WASHINGTON (<a href=reuters.com>Reuters) - A United States-backed statement condemning human rights violations in Cuba was withdrawn Monday at the Organization of American States after failing to garner enough support from its members.
Canada, Chile and Uruguay, the countries that introduced the statement, opted against forcing a potentially divisive vote at an institution with a strong tradition of reaching decisions by consensus.
Instead, they took the unprecedented step of re-submitting the text, which expressed "deep concern about the sharp deterioration of the human rights situation in Cuba," as a non-binding statement to the group's Permanent Council.
Sixteen of the OAS's 34 members signed on to the revised statement, reflecting how sharply divided the OAS is on the Cuban issue.
The three-hour debate culminated an effort by the United States and other nations to pass some kind of condemnation of President Fidel Castro's communist island, even though the OAS has been historically reluctant to take on the issue after Cuba was ejected from the Permanent Council in 1962.
The OAS effort began after Cuban authorities sentenced 75 dissidents to long prison terms and executed three men for hijacking a ferry in a failed bid to reach the United States.
An earlier April 23 effort by the United States, Nicaragua and Costa Rica to present a stronger resolution that would have carried more legal weight than a simple statement, also failed to obtain enough support.
On April 28, Secretary of State Colin Powell had urged OAS members to "live up to the ideals we share and take a principled stand for freedom, democracy and human rights in Cuba."
Brazil and Venezuela led the opposition against the statement, arguing that Cuba was not a Permanent Council member and therefore could not defend itself.
The Venezuelan ambassador Jorge Valero warned that the statement would "heighten differences and tensions that exist in the hemisphere" and urged the OAS to debate Cuba in an "integral way" by including a discussion on the U.S. economic embargo against the island.
CVG president, Major General (ret.) FRancisco Rangel Gomez is to travel to Teheran at the end of May to discuss Venezuela's aluminum industry and the possibility for establishing bilateral economic agreements between Iran and Venezuela. Iran's Ambassador to Caracas, Ahmad Aghahi has visited Venezuelan Guayana Corporation (CVG) HQ in Puerto Ordaz to get to know details in a portfolio of regional development deals, with special emphasis on aluminum and iron.
“We consider that the interchange of experience and products may be interesting for both countries,” Ambassador Aghahi told reporters adding that he expects satisfactory results from Rangel Gomez' visit to his country and the understanding they have already recahed on two proposals. "Iran is a bauxite consumer as well as iron exporter, and for that reason we are looking into becoming a customer of Venezuela as a first step."
CVG general director, Rafael Sanchez Marquez says that the opportunity will benefit not only State enterprises selling raw materials but also the establishment of assembly lines in Venezuela as well ... "the Iranian delegation members have shown a particular interest in setting up a tractor assembly line in Venezuela, allowing us to manufacture good quality machinery as they already do in Iran.”
Sanchez Marquez adds that the aluminum sector is also in process of starting up a new production line and has a special interest in V-350 technology which has been developed for Venezuelan specialists counting on worldwide certification.
southeastern VenezuelaThe Venezuelan Guayana Corporation (CVG) is consolidating new mining projects in southeastern Bolivar State to create employment and regional economic progress. Promotora Minera Guayana (PMG) has presented a exploitation developing plan for the Choco 10 gold concession to the of the CVG's corporate mining vice president stipulating an approximate annual production of 8,000 troy ounces placing it third in national ranking of importance.
Canadian Bolivar Gold which is quoted on the Toronto Stock Exchange is revealed as the majority stockholder in the El Choco 10 project in El Callao and counts on 70% of PMG shares with the remaining 30% to CVG's Ferrominera Orinoco. Bolivar says it has 20 years experience for in Venezuela's mining sector; with exploration, development and production work at the Tomi mine, also in El Callao where shareholders are Deutsch Bank Australia, Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominium Bank and others.
Bolivar Gold Group president Miguel de la Campa says a project feasibility study for the El Choco 10 goldmine has just been completed with a US$15 million investment. A geophysical and geochemical analysis counts on 52,000 meters of drillings to support results that show technical and financial profitability. It also indicates mineable resources of about 700,000 troy ounces of gold with new drillings to be performed to incorporate resources at Choco 4 owned by PMG.
Bolivar Gold's vice president of exploration, Jose Francisco Arata says that $55 million is earmarked for project investment ... $15 million on studies and $40 million on development ... "our goal is to start mine construction between October and November 2003 to produce gold by mid-April 2004 ... employment for the construction stage will be 100 direct jobs and 200-220 direct jobs for the operations.
<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News
Posted: Monday, May 19, 2003
By: David Coleman
US Caracas embassy representatives have been shown the importance of CVG projects promoted abroad, reaffirming confidence in foreign investments to Venezuela. Economic counselor Richard Sanders, Mining & Oil Attache Darnall Stewart and economic specialist Yuri Flores spent two days as guests of the CVG to review development projects in the Guayana region towards the possibility of establishing strategic alliances with major US companies.
Sanders is reported as saying it was interesting to get to know the extent of the CVG's labor force and described speaking with the president of CVG, Major General (ret.) Francisco Rangel Gomez as "very profitable ... it seems very important to attract international business clients who would be able to contribute capital and technology.”
Rangel Gomez expressed his satisfaction at being able to show off the Guayana region's potentials, assuring his visitors that the CVG guarantees successful trade relations between Venezuela and its trading partners ... despite Venezuela's "unusual situation" last December, CVG affiliates had broken production records ... indicating the strategic importance of work done in the Guayana region which has contributed 215 billion bolivares in income taxes and 9% of Venezuela's GPD, as well as 36% of non-traditional Venezuelan import (i.e. excluding oil).
A press release from CVG HQ in Puerto Ordaz states that German Deutsche Bank will lead banks in charge of financing part of an estimated US$500 million investment at the Las Cristinas gold project in southeastern Venezuela.
Exclusively contracted project operator Crystallex International will finance a fraction of the total amount through the direct investment according to Crystallex International president & CEO Marc J. Oppenheimer, executive president Robert Fung and the president of the Venezuelan Guayana Corporation (CVG), Major General (ret.) Francisco Rangel Gomez.
Oppenheimer explains that the German bank counts on worldwide financing experience through European, North and Latin American institutions except for multilateral entities. “Every mining project relies on different sources of fund-raising: financing and direct investment ... the first one is a long-term debt that honors said project and the second one is the own contribution of the company ; the proportion of both components will be known as soon as the feasibility study is over.”
"Las Cristinas is more appealing for financial entities since it accounts on proven reserves equivalent to 1.33 g/t (higher than the 1.12 g/t estimated by Minca) at US$325 per ounce ($50 less than the price set by Minca) making it less subject to price fluctuation according to data provided by Mine Development Associates (MDA) last week. Simultaneously, new drillings are being performed and the preliminary data guarantee higher reserves and tenor allowing, in this way, more independency from the price."
Deutsche Bank executive Jeffrey Stufsky describes the exclusive operation contract between the CVG and Crystallex as excellent, pointing out the importance of setting a short-term profit-making timeframe.
Rangel Gomez says the main interest on the part of the CVG is "the consolidation of sustainable economical activity in the southern zone of Bolivar State, with the creation of employment and the social benefits welfare for the communities ... this will accrue profit to Venezuela and also signal the start-up of mining projects in Bolivar State.”