Caribbean countries, including Dominica, that are presently enjoying the PetroCaribe agreement with Venezuela, may have to look to alternative sources of oil because the recently elected Opposition coalition has announced it will review agreements under the deal.
Tomas Guanipa, secretary general of Primero Justicia (a Venezuelan opposition party which forms part of the coalition of opposition parties, MUD) and re-elected deputy to the National Assembly, said this week that Venezuela’s oil is for Venezuelans.
“We can not continue selling oil in twenty years when we are in need of immediate resources. We will promote that our oil is for Venezuelans,” he said.
He called on the government “to listen with humility” what voters said in the election which was held on December 6.
“To fight it takes two and we will not fall for that, we go to the AN (National Assembly) to exercise a mandate that the people gave us to find the solution of the problems of the people …” he said in an interview on Globovision.
He said the government must understand that the country needs “big deals to face this political, social and economic crisis.”
In the December 6 poll, the opposition coalition in Venezuela won control of the National Assembly by a landslide, dealing a severe blow to the ruling party and altering the balance of power after almost 17 years of socialist rule.
The coalition won at least 112 seats in the incoming 167-seat legislature, giving it a majority needed to strongly challenge President Nicolas Maduro’s grip on power.
PetroCaribe is an alliance between Venezuela and a number of Caribbean countries where oil is purchased on condition of preferential payment.
During a visit by Maduro to Dominica in September the initiative, together with ALBA, was praised by Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit.
“Not many, but some people in this world has criticized PetroCaribe, they have criticized ALBA, demonized President (Hugo) Chavez and President Maduro and the people of Venezuela, but it is those very same instruments of integration and cooperation that are serving as a lifeblood to many of our countries across Latin America and across the Caribbean,” he said.
Another jewel movement in the making !
I agree that Venezuela’s oil is for Venezuela and not for red clinic , yes we care, cooking gas, and NEP. Tell this government to get to work and stop depending on gifts used to purchase votes.
I don’t know if the DFP exists or not. All I know is that there are enough young, brilliant minds in Dominica to form a solid political party, so don’t look away. lets take a look at the Election results in Dom, SKB, SVG,,ANU and yes venezuela.. what the politicians need to understand is that, when kids are leaving school and cannot get a job, when fathers cannot find employment to support their families, and the list goes on, they become the deciding factor. the are the ones who becomes the campaigners all it take the new party is a promise of hope. If I was the leader of any new party there would be no reason to come out now. instead O would be silent, observing and making notes for my manifesto and come in with my rebuttal right after they Launch repeated empty promises. All it takes is just a convincing business plan
To review PetroCaribe Agreement. What does “review” mean? Even though he stated that the oil is for Venezuela, he has not stated that he will not supply those countries with oil. Keep positive.
Venezuela cannot solely drink/utilize the oil. They need money to purchase goods for their livelihood. If per chance he agrees to provide oil to those countries, I foresee that he will expect payment. Should this occur, this will be between Venezuela and all governments concerned to make such an arrangement.
Why needlessly worry over it? This new Parliament must first discuss it with all concerned and find a feasible solution to it. Remember, other countries are involved. I imagine this will be a heated debate with due consideration for other nations who were supplied with oil.
We must take this stance: Que Sera, Sera. Whatever will be, will be.
Let everything take its course which it must without negativity,
Utter gobbledegook Facts you are spewing there. Sometimes it is better to be quiet rather than show off your ignorance.
Everyone who has basic common sense should comprehend the heading of this article. Note, he stated “to review PetroCaribe agreement”, as posted by DNO.
What would you like me to state? Lambaste and criticize Venezuela and the
‘D/can PM as some of you have done? It is not my style. I rank higher than that in intelligence and understanding.
If Venezuela decides not to supply oil to those countries, who, in the end will be the loser? D/ca and the other countries will not fall. They will find another alternative.
You are not more intelligent than I. If only you would put on your thinking cap if you have one and think before you insult others. Do not be disagreeable.
A positive person is a happy and peaceful one unlike a negative one.
You are the one who talk garbage because you did not comprehend what was stated according to the article.. Smarten up!
This article describes the reality that most of these naysayers don’t understand. they are opposing for no good reason the very things that have kept the Island moving forward just for the sake of opposition. Be weary of fools.
