Once fires were completely extinguished yesterday, national government institutions began investigating the cause of the recent explosion in Venezuela’s largest refinery. The government has designated large amounts of compensation to victims’ families, and together with community members is helping to repair damaged housing.
The Venezuelan government has confirmed that 41 people have been killed in a gas explosion at the country's biggest oil refinery in Amuay, located in the western state of Falcón. An immediate investigation has been launched into the causes of the accident.
In his first public statement on his prospective oil policy were he to be elected, opposition candidate Capriles Radonski said that he would put an end to Venezuela’s current preferential oil deals with governments abroad, in favour of spending the revenue from the country’s petroleum industry on domestic “social programs”.
Venezuela President Hugo Chavez met with Argentine Planning Minister Julio De Vido last Monday in Caracas for discussions that saw the head of the Caribbean nation invite his South American allies to join in the oil exploitation of the largest crude reserves in the world.
The Venezuelan government has reiterated its commitment to implement the electronic tagging of cars to combat contraband in fuel sales, despite an opposition campaign against the initiative.
By Correo del Orinoco International , Apr 28th 2012
Venezuela was the first to express its full “support and solidarity” for Argentina as President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner decided to assert greater control over the country’s natural energy resources.
Venezuela’s state gas enterprise PDVSA Gas reached a compensation agreement with companies Wilpro El Furrial and Wilpro Pigap II over the nationalisation of their gas compression and injection plants.
A look at the recent regional shift towards ALBA, and organisation which the author feels has become a more dynamic alternative to CARICOM. Many Caribbean countries, as neoliberalism hits hart, are also looking more towards Venezuela than the US for alliances.
