On Hugo Chavez

Hugo's Friendships

Hugo was the name of a hurricane, a category V, which means very destructive. What's in a name? Toady a person behind that same name finds a stage, as the Venezuelan kingpin talks about his dear friend, Moammar Gadhafi. Over the years, there has come some semblance of control over both Chavez and Moammar. For Gadhahi, until recently, he has remained pretty quiet ever since Regan bombed his Libya palace. The only problem? Moammar wasn't home to greet the missile carrying a payload equal to 10-tonnes of TNT, but his 3-year old daughter was there day-dreaming, probably didn't feel a thing! Daddy, what's that sound....And over the years, the United States has reigned in control upon Venezuela's Chavez, due his affiliation with the opposition, like gorilla like “militia” forces. Now my country t'is of thee has not attempted to bomb Chavez's palace, as we have other ways of getting even, in efforts at how we control his sincerity towards the U.S. A subsidiary of Chavez's state run oil cartel, it is alive and well here on America soil, to refine crude oil that is delivered from Venezuela. That is the caveat that finds some semblance of control over this dictator that sells gasoline to his countrymen for 25-cents a gallon! Wow, what a deal, maybe we should have the “State” take over “Big Oil”. Now without refining capacity of his own, Chavez has been in a sort of a head lock, his country's well-being economically, it relies on Uncle Sam and the refining agreement, no matter how hard the neo-conservative movement hates this man. We hate him, we help him, what a relationship! Without refining capacity, he cannot have an independent country. He has oil. That means money, but with no refining capacity, the country comes to a standstill. And stalling the advancement of that infrastructure - homeland refining capabilities - this is what the U.S. has found as a ways and means to control Chavez. It has worked, for well over 30-years by now. That is why we hear so much rhetoric from both sides, yet it may be loud, it is just a lot of threatening gestures – hot air finger pointing! It is a love and hate relationship. The oil from Venezuela has to come to the states, as there exists no other option. Especially when Citgo is still a viable business on our homeland, an entity owned by Chavez but providing jobs and income here in the states. The Citgo sign still shines over Fenway Park in Boston, even after numerous petitions supported by the NRA tried to tear it down. “Oil for heating fuel”, an establishment funded by Chavez's oil supply and used to help out Americans in need, that program has helped home-owners from as far away as Alaska, the state with some of the largest producing oil fields. How ironic. Courtesy of Chavez's “goodwill”, this program provides low cost heating fuel, on an exchange for crude oil for money basis. It tallies up expenditures in the millions every year. It's free, no strings attached and managed by Joe Kennedy. It is another one of those things that the neo's hate! So call it a technology embargo to keep Venezuelans refining capacity here at home, whatever, but this relationship seems to work. When I worked for an international company providing gas turbines to Chavez, every piece of equipment destined to Venezuela as part of the project, anything that said “Made” or “Manufactured” in America, it had to be doctored, wherein all evidence that it came from the states was tampered with, gone forever. Yes indeed, for months, minimum wage earners under the disguise of the green card, these hard working individuals without any rights per Scott Walker, they would spend 10-hours a day in the hot sun of Houston, grinding off any decal, branding or evidence that could or would connect the merchandise to America. It wasn't allowed, to legally ship this stuff to Venezuela, because this country's only stronghold over Chavez was through a technology ban, so he couldn't build, extend or re-furbish his state run refineries past a certain break-away point. But things have changed and that grip so needed according to intelligence sources is about to cave in, as Chavez has found other friends. The thirst for oil has become a global race, wherein the once greatest guzzler has competition, from China. With that, the Chinese have taken an interest in Venezuela. Doesn't democracy allow me to pick and choose my friends? Hey, we can pick and chose who we befriend, its human nature. And if China wants to start providing a helping hand to Chavez with technology importing, there is nothing this country can do to stop it. So who else of interest is a strange bedfellow with Chavez? How about ENI Petroleum Exploration Company. Yes indeed, this foreign oil company that is in 2^nd place to break into the lucrative North Slope oil business in Alaska, this company has ties to Chavez. Matter of fact, ENI is 30-percent owner of Pioneer Natural Resources' Oooguruk oil field on Alaska's North Slope , the 1^st Independent to brave the “slope”. PNR is a Texas based oil company. ENI, an Italian “Big Oil” conglomerate. So ENI is now strutting influence in Alaska. And we here in Alaska are so damn excited about the Independents moving in to fill the void, we give them all kinds of tax breaks and royalty relief breaks, as if we can't live without them. Environmental responsibility? So far but a jokerman's response. But Alaska does not care about environment 1^st anymore, we want more oil, we want blood out of a turnip, so “our” yearly welfare check – a.k.a. PFD – squeals like a fat pig! Well it appears that Venezuela cannot live any longer without freedom for refining their own “black gold”, as ENI is on a mission to destroy the control this country has had over Chavez, through the delivery of refined products. ENI, again the 2^nd Independent that started up the Nikaitchuq field out at Oliktok Point up north in Alaska, and within 10-days in operation blew crude oil out a flare stack and all over the frozen Beaufort Sea, this foreign corporation wants to be a partner in building a world-class refinery in Venezuela for Chavez, and that in the end will allow Citgo to go away and that oil we need from Venezuela it will be but a thing of the past. It will be a catalyst to decrease our imports not by choice, thus in turn driving up the cost of oil here in the states. But that is the catch-22. As the price of oil increases due to supply shortfalls, so does the money bank rolled by the state of Alaska. So what to whatever happens down the lower 48 way, as we are a long ways away from Florida and the gorilla militia. We have oil, and we can make friends with the same followers of Chavez. Here is what gets me. It appears that the conditions and climate here in Alaska are such that the revenue guys cater to anybody with a ditch digger that wants to drill for oil. We give then carte blanch free-for-all permits and concessions. We don't even perform a background check. If we were to look into these Independents, we would find that “caution” should be exercised, we should not be giving them the keys to our safe. In fact, for a company like ENI, there should be a minimum of a 50% royalty, the same for the 30-percent ownership in PNR's grub stake. In fact, when ENI gets in bed with Hugo, there could be an ownership partnership relationship, which means that Hugo may own some of Alaska's oil. But that's OK, as then his “Fuel for Heating Oil” program will have some meaning, as the way the refineries operate here in the “Lost Frontier”, it is likewise dictatorship control. Now I can see that kind of control over a so-called enemy, but the control the refiners exercise upon my well-being, since when are the American citizens the “enemy”? One last thing, PNR was in Tunisia until they sold out their exploration and production assets right before the revolution? No insider trading here was there? I wonder what kind of influence this company's presence had upon that government, one that was overthrown “By the people, For the People” as we know this Texan has no qualms about raiding Juneau, to pull a John Wayne, and our legislative body doesn't dive for cover, but dives for the pen that gives them legislation their way! We are being held hostage. Alaska has changed, and not for the better, believe me, its in the hot- air. Oh, that's not hot-air from a natural gas flare, its pure crude oil boiling over and polluting the last natural place left on the slope. We have sold out once again, as we do not learn from our mistakes. In ending, Hugo helps his people and helps Americans, with affordable energy. In Alaska, leaders only help themselves and their strange bedfellows and this type of behavior crucifies the Constitution.

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