The Frontier

Santa Elena de Uairén: Diplomatic Engagement (January 1973)

Rafael Caldera

Emílio Garrastazu Médici

Lula de Silvaand

Hugo Chávez“My government and my ministers will be committed to helping you”

-Hugo Chávez

“We have evolved in eight years, more than we had evolved in 200 years. We evolved because we understand that although we speak different languages, in reality our people know that we are all South American,”

– Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Contiuned Cooperation: Hugo Chávez and Dilma Rousseff

"Dilma has a trajectory like Lula's, many years of leftist militancy. She's not just an opportunist ... She’s a comrade” - Hugo Chávez

TradeStrong Relationship- Bilateral Trade $5

Billion

ElectricityOilLiquid Natural GasCoffee

More Trade17th Bilateral Meeting-22 cooperation agreements

Focus: Economic ties with Venezuelan Oil Industry PDVSA and Brazilian

Petrochemical Company Braskem

Foreign Participation & Investment in Brazil

• Forbidden

• Mid – 1970’s

• Oil

Exploration

• Risk contracts

2009• Petroleos de

Venezuela (PdVSA)

• Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras)• Refinery• NE Brazil

• Petrobras – 60%

• PdVSA – 40%

2010• Polipropileno del Sur

• PdVSA

• Petroquímica de Venezuela

• Braskem• Polypropylene plant

• Venezuela• Paraguaná Refinery

Complex

2011

Petroleo Brasilerio Petroleos de Venezuela SA

Refinery Brazil – Pernambuco PdVSA – 40% Still in discussion

$15 billion

• Odebrecht• Petroleos de Venezuela

• Search and produce oil• Venezuela

• NW state of Zulia

• 25 years• $50 million given to PdVSA

• 60% ownership

Strategic Infrastructure

In 2001 the 2 countries opened a high-voltage power line to supply electricity from Venezuela to energy-starved Northern Brazil.

In 2004 President Lula and President Chavez signed 20 agreements in energy and oil projects and defensive programs

Lula & Chavez signed 26 bilateral agreements (2006-2011)

Cooperation for regional development

Industrial collaboration,

Brazil agreed to support the Bank of Venezuela Technical assistance Goal - increase access to

Venezuela’s most needy populations

Infrastructure Bridge across Orinoco , Caracas Metro Housing

April 2010, they signed 22 agreements in the areas of energy, housing, culture, tourism and more.

This was the 9th bilateral meeting since 2007.

Brazil agreed to support the Bank of Venezuela with technical assistance in order to increase access to Venezuela’s most needy populations.

Chavez & Dilma’s Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota. (2012)

Reviewing existing cooperation agreements .

Chavez promises by early 2012 as many as 200 communal banking terminals will be organized in low-income areas and peasant communities nationwide.

Energy: Chavez repeats promise to build the Abreu e Lima refinery in Pernambuco (Northeastern Brazil).