NewsWhore
01-26-2010, 04:00 PM
Shortly after the news of the visit of Honduran President-elect Porfirio Lobo to the DR and the negotiated agreement for ousted President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras, the country learned that Venezuela was turning down its option to buy the Dominican Petroleum Refinery. This was a US$131.5 million deal that was consigned in the 2010 National Budget. The purchase had been announced in 30 June with the visit of Chavez to sign the deal, but the signing was postponed when Zelaya, who had the strong support of President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, was ousted. The signing has since been postponed on several occasions.
In the DR, Finance Minister Vicente Bengoa had announced that Chavez was expected in the DR this month for the signing of the agreement. But following Lobo's visit, Spanish news agency EFE reported that Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said that the Venezuelan government would not buy out the 49% of the shares of the Dominican Petroleum refinery on the grounds that it was "not convenient" for Venezuela.
On Friday, secretary of the presidency Cesar Pina Toribio said the Dominican government had not received official notification from the Venezuelan government that it was backing down from the purchase, as reported in Listin Diario on Saturday.
The refinery processes approximately 34,000 barrels of fuel a day and is a major importer of fuel. The DR government had bought its 50% share from Shell.
Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso denied that foreign policy had influenced the Venezuelan volte-face, as reported in Hoy on Sunday, 24 January.
Also see http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=87856
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)
In the DR, Finance Minister Vicente Bengoa had announced that Chavez was expected in the DR this month for the signing of the agreement. But following Lobo's visit, Spanish news agency EFE reported that Venezuelan Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said that the Venezuelan government would not buy out the 49% of the shares of the Dominican Petroleum refinery on the grounds that it was "not convenient" for Venezuela.
On Friday, secretary of the presidency Cesar Pina Toribio said the Dominican government had not received official notification from the Venezuelan government that it was backing down from the purchase, as reported in Listin Diario on Saturday.
The refinery processes approximately 34,000 barrels of fuel a day and is a major importer of fuel. The DR government had bought its 50% share from Shell.
Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso denied that foreign policy had influenced the Venezuelan volte-face, as reported in Hoy on Sunday, 24 January.
Also see http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=87856
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)