Of the top oil-producing countries in the world, only one is a democracy with a president who was elected on a platform of using his nation's oil revenue to benefit the poor. The country is Venezuela. The President is Hugo Chavez. Call him "the Anti-Bush."Find a Citgo near you.
Citgo is a U.S. refining and marketing firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. Money you pay to Citgo goes primarily to Venezuela -- not Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. There are 14,000 Citgo gas stations in the US. By buying your gasoline at Citgo, you are contributing to the billions of dollars that Venezuela's democratic government is using to provide health care, literacy and education, and subsidized food for the majority of Venezuelans.
Instead of using government to help the rich and the corporate, as Bush does, Chavez is using the resources and oil revenue of his government to help the poor in Venezuela. A country with so much oil wealth shouldn't have 60 percent of its people living in poverty, earning less than $2 per day. With a mass movement behind him, Chavez is confronting poverty in Venezuela. That's why large majorities have consistently backed him in democratic elections. And why the Bush administration supported an attempted military coup in 2002 that sought to overthrow Chavez.
(Thanks, Sarah.)
8 comments:
You have GOT to be kidding. This sounds more like a reason to BOYCOTT Citgo. Hugo Chavez is no proponent of Democracy, he is an avid Socialist Dictator.
Don't you read?
A democratically elected dictator? That's new to me.
Maybe it's Anonymous that needs to do some reading.
Please don't be so naive as to think that "democracy" works the same in other countries as it does in the U.S. After rewriting Venezuela's Constitution and renaming the country, Chavez's more recent "democratic" movement has been to make it illegal to print or say anything negative about him or his administration. Does that sound more like a dictator to you too? And if you're among those who think supporting Citgo keeps money away from terrorist-backing countries, let me point out that Chavez has close ties to Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein (as President), Iran, Libya, and the Colombian Guerrillas who support their cause by kidnapping Americans. It's sad that Mr. Cohen has misled so many good-intentioned Americans with his misinformed article.
one could buy gas and line the pockets of saudi royals who likely funded september 11, or one could run the risk of sending money that could trickle down to fidel castro. which would you choose? at least some of venezuela's money goes to social programs for the poor. at least venezuela has a constitution.
john d.
You're horribly mistaken if you think Chavez is not supporting terrorist activities (in addition to the guerrillas mentioned above). There is strong evidence that he has also supported Al-Qaeda since 9/11 - for details see:
http://militaresdemocraticos.com/articulos/en/20021231-01.html
http://www.judicialwatch.org/printer_3054.shtml
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30350
Jeff Cohen is an idiot who doesn't have the slightest idea what's happening in Venezuela, and he's fooling Americans into believing his misguided article is accurate. Whether you choose to boycott Citgo or not, at least inform yourselves as to what is REALLY happening in Venezuela.
Hi Jake,
Your sources far from prove your point. The first link is from an overtly anti-Chavez website. Nothing necessarily wrong in that, but its demonstrated lack of balance, and its coziness with Judicial Watch, doesn't lend credibility.
The second link is not a news story, but a link to the far-right Judicial Watch, which gets its funding mainly from ultraconservatives – the Sarah Scaife Foundation, The Carthage Foundation and the John M. Olin Foundation, Inc. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Watch); it references a lawsuit allegation, but offers no outcome of that 2003 suit. The lead counsel on the suit is Judicial Watch's Larry Klayman, and if you know anything about him, you'll be doubtful of the objectivity of the source.
The third link is for WorldNetDaily, which is so brazenly partisan, so far out in right field, you'd be an idiot to take it as balanced news.
You'd have a better discussion if you provided less nutty citations.
john d.
Chavez is leading the Marxist advance in South America and providing resources and a platform for Castro to export his politics into South America. CITGO is a wholly owned subsidiary of the nationalized Venezualan oil company and buying CITGO subsidizes the export of Marxism from Cuba and Venezuala to neighboring countries. This is patently obvious. The only reason any rational person would buy from CITGO is if their personal politics lean toward Marxism and the export of this failed political philosophy throughout South and Central America. Chavez has transcended the traditional leftist playbook by also supported the Islamo-Fascists currently infiltrating various regions of South America. If you hold these political views, then be honest about it and stop acting as a protector of the poor and downtrodden. the best way to lift the poor from their misery in South America is to export good government and capitalism, not subsidize a dictator intent on homegrown socialist totalitarianism.
"supported the Islamo-Fascists currently infiltrating various regions of South America"?
WTF? South America is overrun by Islamofascists?
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