Venezuela and Russia complete oil deal negotiations

September 30th, 2009 Venezuela exploring uranium deposits with RussiaPORLAMAR, Venezuela — Venezuela's science and technology minister said his country is working with Russia to detect deposits of uranium but withdrew an earlier denial that the country was also working with Iran. Jesse Chacon originally denied the reports that Venezuela is receiving support from Iran to seek uranium, but clarified later Saturday that his comments were only in regard to Russia and that exploration efforts with Iran fall under the direction of Venezuela's Mining Ministry.

September 25th, 2009 20-year-old brunette wins Miss VenezuelaCARACAS, Venezuela — Marelisa Gibson, a 20-year-old brunette, has been crowned Miss Venezuela and will represent the beauty-obsessed South American country at next year's Miss Universe pageant. The annual Miss Venezuela pageant is the one of Venezuela's most watched programs and a source of national pride.

September 17th, 2009 CARACAS - Chinese and Russian companies have agreed to invest a combined $36 billion in oil projects in the Orinoco Belt, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said. The president said state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.

September 13th, 2009 Venezuela gets $2.2B in credit for Russian armsCARACAS, Venezuela — Russia has opened a $2.2 billion line of credit for Venezuela to purchase weapons including armored vehicles and surface-to-air missiles, President Hugo Chavez said Sunday. Venezuela is buying more arms because it feels threatened by Colombia's decision to give U.S.

September 11th, 2009 Chavez: Venezuela to get rockets from RussiaCARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he has signed military agreements with Russia and is soon expecting the arrival of some "little rockets." Chavez says the rockets reach up to 186 miles (300 kilometers) and are strictly for defense purposes. Chavez returned Friday from a world tour including a visit to Russia, where he met with President Dmitry Medvedev.

September 10th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia and Venezuela signed Thursday a package of deals, including one to develop the Latin American country's Orinoco oil belt, with estimated reserves of 235 billion barrels of heavy oil. Venezuela's PdVSA state oil firm and a consortium of major Russian producers signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in Orinoco, and a separate memo on establishing a joint venture to develop the Junin-6 field.

August 18th, 2009 CARACAS - The purchase of Russian tanks will be among the several agreements to be signed between Moscow and Caracas during the visit of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in September, according to media reports. Local media reports quoted Chavez as saying Monday that the purchase of the tanks was part of a modernisation plan for the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela.

August 16th, 2009 BOGOTA - Colombia hopes to sign a controversial pact with Washington that would allow US military forces to use up to seven bases on its territory, authorities have said. A source linked to Colombia's defence ministry told EFE Saturday that negotiations regarding the pact were wrapped up in Washington Friday and President Alvaro Uribe's government was expecting the pact to be formally signed "in two weeks".

August 16th, 2009 Chavez: Venezuela to strengthen ties with alliesCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez says Venezuela's ties with nations like Russia and China have gained importance as the U.S. moves to expand its military presence in Latin America.

August 5th, 2009 Chavez: Venezuela to buy more tanksCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez says his government plans to buy dozens of tanks because Venezuela feels threatened by pending deal to increase the U.S. military presence in Colombia.

July 31st, 2009 CARACAS - Venezuela and China signed a $7.5 billion agreement Thursday that includes the construction of a 468-km railway in the country with Chinese support, officials said. Public Works Minister Diosdado Cabello told reporters that the railway - which will run from the town of Tinaco, in the northwestern state of Cojedes, to Anaco, a city in the northeastern state of Anzoategui - is the biggest project Venezuela is undertaking outside of the oil industry.

July 4th, 2009 Venezuela assumes control of Spanish-owned bankCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez's government assumed control of Venezuela's third-largest bank on Friday — making the state the largest player in the nation's banking system. The purchase of the Spanish-owned Banco de Venezuela gives Chavez's socialist government control over more than one-fifth of bank deposits as he tightens his grip over the economy.

July 4th, 2009 GM Europe: Talks on selling Opel near completionBERLIN — Negotiations for the sale of General Motors Corp.'s unit Adam Opel GmbH to Canadian autoparts maker Magna are progressing well and should soon be complete, the head of GM Europe said in remarks released Saturday. Carl-Peter Forster was quoted as telling the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he hoped the sale of Opel to Magna International Inc.

June 28th, 2009 Chavez to US general: You're the threat, not usCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez says a U.S. general shouldn't be raising concerns that Venezuela is buying arms, and the American commander is wrong to argue there isn't a "conventional military threat in the region." Chavez says the U.S.

May 8th, 2009 Venezuela to pay Ternium $1.97 billion for SidorCARACAS, Venezuela — Ternium SA has agreed to sell its 59.7 percent share in steel maker Sidor to Venezuela for $1.97 billion. The subsidiary of the Argentine-Italian conglomerate Techint has been locked in negotiations over a payment plan with Venezuelan authorities since last year.