Petro Caribe a lifeline to Caribbean – PM

The St. John's Fisheries Cooperative petrol station in Portsmouth is part of the Petro Caribe initiative

The Petro Caribe Energy Cooperation Agreement Venezuela has with Dominica and other Caribbean countries has been described by Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit as the lifeblood of many countries in the region.

“I can say without any fear or contradiction that the Petro Caribe agreement is the lifeblood of many countries in the Caribbean and Latin America,” the prime minister told an official ceremony observing the pact’s 7th anniversary on Wednesday.

According to PM Skerrit, the agreement has emerged as one helping prop up some Caribbean nations.

“I know of countries today because of the global crisis, are using the funds from Petro Caribe to pay the salaries of public officers in these countries.  I know of countries today that are using the resources to make their debt payment that they are unable to meet on a monthly basis,” he told the function.

The prime minister said Dominica and the other regional states implementing the arrangement would have been worse off without it.

He also suggested that the Petro Caribe agreement was providing Dominica with energy security and energy independence.

PDV Caribe Dominica, the local joint venture petroleum company established here under the arrangement, supplies diesel, gasoline and LPG – what’s known locally as cooking gas.

Petro Caribe General Manager Guillermo Lozza

General Manager Guillermo Lozza believes that the Petro Caribe agreement has proved to be “most effective” in Dominica, providing energy security and social economic development.

He indicated that to date the company had imported from Venezuela, 600,000 barrels of petroleum products valued at an estimated US$60 million.

And Venezuelan Ambassador Carmen Martinez de Grijalva listed some of the projects undertaken in Dominica under the Petro Caribe pact, including the construction of houses, the Salibia Primary School, the Rosalie/Petite Soufriere Road, and airport extension works at the Melville Hall Airport.

Prime Minister Skerrit did not shy away from making it clear that he hoped Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez would remain in office, given his commitment to assisting Dominica and the rest of the region.

The prime minister said he hoped Chavez would be re-elected when the Latin American country holds upcoming general elections.

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32 Comments

  1. no love
    June 29, 2012

    why is a gallon of gas 15 plus dollars?…this PM is not feeling it from his own pocket like the average dominican so he can bramble his mouth and dcans with there eyes wide shut are just sitting down and taking it. REVOLUTION :twisted:

  2. justice v
    June 28, 2012

    this is excellent deal which i support a 100%.give the Prime Minister a chance Dominicans.

  3. DominicaFirst
    June 28, 2012

    It is Already a contradiction when you are trying to go Green but promoting Petroleum. Im just saying, these r the same people who said by 2020 Dominica will become petroleum free.
    Its not the difficult to build a geothermal plant, if you need help then seek help from Costa Rica, 80% of their energy comes from Geo… energy.

  4. 1979
    June 28, 2012

    LOLOOLOLOLOL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    everyone has heard of a BLT sandwich right??
    bacon, lettuce and tomato right??

    what we haven’t heard of is a LUOL sandwich
    Lies, untop of lies Sandwich…..

    that one might topple over if you stack it too much, OR it might be stacked so high that it won’t be able to fit in your mouth when it’s time to take a bite…..careful now my good sir….

  5. June 28, 2012

    THIS MAN IS JUST TRYING TO DISTRACT US FROM THE REAL ISSUE OF THE USAID EMBARRASMENT WITH HIS
    “RUM SHOP TALK”

  6. Met Yo
    June 28, 2012

    It is just a matter of time…

  7. Morihei Ueshiba
    June 28, 2012

    Dominicans must Stop Skerrit just a matter of time before America put Economic Sanctions on Dominica.
    This Anti-American stance will hurt Dominica.

    • Hehehehehehee
      June 28, 2012

      U need to have an economy for someone to put an economic sanction on u….Dominica has no economy!!!!

      • yep
        June 30, 2012

        HA NICE ONE

  8. June 28, 2012

    Here we go again,why must we be told about what is happening in Dominica from other people.For instance,it took Chavez to tell us about a cofee factory to be built in Dominica.The P.M. of St.Vincent had to tell us about $8M to LIAT.DNO is reporting that petro caribe imported 600,000 barrels of petrolium valued at US$60,000,not one word from the government.Can the Government tell us how much money that is being owed to petro caribe.

  9. Tiger
    June 28, 2012

    How can this agreement provide Dominica with energy independence when this form of energy does not belong to us. I wish these guys would stop repeating cliches that don’t apply to us. What if Chavez is no longer president of Venezuela? How much independence will we have then?

  10. Looking in
    June 28, 2012

    A lifeline to who? Use Dominica and the rest of the Caribbean name as cover up still.

