Chavez Says 'Empire's' Navy Doesn't Intimidate Him

Could it be that Washington is trying to intimidate Venezuela with large-scale naval maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea? According to this article from Venezuela's Cadena Global, President Hugo Chavez said, 'We aren't afraid of the Paper Empire!,' and 'We are preparing ourselves' for America's attempt to 'enslave us.'

Translated By Paula van de Werken

May 7, 2006
Venezuela - Cadena Global - Original Article (Spanish)    



Aircraft Carrier USS George Washington,
Now Taking Part in Naval Exercises That Venezuela
Says are Meant to Intimidate It. (above).


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During his Sunday "Hello President [Alo Presidente]" program, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez maintained that the purpose of the American military presence in the Caribbean is to "intimidate" his Government, and he warned that the "Bolivarian Revolution isn't afraid of the Empire." Chavez also announced that he would push forward a legal reform to increase taxes paid for the extraction of  oil.



Hugo Chavez: Just
Because You're Paranoid,
Doesn't Mean They're Not
Out to Get You ...

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"There are 6,000 sailors in the Caribbean and I don't know how many aircraft carriers and submarines. Just because they sail around the Caribbean with fleets they feel like putting there, they aren't going to threaten us, they aren't going to frighten us, we aren't afraid of the Paper Empire!" Chavez declared.

The Venezuelan ruler argued that the presence of the United States Ambassador to Caracas, William Brownfield, "onboard and outfitted by the fleet,"  shows that "those military maneuvers taking place right here under our noses, are meant to threaten us."

Brownfield has rejected claims that his country's military maneuvers in the Caribbean, as part of "Operation Partnership of the Americas," are meant to intimidate Venezuela.

Taking part in the United States maneuvers, beside the aircraft carriers, are over a hundred combat aircraft, a cruiser, a destroyer, a frigate with missiles and 6,500 sailors, according to various sources.

The American maneuvers, which began in April and will continue through May,  are taking place in international waters and also within the waters of Curacao, Aruba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, San Cristobel and Nevis, among other Caribbean nations.

Chavez insistently denounced the presumed intention of Washington "to invade" Venezuela to take over its reserves of over 3.15 billion barrels of oil (according to official figures). The White House denies the allegation.

"If the United States thinks it can come here and enslave us, there will be nothing left for us to do than go to the mountains and to the neighborhoods and resist the aggression. We are preparing ourselves," the Chief of State reiterated during his Sunday program.

Chavez accuses the Government of the United States of "Imperialism" and of "meddling" in Venezuela's internal affairs, while Washington calls the President of Venezuela "authoritarian" and a promoter of "anti-American" sentiment.

NEW TAX ON OIL EXTRACTION



Map and Graphic of the Orinoco Belt and Venezuela's Energy Resources.

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During the program, Chavez announced he would push forward a legal reform to increase tax payments for oil extraction.

"We are going to create a new oil tax, called the tax on extraction. Companies are earning a lot of money from the oil that they are taking from Venezuela," Chavez said, in regard to the international oil company partnerships operating in the country.

Despite the announcement by Chavez that oil companies which produce heavy crude in the Orinoco Belt will pay taxes of 50%, rather than the present rate which is closer to 34%, he didn't precisely specify the new tax rate.

British company British Petroleum Plc,  American Exxon-Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and ConocoPhilips, France's Total SA and Norwegian Statoil, operate in the Orinoco Faja Belt.

Executives of the state-run company Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) said a short while ago that Venezuela wants to convert four heavy crude operations into "mixed enterprises."

Chavez said that in 2007 the new tax would generate close to $1 billion in new revenue, without going into further details.

Spanish Version Below

Chávez: EEUU quiere "amedrentar" con maniobras en el Caribe

El presidente venezolano, Hugo Chávez, sostuvo este domingo durante su programa "Aló Presidente" que la presencia militar estadounidense en el Caribe pretende "amedrentar" a su Gobierno, y advirtió que la "revolución bolivariana no le tiene miedo al imperio". Chávez anunció impulsará una reforma legal para aumentar el pago de impuestos a la extracción petrolera

"Ahí están en el Caribe 6.000 marines y no sé cuántos portaaviones y submarinos. "Que se paseen por el Caribe con las flotas que les dé la gana, no nos van a amenazar, no nos van a asustar, no le tenemos miedo al imperio de papel!", afirmó Chávez.

El mandatario venezolano, argumentó que la presencia del embajador de EEUU en Caracas, William Brownfield, "montado en la flota y equipado", demuestra que "esas maniobras militares aquí mismo, en nuestra cara, tienen el fin de amenazarnos".

Brownfield ha desechado que las maniobras militares de su país en el Caribe, enmarcadas en la llamada operación "Confraternidad con las Américas", tengan como objetivo intimidar a Venezuela.

Según diversas fuentes, además de portaaviones, en la maniobra de EEUU participan más de un centenar de aeronaves de combate, un crucero, un destructor, una fragata con misiles y 6.500 marines.

Las maniobras estadounidenses, que comenzaron en abril y se extenderán durante mayo, tienen lugar en aguas internacionales y también bajo la jurisdicción de Curazao, Aruba, Jamaica, Trinidad y Tobago, San Cristóbal y Nevis, entre otras naciones caribeñas.

Chávez denuncia con insistencia las presuntas intenciones de Washington de "invadir" a Venezuela para apoderarse de sus reservas petroleras, de más de 315.000 millones de barriles, según datos oficiales, algo que la Casa Blanca niega.

"Si a los EEUU se les ocurre venir aquí a tratar de esclavizarnos no nos quedaría más que irnos a las montañas, a los barrios, a resistir la agresión, y nos estamos preparando", reiteró el jefe de Estado en su programa dominical.

Chávez acusa al Gobierno de EEUU de "imperialista" y de "intervenir" en los asuntos internos venezolanos, al tiempo que Washington califica al gobernante de Venezuela de "autoritario" y promotor de un sentimiento "antiamericano".

 Nuevo impuesto a extracción petrolera

Durante el programa Chávez anunció impulsará una reforma legal para aumentar el pago de impuestos a la extracción petrolera.

"Vamos a crear un nuevo impuesto petrolero, llamado impuesto a la extracción. Están ganando mucho dinero las empresas que están sacando petróleo en Venezuela,'' dijo Chávez respecto a las empresas internacionales con operación en el país.

Pese a que Chávez anunció que las empresas que explotan crudo pesado en la Faja Petrolífera del Orinoco pagarán impuestos por 50%, en lugar de una tasa cercana a 34%, no precisó con exactitud la tasa del nuevo impuesto.

En la Faja Petrolífera operan la empresa británica BP Plc, las estadounidenses Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. y ConocoPhillips, además de la francesa Total SA y la noruega Statoil.

Ejecutivos de la empresa estatal Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) señalaron hace poco que Venezuela desea que accedan a transformar cuatro explotaciones de crudo pesado en "empresas mixtas''.

Chávez dijo que en 2007 ingresarán cerca de 1.000 millones de dólares generados por el nuevo impuesto, sin precisar detalles adicionales.