Venezuela and South Africa launch strategic cooperation to boost South
The presidents of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, and South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, in Pretoria on Tuesday agreed to initiate an era of "strategic partnership" which aspire to transform engine in the south-south relations.
"We want to give this a truly strategic relationship," he said in a press conference Chavez, supported by Mbeki.
Chavez said that Venezuela and South Africa should "lead the integration of the peoples of the south" because "we are two countries within the so-called third world (...) they can walk with their feet".
Mbeki said that this cooperation, "essential in the context of strengthening south-south relations," will eventually cover "all aspects of human existence", including the fields of art and culture.
During his first state visit to South Africa, both countries signed several bilateral commitments, particularly in the oil sector, which by the end of the year will be extended to telecommunications.
In the energy area, "one of the objectives of the agreements is to cut brokers to obtain direct State-State relations" and contribute to "reduce energy costs with a positive impact on the country and people's lives," explained Mbeki.
Chavez invited the South African public oil, Petrosa, to participate "immediately" in exploiting the huge reserves of extra heavy oil from the Orinoco River Belt, which Caracas wants to develop through joint ventures controlled by the state.
South Africa could well become the first African country to invest in the Orinoco Belt, where companies are already present in Asia, Europe and Latin americas, according to a communique from Petrosa.
For his part, the African country has large refining capacities, which could deal with the Venezuelan crude, Chavez said.
According to the communiqué Petrosa, it will build a refinery that will process up to 400,000 barrels per day in South Africa and does not rule out "joint investment with Venezuela for that purpose."
"We are talking with (the Venezuelan state oil company) PDVSA to see if we could refine crude from Venezuela," he said in the note manager exploration Petrosa, July Poquioma.
Venezuela, a member of the Organization of Petroleum exporting countries (OPEC), produces 3.3 million barrels per day, of which 2.7 are exported, and at this moment looking for new investments nevertheless maintaining control of holdings.
As for South Africa, the first continent's economy, faces an unprecedented energy crisis.
Dependent largely coal, electricity production fails to meet demand. The power cuts in early 2008 led to temporarily close the gold mines, the main source of wealth for the country.
At the press conference, Chavez extols the African country, which always has been an orientation, an inspiration. "
"We are aware of visiting a mother, because Africa is our mother. A mother and large good," he said.
Chavez also drew other parallels between the two continents "third world", but this time, to denounce the former colonial powers, who committed "terrible genocide" by those who must ask "apology".
"We demand that condemning the genocide that occurred in Africa, South americas," he said, just days after Italy and Libya decided to settle the colonial past, with an official apology and compensation of 5,000 million dollars by Italy to its former African colony.
