Venezuela cancels Haiti debt; CITGO ships 120 tons of aid

From Alaska Inter-Tribal Council

Greetings AI-TC Newsletter Subscribers,




(ALASKA) This is a very heartwarming and compelling story, that we felt should

be shared. The Citgo / Venezuela heating oil relief program has

literally saved lives here in Alaska, and the generosity of the

Venezuelan people has provided great social change.



The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez

announced on Monday, January 25, that the Venezuelan government will

forgive any Venezuelan debts held by Haiti.



During a meeting of the Political Council of the Bolivarian Alliance

for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), the Venezuelan president said

that in view of the tragedy suffered by the Caribbean nation, its debt

will be not only be forgiven, but the Venezuelan oil supply to the

country will continue.



President Chavez Proposes ALBA countries to Create Humanitarian Fund

for Haiti



Likewise, the Venezuelan head of state proposed the creation of a

$100 million Humanitarian Fund to strengthen the aid offered by the

ALBA countries to Haiti.



President Chavez explained that the fund will be financed by the

governments, peoples and companies that integrate the Latin American

organization.



As a complement to the Venezuelan Aid, CITGO Petroleum Corporation,

and its charitable organization, the Simón Bolívar Foundation, have

started the shipment to Port-Au-Prince of 120 tons of humanitarian

aid, in coordination with the Embassies of the Bolivarian Republic of

Venezuela and the Republic of Haiti in the United States. This effort

complements the contributions of the Venezuelan people through their

government, led by President Hugo Chávez, with the goal of

alleviating the suffering of the thousands of people left homeless

following the earthquake that struck the Caribbean nation on Jan. 12.



“In alignment with the solidarity principle of our shareholder,

PDVSA, the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of

Venezuela, we at CITGO are working very hard to offer additional

assistance to the Haitian people at this time of need. Because of

this, I am very pleased to witness today the sendoff of this first

20-ton shipment, out of 120-tons of aid to be shipped to

Port-A-Prince,” said Alejandro Granado, president and CEO of CITGO,

an affiliate of PDVSA.



The high ranking oil executive explained that CITGO allocated one

million dollars for the purchase of aid to Haiti which will help

between 8,000 and 10,000 people. The funds were invested in the

purchase of tents, cots, and non battery-operated AM/FM radios, which

recharge using a manual system, as required by the Embassy of the

Republic of Haiti in the United States.



Additionally, CITGO is conducting a fund-raising campaign, aimed at

increasing the help to the people of Haiti. This campaign involves

CITGO’s 3,600 employees and more than a thousand energy companies,

suppliers, marketers and owners of CITGO branded service stations, as

well as non-governmental/non-profit organizations, especially those

with which CITGO is partnering in different social development

initiatives. Furthermore, the Simón Bolívar Foundation is also

matching dollar-for-dollar, up to $600,000 in monetary donations by

CITGO employees, which could add $1.2 million to the total aid being

provided.



“Not only are we shipping aid items to Port-Au-Prince, we are also

sending CITGO representatives to accompany a member of the Venezuelan

embassy in the United States, in order to guarantee the arrival and

distribution of the aid among the Haitian population, in support of

the Haitian authorities and the Simón Bolívar International Brigade,

sent by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” Granado said.



During the preparations to send this first shipment, the CITGO

president was accompanied by the Minister Counselor of the Embassy of

the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the United States, Ángelo

Rivero.



“Venezuela in good part owes its independence to Haiti, and because

of this, as President Hugo Chávez has pointed out, we will continue

to do everything we can to help this sister nation recover from this

tragedy,” Rivero said.



CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of

transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial

products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect

wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national

oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.



For more information visit www.citgo.com



Best Regards,



AI-TC Tribal Newsletter Team