ANALYSIS-Cuban-Venezuelan ties boom under Raul Castro

Reuters ^ | 21 Jul 2008 | Marc Frank

[AreaMan]

HAVANA, July 21 (Reuters) - Speculation that Cuba's relations with Venezuela, its closest ally, might cool when Raul Castro became president has disappeared as the countries have forged even deeper and broader ties. Some experts thought Raul Castro could not maintain the close relations his brother Fidel Castro ...

They have an oil-for-services deal in which Venezuela ships 92,000 barrels a day to Cuba in exchange for the services of thousands of Cuban doctors and other technical assistance. But they also reported more than 300 cooperation projects in 2007 and Venezuelan banks are financing 58 Cuban manufacturing programs and more than a dozen agricultural development schemes.

"Since the beginning, both Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez have been determined to move the relationship between their countries beyond the oil-for-doctors swap and toward something that is much broader and has the potential for sweeping regional impact," said Dan Erikson, a Caribbean expert at the Inter-American Dialogue policy group in Washington.

"Raul Castro is strongly interested in moving beyond an alliance built on personalities by creating sustainable, institutional arrangements, and this has helped to cement the Cuban-Venezuelan relationship," he said. OIL WEALTH Venezuela, which is benefiting from high oil prices, is buying new rice harvesters and irrigation systems in central Cuba, upgrading fertilizer manufacturing and building new factories in the eastern city of Santiago. The two countries have also signed some 30 joint ventures, most of which were sealed after Raul Castro first stepped in for his ailing brother two years ago. Some are huge by Cuban standards. A $5 billion petrochemical complex under construction around a renovated oil refinery in Cienfuegos,... A nickel plant in eastern Holguin province is getting a $700 million upgrade and will ship its product to Venezuela to be processed into stainless steel......

[AreaMan]

The end is near. Many of the rats have either left the sinking ship or have their escape plans in place:

Looted funds from the treasury and shell companies.
Dual Citizenship in a friendly country (i.e. Spain, Italy, Mexico...Etc)
Consultations with International Law attorneys as to what type of extradition they would face.

[WellyP]

Castro, Inc. must be eliminated, the sooner, the better. The Cuban people deserve it and the Americas would be better for it. CUBA LIBRA!