My view of them is they are negative as always. They do not think and are always placing the cart before the horse. They assume they are more intelligent than others who do not think and comment as they. They are the ones who are not smart, who have no common sense as they exhibit and as the pot which calls the kettle black. Their comments tell much about them.
after 37 years of so call independence, it is time now for us to gird/ tie our waist and to start working hard to build our country for our selves . the Almighty has blessed us with more than enough resources to develop ourselves . have we become a nation of parasites sucking the blood of tax payers of other countries where there are many poor people sometimes even poorer than us Roosevelt Skerrit must go or we all will suce sel and s skerrit and his sharks and barracudas will feast on our flesh skerrit must go!!!!
By reading all these views it seems like skeritt is the only one using venezuelan oil
You are right. Those in opposition only use the sea water, it would seem to any reader. When it rains in Dominica, I would I guess be correct to assume only the DLP supporters get wet. So not having the cooking gas etc. will not affect them. They know where their gas will come from and the other benefits we obtained from Venezuela.
But for most Dominicans, a friendship with Venezuela is to our advantage, so I pray Dominica and Venezuela can maintain the diplomatic ties and friendship we have had for many years.
Is Dominica Skerrit Country or all of us own to build? If it’s for all of us I don’t see the happiness and rejoicing in this news. Some of us heart is filled with so much hate for our fellow men that we can’t even see we crippling ourselves. Continue and believe we hurting Skerrit, Austrie, Blackmore and the other cabinet members. We better come together and work for one common cause which is Nation building. Else too late shall be our cry. God bless Roosevelt Skerrit, Government Ministers and God Bless Dominica on a whole.
I hope Mr. Thomas Guanipe would review what is happening at Petro Caribe Dominica. The first order on his agenda, as far as Dominica is concerned, is to either summon Mr. Regie to report to Venezuela immediately or he should send a delegation to Dominica to meet with him. The Venezuelans should be very concerned, why one man has so much control over an entity like Petro Caribe. Since the creation of Petro Caribe, I understood the same man has been Minister and Director responsible for Petro Caribe. Further, the man has been on sick leave for months and no other Minister has been asked to act in that particular Ministry. We have heard so many reports concerning the debts of that establishment, it is alleged, the amount is approximately $1 billion, isn’t time the Ministry under the purview of Regie, put the reports right.
Oh boy if Venezuela remove the concession Tout Domnique suce sel
This is it for sure the one that gets Skerrit out of office. LOL. What a joke, do you people even understand where we were in that point in time where the great USA had the oil as monopoly? The threat of the U.S. going to drill for oil and exporting has caused the rich oil countries to drop their price of oil. Once the government have to pay market price now they will go under and Lenox will now be PM. Is PM Linton now has to pay for the fuel at the same price then? Would he now not be run out of office too? You people are so blinded by hate you all don’t even realize they’re killing the country and won’t be able to save it if they become the government. When they look at it am sure they will leave it just as is, they will realize it will be better to sell to us because America is going to sell oil to these same countries and put them out of business. The mainland USA only care about themselves, look they wont even save PR.
Do not count your chickens before they are hatched. A wise person who is not especially involved in it would simply wait and see.
Real Possie, go visit Venezuela and you will see really who and where ALBA kill. Get your facts right
There has been an abused of power and resources in Venezuela…….the economy id hand to mouth one exported to lazy governments like Dominica.
we can sit back and think that there was no method to their madness when they drove down oil prices. it was all leading up to this. the best way to go to war is to have people feel it in their pockets. I always knew that they were after that oil.. Do you all really think that America will stand by and watch China come in on all these shores? they will force the Caribbean to stop trading with China very soon. trust me.. they will weaken them. Look, Listen and Learn.
Some of you sound so happy, but it is not surprising as many of you have translated your hate for Skeritt into hating Dominica. Dominica is not the only country involved in Petro Caribe and if the national Assembly in Venezuela would cancel the agreement we would all suffer including those who are now laughing and talking about chickens coming home to roost. Bear in mind however if the Petro Caribe agreement is cancelled Venezuela still have to wait for payment for oil delivered under the existing agreement, they can’t make demands for immediate payment.
The joke is, the ones laughing are the ones that will suffer instead of the Skerrit and his people they think they laughing at
Point, get a sharpener, you getting dull man.
We shall prevail.. We shall not be moved!!
