Venezuela: Friend or Foe?

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On Citgo Gasoline:
Tired of supporting the war in the Middle-east? Start buying Citgo gas. It comes from Venezuela.
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A previous Sound Off caller(above) said we should buy Citgo gas because it comes from Venezuela. Its nationalized by Venezuela; its state-owned, and Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s president, has sworn to dig the grave of U.S. imperialists. He’s one of the worst U.S. enemies and controls Citgo. I won’t buy it.

This is an interesting comment only because the Bush Administration has no problem in principle buying crude from Saudi Arabia or other Islamic states in the Middle-East. But the Administration views Venezuela as a major problem primarily because the government of leftist President Hugo Chavez has retaken possession and control of their countries most prized natural resource – the oil fields. Chavez has literally cancelled oil contracts and booted out some western oil profiteers and members of the Bush base. There has actually been suggestions to assassinate Chavez from the likes of Christian (thou shall not kill) TV evangelist Pat Robertson. In the meantime, Chavez has donated energy supplies to needy people in the U.S. despite Bush Administrations threats. Charles S. Shapiro, the State Department's principal deputy assistant secretary for Western hemisphere affairs cried foul, said Chavez is providing oil for low-income people not for the sake of monetary profits but for "for political gain." Chavez is no enemy to the people of the United States.

Why its a good idea to buy goods made from state-owned and nationalized forced labor in a communist country like China but a bad idea to buy state-owned gasoline from a democratic country like Venezuela is something only a corporatist can explain.

The reference defending U.S. imperialism is more troubling, assuming the caller supports it. Imperialism draws heavy criticism on the grounds it has been frequently employed for economic exploitation in which the imperialist power makes use of other countries as sources of raw materials and cheap labor, shaping their economies to suit its own interests, and keeping their people in poverty. One can hardly blame that Hugo Chavez opposes this agenda. When imperialism is accompanied by overt military conquest of non-human rights abusing nations, it is seen as a violation of freedom and human rights.

It turns out that the U.S./Venezuela relationship is just another failure of the Bush foreign policy, and unfortunately Hugo Chavez is being driven to ally himself with other troubled and indifferent nations.

Should you buy gas from Citgo? There is no reason not to.