President Chávez: Venezuelan Economy Keeps Strengthening Whilst Crisis Shakes the World

According to Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, the economic and political strategic alliances built and strengthened by Venezuela over the last 12 years will help the country to face the blows of the world economic crisis from a stronger position.

Whilst crisis is being unleashed throughout Europe and is generating chaos all over the world, Venezuela remains stable and will keep strengthening its economy every day, said Chávez from La Habana, Cuba.

“It caught my attention two days ago that the world press showed that the stock markets were falling, except for the Venezuelan one,” said Chávez , who is currently undergoing the second phase of his cancer treatment. The president added that Venezuela is economically independent from international financial organisations, and contrasted this with the situation in some European countries at the moment, such as in Spain and Greece, who are immersed in a financial crisis.

“The United States cannot escape from this situation”, affirmed Chávez,  who added that it was vital to empower the Venezuelan armed forces and their national defensive capacity in order to protect Venezuela’s extensive  oil reserves from possible attack.

“There, Obama is in his own labyrinth,” said Chávez, highlighting that the U.S. president had admitted that his administration was experiencing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of 1929 after the U.S.’s credit rating was downgraded last week.

 Chávez remarked that U.S. Government representatives were “getting crazy, they are a huge military power and are acting like a wounded lion. We must be careful.”

“We need a very powerful Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB), because we have the largest oil reserves in the world” said Chávez, who added that there were people and an armed forces ready to defend the interests of the country should any aggression be mounted against Venezuela.

“If they do (attack us), they will pay a high price,” said the Venezuelan mandate.

China Grants Credit

President Chávez also stated that a new international credit agreement of 4,000 million dollars is currently being negotiated with China, who will provide the credit in exchange for oil. High-ranking representatives of the Venezuelan administration are now in China to negotiate this financial agreement.

Chávez also highlighted that Venezuela’s strong international relationships meant that it could bypass international monetary organisations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and pointed out that a 4,000 million dollar credit agreement had already been reached with neighbouring Brazil.

Russia Negotiates Finance

The Bolivarian Government is also negotiating a 4,000 million dollar credit agreement with Russia, the funds will go towards the equipment and training of the FANB. In reference to the negotiations, Chavez confirmed that he had recently spoken with the Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin in order to discuss the details of this cooperative agreement.

In the next few days, Finance and Planning Minister, Jorge Giordani, will travel to Moscow in order to finalise a 2,000 million dollar credit payment which will continue to strengthen the FANB.

“There is a socialist revolution in our country. See what is happening in Libya and now in Syria. There, they are preparing for aggressions too” he said.

“We no longer depend on the Yankees’ who want to blackmail us, spying from within our military units and buying people off. We are free and we must salute and thank Russia,” stated Giordani.

“They will never divide again the FANB as they have done in the past,” said the minister to members of the Venezuelan opposition, who have been meeting with Whitehouse officials in preparation for the 2012 presidential elections.

Edited by Venezuelanalysis