However, there is one item that is not clear to me. In the article it says: “One of the fruits of the workers’ victory in that class confrontation [December 2002/January 2003] was a completely new management for PDVSA, the state-owned oil company.” Then it goes on to say: “Leading up to the lockout, the Chávez administration had angered most of Venezuela’s wealthy ruling families and their allies in Washington by doubling the royalties that investors have to pay for oil exploration contracts and taking other measures to strengthen state control of the country’s natural resources.”

These last two statements are somehow ambiguous and contradictory. If the oil industry is state owned, then why does the private sector enjoy the results of exploration? Does this mean that the government does not own oil wells? Or perhaps “oil company” includes only the production facilities and not the “oil wells.”

Please clarify.

A reader in Iran
 
 
Imports and exports
Imports deprive American companies and their employees of jobs. Exports provide American companies and their employees with jobs. When exports are greater than imports, that really helps create a healthy economy.

The search for foreign markets leads to war! In order to abolish war we must abolish capitalism!

Under the planned economy of socialism imports do not need to be less than exports.

Albert B. Thurston
Yonkers, New York

The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of interest to working people.

Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.
 
 
Related articles:
Venezuela’s oil  
 
 
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