  11. Akua
    June 28, 2012

    Ok…so very troubling that I read more about Dominica joining ALBA in its calling for ousting USAID. Now, let it be clear, USAID has done terrible things in Latin America, but if the PM is telling the truth that Dominica has not signed on, then something needs to be drastically cleared up in the media. Article found here: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/592373.html#axzz1z5iobzkN

    • Malatete
      June 28, 2012

      Akua, be specific please. What terrible things has USAID done in Latin America. Maybe they have, I don’t know but as the learned Sr. Counsellor always says, produce the evidence or at least, give us a list of alleged misdeeds with dates and location. A blanket accusation like yours is meaningless. Thank you

  12. Anonymous
    June 28, 2012

    I understand the importance and i understand that in the global market that without agreement like these what would happen but to suggest and a prime minister that “the Petro Caribe agreement was providing Dominica with energy security and energy independence.” is the height of stupidity thinking.
    You cant have energy independence when Your getting it from another country.JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING SOUNDS NICE WE DON’T HAVE I SAY IT. TRUE ENERGY INDEPENDENCE WILL ONLY COME WHEN WE AS A NATION START USING THE EVERY DIFFERENT SUPPLY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY THIS COUNTRY HAS. WIND SOLAR AND GEO.

    I applaud the impact that this agreement has on the country but stop the hypocrisy.

  13. June 28, 2012

    when can i buy petrocaribe gas for my car?

    • Reader
      June 28, 2012

      At the gas station :-D

    • OPTI
      June 28, 2012

      at any fisheries filling stations around the country, those of which were installed by petrocaribe…

  14. Gwo Pwell
    June 28, 2012

    PM, it’s amazing you had the vision to be the first leader in the Caribbean to have signed unto this and now the majority of the Caribbean are now part of it.

    Good Looking Out

  15. Malatete
    June 28, 2012

    And yet, we are still faced with the highest energy costs in the region notwithstanding that close to 40% of our electricity requirements are generated by water power. There is nothing wrong in helping the destitute but wouldn’t it be preferrable to see the advantage of lower fuel costs being used to reduce our energy bills in order to stimulate local industry and attract new investors to create jobs and enable poor people to help themselves. Prestige infrastructural projects and socio-engineering are no substitue for job creation.

  16. 1979
    June 28, 2012
  17. 1979
    June 28, 2012

    “I know of countries today because of the global crisis, are using the funds from Petro Caribe to pay the salaries of public officers in these countries. 8-O
    is PDV the new government of these countries??

    He also “SUGGESTED” that the Petro Caribe agreement was providing Dominica with energy security and energy independence???????????????

    BOY that man manipulative eh…. if we depending on venezuela for the raw materials for the refinery HOW THEN can we have energy independence??

  18. Not a herd follower
    June 28, 2012

    Is Skerrit aware of the things he says? He says PetroCaribe has given Dominica energy independence. How can that be when you admit that you are dependent on PetroCaribe for your fuel supplies and also for paying debts and civil servants’ salaries, and financing infrastructure?

  19. June 28, 2012

    He must first tell us what is the purpose of the three towers with RADARS AND CAMERAS that is place in JIMMIT. I just hope the AMERICANS are taking note.

    • OPTI
      June 28, 2012

      these lights are there for the purpose of the ships who come to discharge..its not anything to spy on anybody..if you know maritime laws or used to laws of trade, you will see that they are necessary anytime you have a port that discharges fuel..

  20. June 28, 2012

    What kind of RUBBISH the P M is talking about; So if it was not PETRO CARIBE we now know the country would COLLAPS longtime he has just prove to us that the COUNTRY IS TOTALLY BROKE

  21. Country
    June 28, 2012

    I see mention of Rosalie Petite Soufriere road, can anyone tell me how far along they have reached on this project? DNO do you have pictures of this road? Thanks

  22. me
    June 28, 2012

    i thought petro caribe was supposed to give we the people cheaper gas not help incompitent goverments pay salaries

    • OPTI
      June 28, 2012

      petro does seel cheaper gas(cylinders)..its at 30ec whereas the other cylinders are 42 and counting..ther eis no established gas station as yet so there is not yet a means to provide vehicles with fuels, thought at teh filling stations in soem community u cna buy ur gasoline for ur vehicles..

  23. shame, Shame,SHAME!!
    June 28, 2012

    In which part of Dca is there a Rosalie to Petit Soufriere road? Pure lies and Skerro the main thing that we want to know is why did you sign such a foolish agreement as to kick out all US AID offices. That is what you shoild talk!

  24. DGF
    June 28, 2012

    How can someone “hope” that a Dictator, whoever he may be, will be re-elected !

    Chavez has “bought” the complicity of some Caribbean islands, like Dominica, with his petrocarib and other financial assistance, just to quench his ideological thirst against democratic countries like the US and Europe ( where so many Dominicans reside, by the way ! )

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