Esteemed Prime Minister of Jamaica, the honorable Portia Simpson Miller,
Esteemed President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, comrade Nicolás Maduro Moros,
Esteemed Petrocaribe heads of state and government:
First of all, I would like to extend our most heartfelt condolences to the people and government of Dominica for the loss of human life and material damage caused by Tropical Storm Erika, reiterate our solidarity, and wish you a speedy recovery. Secondly, regarding the issue, we express our support for the proposal made by
President Maduro, and, in particular, the reference to confronting disasters, and contributing our accumulated experience.
Ladies and gentlemen:
Petrocaribe has established a landmark in the area of energy cooperation, as a result of its objectives which go beyond the simple supply of crude oil with facilitated payment terms, addressing areas such as the planning of energy policies in member countries to deal with exploration, extraction and transportation; the creation of refining and storage capacity; development of petro-chemical industries; sales; technological assistance and training; the creation of state oil companies; the promotion of renewable resources; and sponsorship of ambitious socio-economic projects, via the reinvestment in development of our nations’ accumulated debt.
According to official figures, the positive impact of this agreement on the economies of signatory countries, over the last decade, has represented on average 25% of their Gross Domestic Products, assuring the availability of approximately 32% of the demand for oil, and the financing of innumerable high-impact development and energy infrastructure projects, thanks to the savings which this mechanism affords member countries.
The financing of approximately 50% of oil costs (some 28 billion USD) and commercial compensation in goods and services worth more than 3.247 billion USD, has allowed for the expansion of access to energy resources, and commercial trade between signatories.
Among the most important accomplishments to emphasize are: the constitution of 15 joint enterprises with PDV Caribe and state enterprises in 11 member countries; the expansion of storage capacity to 617,000 barrels a day; and investment which surpasses 1.2 billion USD in fuel storage, refining and distribution projects.
The aforementioned would be reason enough to preserve, at all cost, the continuity of this regional energy mechanism, and its great impact in the struggle against poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and the lack of healthcare.
We must make good, efficient use of the resources which are within our reach.
There have been plenty of deceptive accusations as to the ownership and goals of Petrocaribe, and attempts to seduce our peoples with crumbs, to leave this mechanism of cooperation and energy security, which has proven to be effective.
Any attempt to discredit or destroy this mechanism in exchange for dubious alternatives, must be confronted resolutely, since this would only lead to greater dependence, destabilization, and lack of unity in our region.
The establishment of an Economic Zone among Petrocaribe member countries requires greater effort on the part of each of us, to increase commercial trade and the development of production chains.
All that remains is, “Let’s get to work!”
Thank you very much.
