2/12/08

Venezuela unites against Exxon Hit


Venezuelan oil experts from different political positions agreed Monday to defend President Hugo Chavez' position faced with he termed of economic war led by US oil company Exxon Mobil.
Alvaro Silva, general secretary of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, stated that the US Company's action of trying to freeze funds of the state oil enterprise, faces a sovereign decision.


Interviewed on a Venezolana de Television program, Silva recalled that the states have undoubtedly recognized the right of exercising sovereignty on their natural resources.
He stated that sovereignty was arranged during the so-called "oil opening" of the last century, which put that resource in the hands of foreign firms, but Venezuela has the right to recover sovereignty.


According to oil expert Hugo Hernandez Raffali, the US Company's attempt to freeze $12 billion of the Venezuelan state owned oil company PDVSA is a rash measure.
Hernandez Raffali told a local TV channel that Exxon Mobil should ask the Arbitral Committee for the canalization of its demand faced with the nationalization.


Coincidentally, lawyer Braulio Jactar, who criticized other aspects of Chavez' international policy, said the Exxon Mobil case corresponds to Venezuelan demand respect to sovereignty as a people.


Jactar recalled that Venezuela termed the contract inked with Exxon Mobil contrary to its interests, the case went to arbitration and now to a court that is foreign to that process has announced a preventive measure.

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