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<span style="font-weight: bold"> Chavez financed Bouterse ' s elec...ribNewsNow )...</span>
According to documents recently published on the WikiLeaks website, United States diplomats claimed that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez financially supported Desi Bouterse's political campaign leading to his election as president of Suriname. Suriname President Desi Bouterse (L) exchanges gifts with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez during Chavez's whirlwind visit to Suriname in November 2010Photo Credit: (CaribNewsNow)A "reliable" source told US diplomats that Bouterse even made several clandestine trips to Venezuela to secure the funds. It was also alleged that Chavez and Bouterse made a pact to overthrow the Venetiaan-administration. "A member of Desi Bouterse's National Democratic Party (NDP) claims Bouterse is receiving funding and tacit political support from Venezuela. A member of the Mission has been told by a self described member of the NDP that former military dictator Desi Bouterse has made a number of recent trips to Venezuela; that he is receiving financial support from Venezuela; and that President Chavez has promised him recognition and support should Bouterse succeed in his stated goal of bringing down the government of President Venetiaan," a US top diplomat wrote in 2005 in a cable to Washington. Responding to the alleged Venezuelan meddling, former president Ronald Venetiaan told reporters that, at that time, his administration had received disturbing reports regarding possible inappropriate behaviour of Venezuela's ambassador Francisco Simancas. At the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2009, Venetiaan said he discussed the matter with Chavez. Subsequently, Caracas sent a mission to Suriname to investigate the matter and soon thereafter Simancas was removed from Suriname. Venetiaan further noted that his administration had an excellent relationship with the Venezuela government. In another cable, the US embassy in Paramaribo warned that "Venezuela's profile in Suriname is on the rise thanks to economic initiatives such as PetroCaribe, a joint Cuban-Venezuelan health care assistance program, and a steady public relations campaign by its Embassy over the past year. Despite this heightened engagement, Venezuela's activism is not blindly well received, however, as some recognize the more obtrusive edges of PetroCaribe or are otherwise disappointed by supposed largesse." The embassy cable continued by saying that "Venezuelan activism here will likely further increase, and if Chavez ramps up aid to Suriname, his ability to influence may well follow; NDP opposition party leader Desi Bouterse is already a fan." US diplomats further alleged that, according to a top official in the ministry of Foreign Affairs of Suriname, Venezuela tried to pressure Suriname to sign the PetroCaribe oil deal. Some Surinamese officials were concerned that it would "lead to increased political indebtedness to Venezuela". The Finance Minister was reportedly uncomfortable with the increased debt levels resulting from PetroCaribe's financing scheme and a proposal of the Surinamese government to use its proceeds to create a social fund designed to provide low interest home mortgages. The director of the state oil company, Staatsolie, also had serious reservations about the role his enterprise was expected to play, as it would be positioned to be a storage and transport facility, undermining its business model to grow as a supplier. "In its impatience to complete the PetroCaribe deal, Venezuela is refusing to renew a 1986 fisheries agreement that expired in June 2005 until a PetroCaribe delivery schedule is finalized," the top government official told US diplomats. Venezuela allegedly declined to sign a fuel clause allowing low cost Venezuelan fuel for Surinamese fishing vessels until Suriname commits to PetroCaribe's final steps. During a whirlwind visit to Suriname in November 2010, Bouterse and his Venezuelan counterpart Chavez signed several agreements, including an accord to supply cheap fuel for the Surinamese fisheries industry. At a meeting with the press, Chavez urged the Surinamese people to support "his brother" Bouterse.http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...75513399158556
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Chavez financed Bouterse ' s elec...ribNewsNow )...</span>
According to documents recently published on the WikiLeaks website, United States diplomats claimed that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez financially supported Desi Bouterse's political campaign leading to his election as president of Suriname. Suriname President Desi Bouterse (L) exchanges gifts with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez during Chavez's whirlwind visit to Suriname in November 2010Photo Credit: (CaribNewsNow)A "reliable" source told US diplomats that Bouterse even made several clandestine trips to Venezuela to secure the funds. It was also alleged that Chavez and Bouterse made a pact to overthrow the Venetiaan-administration. "A member of Desi Bouterse's National Democratic Party (NDP) claims Bouterse is receiving funding and tacit political support from Venezuela. A member of the Mission has been told by a self described member of the NDP that former military dictator Desi Bouterse has made a number of recent trips to Venezuela; that he is receiving financial support from Venezuela; and that President Chavez has promised him recognition and support should Bouterse succeed in his stated goal of bringing down the government of President Venetiaan," a US top diplomat wrote in 2005 in a cable to Washington. Responding to the alleged Venezuelan meddling, former president Ronald Venetiaan told reporters that, at that time, his administration had received disturbing reports regarding possible inappropriate behaviour of Venezuela's ambassador Francisco Simancas. At the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2009, Venetiaan said he discussed the matter with Chavez. Subsequently, Caracas sent a mission to Suriname to investigate the matter and soon thereafter Simancas was removed from Suriname. Venetiaan further noted that his administration had an excellent relationship with the Venezuela government. In another cable, the US embassy in Paramaribo warned that "Venezuela's profile in Suriname is on the rise thanks to economic initiatives such as PetroCaribe, a joint Cuban-Venezuelan health care assistance program, and a steady public relations campaign by its Embassy over the past year. Despite this heightened engagement, Venezuela's activism is not blindly well received, however, as some recognize the more obtrusive edges of PetroCaribe or are otherwise disappointed by supposed largesse." The embassy cable continued by saying that "Venezuelan activism here will likely further increase, and if Chavez ramps up aid to Suriname, his ability to influence may well follow; NDP opposition party leader Desi Bouterse is already a fan." US diplomats further alleged that, according to a top official in the ministry of Foreign Affairs of Suriname, Venezuela tried to pressure Suriname to sign the PetroCaribe oil deal. Some Surinamese officials were concerned that it would "lead to increased political indebtedness to Venezuela". The Finance Minister was reportedly uncomfortable with the increased debt levels resulting from PetroCaribe's financing scheme and a proposal of the Surinamese government to use its proceeds to create a social fund designed to provide low interest home mortgages. The director of the state oil company, Staatsolie, also had serious reservations about the role his enterprise was expected to play, as it would be positioned to be a storage and transport facility, undermining its business model to grow as a supplier. "In its impatience to complete the PetroCaribe deal, Venezuela is refusing to renew a 1986 fisheries agreement that expired in June 2005 until a PetroCaribe delivery schedule is finalized," the top government official told US diplomats. Venezuela allegedly declined to sign a fuel clause allowing low cost Venezuelan fuel for Surinamese fishing vessels until Suriname commits to PetroCaribe's final steps. During a whirlwind visit to Suriname in November 2010, Bouterse and his Venezuelan counterpart Chavez signed several agreements, including an accord to supply cheap fuel for the Surinamese fisheries industry. At a meeting with the press, Chavez urged the Surinamese people to support "his brother" Bouterse.http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...75513399158556