Chavez in China

(with apologies to those who hate aliteration)

Hugo's on schedule trying to buy Venezuela a seat in the UN Security Council (yet another reason to shut down the UN), and is now visiting China:

Chavez arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday with plans to sign agreements to boost China's investment in oil-rich Venezuela with joint projects in petroleum, telecommunications, farming and railways.

He also proposed an ambitious target plan under which Venezuela -- the world's No. 5 oil exporter -- will almost quadruple its sales to China, which wants access to Latin American energy supplies to fuel its booming economy.

At the same time that a Chinese newspaper notes mistrust of the Chavez visit, Chile continues on the path to prosperity by signing free-trade pacts not only with the US, but also with China.

Meanwhile, in Venezuela Accompanied by a donkey, a popular Venezuela comedian on Wednesday signed up as a candidate to challenge Hugo Chavez in presidential elections, and addiitonally, there appears to be a serious candidate for the opposition.

The campaign season promises to be interesting: Venezuela News and Views posts on a chavista coming out of the fascist closet.

(technorati tags Hugo Chavez, Venezuela, China, Chile)