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Repiglican Roast

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Name: TheFuriousGourmet

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Venezuela drives hard bargain

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez is spending more than $7 billion of oil revenue this year to help Venezuela's poor, and they love him for it.

But in the downtown business district, over and over again you hear allusions to one of Aesop's fables.

"You don't want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs," said Elio Ohep, editor of Petroleumworld.com. "If you scare away investment, what are you going to do?"

[...]

The golden egg is in such high demand and so well priced Chavez can afford to help his people, even if corporatist hearts are breaking all over the planet.

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