Venezuela's President Chavez warmly welcomes Russia's President Medvedev - and the ruddy Russian Navy.

Venezuela's Chavez welcomes Russian warships

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela – Russian warships sailed into port in Venezuela on Tuesday in a show of strength as Moscow seeks to counter U.S. influence in Latin America.

Russia's first such deployment in the Caribbean since the Cold War is
timed to coincide with President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Venezuela, the first ever by a Russian president.

Surprised?

You shouldn't be. (What's the betting Mr Biden isn't?)

Surely you've heard similar sorts of stories before.

You know, such as the old seafarers' old saying re: stranger things happening at sea.

Read a bit more about it right here.



*(Cross posted across at 'appletree')

Russia's Putin Arming Venezuela's Chavez ...

How's this for a pair of presidential pals' perfect photo-op pose?

Tut, tut. Talk about timing. And talk about (tremendous), unadulterated temerity too.

President Putin has chosen to play host to President Chavez - for some more arms sales' (face to face), wheeling & dealing sessions -- just three short days before flying to America to meet (and to talk to), an increasingly isolated President Bush.

Here's a snip from a story published today by English Al-Jazeera.

Last July, Chavez spent billions of dollars on Russian helicopters, arms and fighter jets. This time he is thought to be shopping for submarines.

"So I came to Moscow to talk to Vladimir and after four months we had Sukhoi planes flying over Caracas. And now we have our first fleet of aircraft.

"This is what we call solidarity; this is what we call independence."

Russian newspaper Kommersant reported this month that Chavez was expected to sign an initial contract that would include five Project 636 Kilo-class diesel submarines, and possibly four other submarines later ...

Obviously, it's already crystal clear to the canny Chavez what wonder-boy in the White House - along with his arse-kissing crew of yes-men - still haven't sussed out for themselves.

Which is, that those making the least friends invariably finish up finding themselves facing the most foes.

See some more of this story.

*

Venezuela President Chavez Calls Foreign Oil Companies To Account ...

Have you heard the latest about big, bold Hugo?

The odds are you haven't if you rely solely on our western, so called 'first-world' MSM for your international information.

Witness that which we've clipped and pasted. Filed & found in, of all places, mid-east MSM.

Some major oil companies operating in Venezuela have rejected the terms for the enforced takeover of part of their operations by the state, the president says.

Hugo Chavez said late on Friday that if they did not accept the nationalisation deals ahead of Tuesday's deadline, they would be told to leave.

Or as an ancient Anglo adage advises -- If you don't like it, then you can ruddy well lump it (matey!).

Seriously though, it certainly seems (mucho oil rich), Venezuela's popular, proudly patriotic president Hugo Chavez sure is one 'Latino' who absolutely won't wear either himself or his people being belittled, looked down upon, pushed around, used, abused, taken for fools, seen as suckers, robbed blind nor bled downright bloody dry.

Neither by their northern neighbour, the almighty United States of America, nor by any international Big-Oil, 'good ole boy' bunch of brigands.

Targeted:

Exxon Mobil -- ConocoPhillips -- Chevron Corp -- Norway's Statoil -- Britain's BP Plc and France's Total are the companies operating the targeted projects ...

See what we're saying? Maybe more to the point, see what senor Chavez is saying?

Oh, boy.

In our bloomin' book this blinkin' 'head honcho' bloke is one bloody big brave hombre. No damned doubt about it.

We, for what it's worth, wish the man well in his fight for a fair deal for his country and it's (for far too long), pitifully poor populace.

By the way, before this couple of short-term-memory-challenged old codgers forget what we came for, here's the relevant report to which we want to refer you.

So have yourself a super Saturday night, and we'll see you again sometime on Sunday.

In the meantime though, go easy on the gas.

It doesn't grow on trees y'know.

*