Chavez staying true to pledge for U.S. poor
By ESTANISLAO OZIEWICZ, Friday, September 23, 2005, Globe and Mail
When Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on the weekend that he was going to open the taps on subsidized heating oil for poor folks in the United States, many assumed it was a drive-by comment aimed at raising the ire of his frequent critics in Washington.
But, as it turns out, Mr. Chavez is a man of his word.
Officials at Citgo Petroleum Corp. -- the Houston-based company that is wholly owned by Venezuela's state-owned energy company -- say they are scrambling to put the fine points on Mr. Chavez's promise to supply some of the poorest neighbourhoods in the United States with cheap heating oil this winter.
"The idea is to work with communities in need, with schools, and we'll have to work through not-for-profit organizations that will serve as intermediaries," public affairs manager Fernando Garay said.
...
Ms. Buxton said that Mr. Chavez's U.S. foray was borne of pragmatism and ideology.
"He's been deeply, deeply frustrated by coverage in the U.S. media and the attitude of the U.S. government, and he's trying to counter a very Republican-directed vendetta," she said, a vendetta that included a call by U.S. evangelist Pat Robertson for his assassination.
"He clearly needed to build constructive alliances with more liberal sections of American society and open a way to insulate himself against his Washington enemies."
When Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on the weekend that he was going to open the taps on subsidized heating oil for poor folks in the United States, many assumed it was a drive-by comment aimed at raising the ire of his frequent critics in Washington.
But, as it turns out, Mr. Chavez is a man of his word.
Officials at Citgo Petroleum Corp. -- the Houston-based company that is wholly owned by Venezuela's state-owned energy company -- say they are scrambling to put the fine points on Mr. Chavez's promise to supply some of the poorest neighbourhoods in the United States with cheap heating oil this winter.
"The idea is to work with communities in need, with schools, and we'll have to work through not-for-profit organizations that will serve as intermediaries," public affairs manager Fernando Garay said.
...
Ms. Buxton said that Mr. Chavez's U.S. foray was borne of pragmatism and ideology.
"He's been deeply, deeply frustrated by coverage in the U.S. media and the attitude of the U.S. government, and he's trying to counter a very Republican-directed vendetta," she said, a vendetta that included a call by U.S. evangelist Pat Robertson for his assassination.
"He clearly needed to build constructive alliances with more liberal sections of American society and open a way to insulate himself against his Washington enemies."
posted 4:51 PM
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