. The reporter identified himself and his organization when the spokesperson picked up his call. The reporter was first told to hold on, an indication that he was being put through to the minister. The spokesperson returned and told the reporter to call back in five to ten minutes. The reporter called back twelve minutes after and was told:

… you just missed him. He had an appointment with the Cuban doctors….”

Another reason for seeking out Dalson was this: Saint Lucians would remember the rhetoric of the Labour Party during the last general elections regarding the sale of government lands, the Black Bay lands being the one coming readily to mind.