You shall not move, you will not be able to afford Gas
who ever is responsible for paying for the Gas/oil we (Dominicans) are enjoying in Dominica need to pay Venezuela on a regular basis, because there is too much poverty in Venezuela and the Big Supremos there enjoying the oil money and incurring more debt on Dominicans by not paying on a more regular basis with that the so-called agreement they claim to have with ALBA.. PAY UP Because the GAS is selling and you all have the Venezuelans there suffering. God don’t like UGLY and GREEDY
With what he gonna pay? Dominica needs 2,6 billion, we not selling nothing
We can not continue selling oil in twenty years when we are in need of immediate resources. We will promote that our oil is for Venezuelans, Guanipa it was not working as skerrit was getting the oil cheap but making a profit on the backs of the poor. Now the same poor people have to pay for it.
Correction DNO 112 seats to the opposition giving it a two-thirds super majority.
The petro caribe lifeblood partnered with this DLP government has failed to complete a 3.5mile road between Rosalie and petite soufriere ever since the elections of 2009.
6 years ago!
That’s disgraceful!
When is the projected date for completion of the Rosalie the petite soufriere link road?????
That’s de most visible proof of de arrangement between petro caribe and the government of Dominica.
I propose that if daddy Chavez was alive the road would have been completed within a year.
We have been duped by Roosevelt Skerrit!
Nuff said!
And petite Soufriere people still voted him. He build some houses under a hill say to relocate some people and that was during the first set of slides. Erica caused more damage, up until now the housed are empty. yet to deliver.He is keeping it for next Election cause they will have nothing else to give.. they can take that in their nennennn..
Well to the winer goes the spoils, the wish of the US must be satisfied. Total control of Venezuelan oil.
Definitely a “winer” Point! Hope he has two bottles of Kubuli in his hands to go with it.
Serving as a life blood while sucking from the life blood of the Venezuelan people. Every rope has an end. Some end abruptly and some indicate when the end is near. 15 years of neglect to Dominican development will come and bite us in the ass. When some of us speak out and try to put commonsense in our people some brain dead idiots think is jealousy of almighty PM. 15 years is more than enough time to see fruits of our labor. Let no body come tell me it was the recession and TS Erika. How many Dominicans experience a pay raise to match the rise in taxes and cost of living? Apart from Gov officials I want someone to answer me. Wait and see how much Better its going to get. After TS Erika the PM biggest idea is promotion of citizenship by investment. That is a quet way to simply put ” The sale of Dominica “. The worst is yet to come. This is a desperate man with no ideas.
If only you could see the future.
Some of you are just too negative. Always putting the cart before the horse and to see you do not even know what the future holds and what will happen. Keep this in mind.
AWWW Skerrit,How the tide could turn,hope you got the warning from the US,YOU WILL HAVE TO BUY @ THE MARKET PRICE,NEVER BITE THE HAND THAT FEED YOU,YOU LOVE THE US HOSPITALS BUT NOTHING ELSE,BRACE FOR IT SKERRIT,THE VENEZUELANS OIL IS NOT YOUR ANY MORE.
We have oil in our country near Martinique so let’s start the drilling.
geothermal all the way
Do we have to wait at the next general elections before the government can tell us at what stage is the Geothermal business? Or should we wait for another General Elections for more promises?
Oh boy, it looks like the chickens are coming home to roost! Soon Venezuela will coming knocking on the door for payment of their fuel supplies and our Minister of Finance will have to explain what happened to all the money in the Kitty of the Dominica National Petroleum Company that was supposed to be used to pay these bills. Mr. Austrie was appointed the sole director of that company when it was set up in 2005. Is that perhaps why he is he has gone awol without any sign of his usual combative and vituperative remarks for his alleged opponents? Reggie I wish you well but surely you are not that sick that you can not talk? It is your renowned tongue that does the talking, not your knee!
Dear Titiwi,
Regardless of the issues at hand, your comments are always succinct and do justice to the English language. Thank you for introducing me to the word “vituperative”.
You are welcome Roger. As an old adage says:
– the fiercest weapon known to men,
is the sharp nib of a pen –
DNO, you could have updated the part on the number of seats won by the Opposition. It is not 99 but 112 (more than two-thirds or 67 %). And Dominica is not ‘enjoying” the PetroCaribe Agreement but rather is benefiting from the concessional financing of imports of petroleum products from Venezuela that the agreement affords.