Cuba Without Oil If Maduro Loses

the elections in Venezuela on April 14th

Henrique Capriles. Photo: wikipedia.org

HAVANA TIMES – Venezuelan opposition candidate Henrique Capriles resumed his campaign today in the western part of the country. He faces off with interim president Nicolas Maduro on April 14, reported dpa news.

Capriles told university students in Maracaibo that he would end the Chavez’ government’s “giveaway” programs to other countries that Maduro presided over as foreign minister during the previous six years.

The candidate said such programs add up to around US $7 billion a year.

“Not a single drop of oil is going to go for funding the government of the Castros in Cuba. Mr. Castro uses Venezuelans, our people, so that government is enriched… Nicolas is the candidate of the Castros, I am the candidate of Venezuela and Venezuelans,” said Capriles.

He said that socialism in Venezuela is no longer viable with the death of Hugo Chavez. Maduro claims just the opposite, saying he will continue the path begun by the recently deceased president.

Speaking at a university in Maracaibo, Capriles said education would be a priority of his presidency with universities being geared towards developing skills instead of an ideology.

“Venezuela is a country that has everything, the only thing missing is a good government. Venezuela all you need is a team leader who deeply loves this country and come with words of respect and attachment to convene all Venezuelans, “he said, adding that the core of his proposals are revolving around citizen security, creating employment and the fight against inflation.

Capriles was highly critical of the management of the country saying the government: “has been destroying the economy” with its policies of price controls, currency exchange and obstacles for private enterprise.

 

13 thoughts on “Cuba Without Oil If Maduro Loses

  • On the contrary, Grady. Capriles stated during his campaign last year and had repeated last week that his plan is to pay Cuba for the medical services they currently receive in hard currency instead of in exchange for oil. Independent experts have estimated that for every dollar in medical services Venezuela receives, Venezuela sends $3us in oil to Cuba. Clearly a good deal for Cuba, not so much for the Venezuelan people.

  • Very well said, Alberto. He apparently is not saying loudly that all healthcare workers from Cuba would leave the country, in the event that he should cease to exchange oil for medical services.

    It seems to me that he has the same blind mentality which right-wing Cubans had in 1961, predicting that the Cuban people would rise up and support the Playa Giron invaders.

    The Venezuelan people will speak loud and clear on April 14.

  • Yes, Cort, but what is “real” socialism?

    Engels and Marx defined it in 1848 as concentration of all the instruments of production in the hands of the state.

    Engels and Marx upheld this definition a quarter-century later in 1872, in their preface to the new German edition of the Manifesto; and all Marxists since that time, including Fidel and Raul, have held to the same definition.

    So, Cort, if you mean that the “militants and masses” want this Marxian state monopoly ownership form of socialism, perhaps you could come right out and say it.

    You don’t seem to realize that Marxism is state monopoly socialism, and that Trotskyism is simply one variant of this unworkable form.

  • A lesson I’ve learned from decades of involvement in politics is that elections campaigns matter. A 14% lead in the polls means that just over one in fourteen voters need to change their votes before election day.

    Could you please explain your last comment about those wanting real socialism being tired of elections?

  • What constitutes a public disgrace, is that someone pretending to run for the highest office of his country, does not have a platform, a philosophy, an ideology, except a heart full of hate against the weakest in the Venezuelan society.

    Following instructions from foreign capitals and feeding on a stale anti-communism, Capriles only weapon of mobilizing his followers, is the most stupid promise any six grader, neo-politician could ever utter: To prey on the poor, the majority of that society!

    Another fake politician in the US with similar thinking, spoke about 47%. Both will end up in the same trash bin of history.

    This ultra rich boy who was born with at “silver spoon in his mouth”, do not have a clue what it means to live in a hut hanging over the cliffs of Caracas without running water, electricity, sewer, job, healthcare, school or simply for having the wrong skin color.

    Capriles and his masters knows, that Cuba is trained in adversities. Worse happened in 1989 and the country survived! His hidden goal is to deprive children, mothers and elders of the healthcare, food, shelter and self esteem, Chavez provided to people he saw as himself.

    That’s Capriles fatal lack of understanding of his country and its people.

  • Maduro will win hands down because the new and improved populist Capriles (which no one believes) has come out on the attack, spreading lies about pres.Chavez’s death and his daughters an d other absurd stories.

    Most polls have him behind by 14% and its growing because of the demoralization of his base. They may end up going to the beach or the malls rather than voting. The oppo’s are divided, see story

    Leocenis García admite en Venevisión que Maduro ganará las elecciones http://ow.ly/jaPoq (via @lapatriagrande)

    Now there will be a struggle after the election within the Bolivarian movement between the bureaucracy,reformists and Boli Bourgeois vs, the grassroots, militants and masses who want real socialism and are tired of elections.

  • The thousands of Cuban intelligence agents in Venezuela may have another opinion. They didn’t stage manage the whole Chavez death scenario just to see their free oil slip away. Venezuela is Castro’s now. Get used to it.

  • Are you that mythical person they say exists that thinks GRANMA is good journalism?

  • ‘If the United States, with all of our investigatve media and freedoms to
    criticize candidates can still go brain dead and elect B Hussein -0-‘

    There, fixed it for you

  • I wonder if he will shut off the heating oil Chavez had been providing the poor, elderly and disabled on the east coast USA through Joe Kennedy’s Citizens Energy?

  • Investigative Media? Don’t be offended but that Mr. Patterson is a very naive statement, the media in the US is pitiful

  • I am the candidate of Venezuela and Venezuelans,” said Capriles.

    Perhaps one of our candadates would state, “I am the candadate of the USA and Americans.

  • If the United States, with all of our investigatve media and freedoms to criticize candidates can still go brain dead and elect George Bush II, Venzuelans, equally disabled in the midst of a national sorrow will likely elect Maduro.

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