Venezuela always comes off second best in bilateral relations with Brazil

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Thursday, April 17, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Veteran political analyst, Domingo Alberto Rangel says he has reached the conclusion that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias and Brazilian President Lula da Silva represent sectors of the Venezuelan and Brazilian oligarchy respectively because neither has declared an intention to abolish private property and taken any definite steps in that direction. 

"There is a big difference between the two." 

The oligarchy that surrounds Lula is " coherent, lucid and a really dominant strata" with two outstanding intellectuals: Alencar and Meirelles, whereas Chavez Frias'  oligarchy is "uncouth, social climber and predatory. "We are seeing a replay of the old relationship between a messianic warlord and an oligarchy with its own ambitions." 

Tackling Brazilian-Venezuelan bilateral relations, Rangel states that the recent treaty with Brazil shows the superiority of Lula and his team. 

Rangel forecasts that in twenty years South America will be a concentric continent with everything turning around the axis of Brazil.  "To ignore this fact is stupid but to surrender to it, will be suicide."  

"The Brazilians won this particular battle with the treaty and we must remember that Brazilian interests and not ours are top priority for them."

The treaty grants Brazil the right to use eastern Venezuelan port facilities and allows their vehicles to travel overland between the two countries. There is no doubt it will benefit our deprived eastern zones. 

Rangel points out somewhat bitterly that it is exactly the same concession that Chavez Frias' stupid foreign policy withdrew from Colombia in 1999, showing the inferiority complex our military officers feel towards their Colombian counterparts ... "the more trucks that crisscross our highways whether from Brazil or Colombia, the better for our economy." 

"Venezuela should demand equality of conditions or at least compensations for allowing other nations to use our highways." 

Rangel comments that the principle has been forgotten in Brazil's case ... " I think it didn't even cross the mind of the Venezuelan negotiators (I don't know them)."

It is not a question  of asking for permission for Venezuelan trucks to reach Manaus. 

Venezuela should have wrenched a concession from Brazil for the right of Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and subsidiaries to lay a pipeline between Anaco or El Tigre and Manaus. ... the right to build a refinery in Manaus and a network of gasoline station through the North Brazil.

Wrapping up his argument, Rangel points out that the 60-days oil stoppage in Venezuela demonstrated that the USA and Europe can rescind of Venezuelan oil supplies completely and once oil wells in the Caspian Sea and Mediterranean start operating, Venezuela will be even weaker. 

"We must seek new markets and diversify clients ... the only strong emerging market is Brazil which will soon become the second or third economic power in the world. Manaus has been an economic center before and will be again. Venezuela could provide it with oil."

Forums

Referendum 2003 discuss the pros and cons of a revocatory referendum

President Hugo Chavez Frias express your opinions on the Presidency of Hugo Chavez Frias and his Bolivarian Revolution

Bolivarian Circles Are Bolivarian Circles a Venezuelan form of Neighborhood Watch Committees or violent hordes of pro-Chavez thugs?

Venezuela's Opposition What is it? Is a force to be reckoned with or in complete disarray?

Our editorial statement reads: VHeadline.com Venezuela is a wholly independent e-publication promoting democracy in its fullest expression and the inalienable  right of all Venezuelans to self-determination and the pursuit of sovereign independence without interference. We seek to shed light on nefarious practices and the corruption which for decades has strangled this South American nation's development and progress. Our declared editorial bias is pro-democracy and pro-Venezuela ... which some may wrongly interpret as anti-American. --  Roy S. Carson, Editor/Publisher  Editor@VHeadline.com