Venezuela gives back island to US

N&P: Discussion of news headlines and politics.

Moderator: frigidmagi

Post Reply
User avatar
frigidmagi
Dragon Death-Marine General
Posts: 14757
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2005 11:03 am
19
Location: Alone and unafraid

#1 Venezuela gives back island to US

Post by frigidmagi »

BBC
The Venezuelan government has formally donated an island near Philadelphia back to the United States.

Petty Island, an uninhabited island some 528 acres (214 ha) in size, is situated in the Delaware River in the state of New Jersey.

It was bought by Venezuela's state-run energy company, PDVS, in 1990.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced the move at a regional summit last week as part of an improvement in ties between the two nations.

At the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, President Chavez presented Barack Obama with a gift of a book: The Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano.

The book is widely considered the bible of the Latin American left.
map

But the BBC's Will Grant, in Caracas, says Mr Chavez also gave Mr Obama something much bigger: Petty Island.

The Venezuelan government has used it for fuel storage and refinement since 1990.

Our correspondent says that in recent years the tiny island has been the subject of some controversy, with waterfront property developers pushing to construct a golf course, hotels and a casino on the site.

Environmental groups have opposed such measures, saying it has unique flora and fauna which must be conserved.

Now, as part of what the government has called a renewed spirit of co-operation between Venezuela and the US, Mr Chavez announced that the island would return to the US for environmental conservation projects.

While Mr Chavez's gift of a book to his US counterpart may have made headlines around the world and launched the publication up the New York Times bestseller list, the return of Petty Island may prove a more lasting donation our correspondent adds.
So what I'm getting from this is if we talk to our enemies and governments that hate us... We get free stuff...

Damn, Obama is a genius.

Do you think we talk to Iran they'll give us free puppies? :wink:
"it takes two sides to end a war but only one to start one. And those who do not have swords may still die upon them." Tolken
User avatar
Soontir948
Disciple
Posts: 783
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2005 10:19 pm
19
Location: Queens, NY
Contact:

#2

Post by Soontir948 »

The article seems to imply Chavez is just doing this so we have to deal with the environmental and developer groups and the natural life on it.
Last edited by Soontir948 on Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
General Havoc
Mr. Party-Killbot
Posts: 5245
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:12 pm
19
Location: The City that is not Frisco
Contact:

#3

Post by General Havoc »

It's our damned island, we should deal with it.
Gaze upon my works, ye mighty, and despair...

Havoc: "So basically if you side against him, he summons Cthulu."
Hotfoot: "Yes, which is reasonable."
Post Reply