The Venezuelan Ambassador in the DR has denied that his government is opposed to the Dominican Republic receiving the benefits of import financing within the Petro-Caribbean agreement, signed recently in Caracas. This came as a reaction to statements made by the president of the Dominican Petroleum Refinery (REFIDOMSA), Aristides Fernandez Zucco, who warned against Venezuela’s objections. The Venezuelan government insists that it will comply with the Petro-Caribbean agreements to benefit the DR, and described the classified statements by Fernandez Zucco as ‘shameful’.
Ambassador Francisco Belisario Landis stated that Petro-Caribbean was a Venezuelan initiative with the objective of contributing towards the energy security and the socio-economic development and integration of Caribbean countries. Fernandez Zucco had warned that Venezuela had expressed some objections to the DR receiving the financing benefits for the import of petroleum through Petro-Caribbean.
Ambassador Landis explained that the agreement states that if the price of oil reaches US$50 per barrel, the amount to be financed would be 40%, if the price reaches US$100 per barrel, the financing would be 50%. The ambassador warned that he would not enter into conflict with public officials because that is not his mission. “I must work towards strengthening of ties of friendship and solidarity between the two countries”, he stated.
Meanwhile, Listin Diario reports that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has expressed surprise that anyone would object to the DR receiving the benefits of Petro-Caribbean, and assured the country that it will receive equal treatment with the agreement. Presidency Press Director Rafael Nunez said that Presidents Leonel Fernandez and Hugo Chavez discussed this issue by telephone yesterday.