In an attempt to recreate the opening chapter of Atlas Shrugged, and to show America the next step in 'real' socialism - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has sent the troops in to take over companies that provide services for his oil industry."This is a revolutionary offensive," he told workers near Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela's main oil-producing area.
Military vehicles were used as the state oil company [You'll remember that Mr. Chavez nationalized his country's main oil assets two whole years ago] seized supply boats and two US-owned gas facilities. It seems the dip in oil prices put his finances under pressure?
The move places hundreds of boats, several ports and an estimated 8,000 oil workers under state control.
My thought on is that on the surface he'll save some money - at first. However, no one with half a brain will invest or build infrastructure in Venezuela - if such a person still existed? The revenues eventually lost by the lack of service providers to Venezuela in extraction, support, and transport will eventually cost him more than he's gaining on this take over move. The Oil companies will simply wait out the rest of Mr. Chavez's political life - they are very patient people. And seeing as how (in my useless opinion) he will eventually drain the pocketbook quicker - his political life is now significantly shorter.
If you would like to help end Mr. Chavez's reign of terror on his people, I recommend that you stop filling up at Citgo stations. Citgo is incorporated in the US, but is owned by Venezuela.Vote with your pocketbook.
Haliburton is a fuel services company.
ReplyDeleteChavez is pissing off some powerful people.
Haliburton is a a conglomerate of engineering firms that service the oil and gas industry, space industry (brown and root). Chavez is getting desperate because he can't pay his bills, and most of what he confiscated were what was left behind from the shut downs. Those private firms have been quietly shuttering those rigs since Jan. and this wasn't unexpected. CITGO US is not totally owned by PVSA and refines allot of domestic oil too. The gas stations are also locally owned franchises so if you don't buy gas their, your just hurting a local business owner.
ReplyDeleteWildlillie,
ReplyDeleteI could give a rats ass about Haliburton or the stuff chavez stole.
and you are right about Citgo owners. But as much as I'd like to keep supporting small businesses, I've made it a point to NOT go to Citgo.
If even one penny goes to someone who calls our president "the Devil" then that person is no friend of mine or my country. I don't care if you hate Bush or Obama or any of those crooks -- they're our crooks.
If you have the head of another state calling the other one names like a toddler in the playground you're not getting my money and you're asking for a fight.