"Bolivia and Argentinas Gas Crisis Shakes South American Region"

Bolivia and Argentina's Gas Crisis Shakes Region,  according to Ana Zarzuela energy analyst at Spain-based  Intelligence and Capital News Report.

Basically, the idea of Bolivia as the "Gas Hub" first under the neoliberal governments, then with a more "statist" focus, called for Bolivian gas to be piped out to neighboring countries through pipelines.

But under Evo Morales, Bolivia has become an unreliable supplier.  The state-owned oil and gas company, can barely supply existing obligations, and production levels are stuck.  Most experts agree that the industry needs investments and know-how  from private and foreign companies.    Owing mostly to the governments attacks on private industry and judicial insecurity, this looks unlikely to happen.
  
While Bolivia has become an unreliable supplier of energy needs, neighboring countries have found other alternatives, including buying Liquid Natural Gas abroad and importing it via sea.   

The latest blow to Bolivian aspirations has to be Venezuela's PDVSA setting up regasification facilities in Argentina, that in coming years will process natural gas coming from....Chavez' Venezuela.    By, by, Bolivian gas.

Esta situación pone a Bolivia, que exporta sólo a través de ductos, en una posición muy distinta de hace cinco años, cuando se proyectaba como el centro de distribución regional. Se lo acaba de describir a Morales su propia Cámara de Hidrocarburos (CBH): detectan “un fuerte contraste entre el crecimiento del GNL en barcos metaneros a los centros de demanda de Sudamérica y el estancamiento de exportación de gas natural boliviano en gasoductos”. De la gran red que Hugo Chávez y Morales prometían tejer en toda Sudamérica con Argentina como punta de lanza, hoy no queda ni la intención diplomática. Las zozobras de La Paz y Buenos Aires, el pragmatismo de Caracas y los recelos de Brasilia, Santiago y Montevideo han podido más. “La apuesta por un proceso de integración por gasoductos, que tuvo un crecimiento explosivo en la capacidad de transporte internacional incorporada entre 1998 y 2002, de los 19,1 MMmcd a 105,8 MMmcd -advierte la CBH- ha llegado al estancamiento”. “El incumplimiento de contratos por parte de Argentina y Bolivia, el estancamiento de la inversión y la poca confiabilidad mostrada parecen haber postergado el apetito de los importadores regionales, para nuevos proyectos de integración intrarregional” por gasoductos, apunta la CBH.

Venezuela: Suitcase Of Money, Fun With Fernandez

The Chavista money in a suitcase to Argentina scandal is now a Federal indictment and international tension between the US and Argentina, with Chavez. I had a feeling a couple of months ago, that something was going to happen. The suitcase guy -Guido Antonioni- has been talking to the Feds as everyone knew. And as I predicted the Chavista 'establishment' offered him $$$ to shut up, and it looks like the FBI caught it all on tape.

Don't Cry For Me Argentina.
Apparently one of these characters did say the money was destined for President Fernandez' campaign, though it is not clear if its on tape, and if whoever said it, stated it as fact or just in normal Venezuelan over-excageration and innuendo.

The Argentine government is pretty ticked off, says its the White House doing it. Kind of hard to figure out if this is just posturing or the Argentine government doesn't have a good understanding of the US political system - or at least knows how to follow the news from debates.

had this happened while Alberto Gonzalez or Ashcroft at Justice, I would have been inclined to see the hands of the Bush White House behind this.

As it stands now after the Gonzalez hearings that exposed the Bushites machinations, it is unikely they would press this hard. It could well be a more or less independent action by the local Federal Prosecutor and the FBI. If they notified the State Department - given how far down the chain Latin American is - who knows if it even got through.
There is an alphabet soup of agencies that would have interest/jurisdiction, FBI, State, Justice, CIA, Treasury, the White House, Immigration. We all know how badly they coordinated intelligence on something crucial like people coming to blow buildings up. Now their interagency process is supposedly better - for chasing after guys who want to blow up buildings. Chasing guys with suitcases of money from Venezuela is not really a priority.

And if it was the Bushies/CIA? They really are incompetent. You do this before the elections!!!!!

Hows this for a conspiracy theory....what if the Bushies knew, told Fernandez they were going to hold on till after the election.

Again, that does pressupose competence to the Bush white house, and even a passing interest in Latin American affairs.

Tip Of The Hat to
Boz

"Suitcase-Gate" Venezuelan Government Now Wants Crony Extradited To Argentina

Remember Guido Antonini Wilson? He is the Key Biscayne, Florida, Venezuelan-American caught in Buenos Aires with 800k in cash in a private plane full of top Venezuelan and Argentinian functiona ries. The Chavez government, through Venezuelan attorney General weighs in on

They are asking the US to extradite Antonini to Argentina where he is sought in charges of money laundering. The official, Isais Rodriguez, claims they want to "clear up why he did not declare that money, establish why he brought it, for what it was [meant] for....whether he was there to "launder money or launder consciences".

In Argentina this is a major scandal; if came right after multinational execs, and a Kirchner cabinet member in separate events were caught with large sums of cash. Argentina wants Antonini extradited to the US.

While Chavez has avoided much of a scandal at home, it has been an international embarrasment, followed up by a report by Transparency International naming Venezuela as one of the most corrupt governments in the world. It also raised the issue of Chavez involving himself in political campaigns, and financing of hard-left groups. But up to now they have managed to contain the damage, by distancing themselves from Antonini. They have also claimed not having jurisidiction over Antonini, a US Citizen and residing in Florida.

Why Venezuela suddenly changed course is unclear. What is clear is that Antonini did business with a circle of companies and individuals close to the Chavista leadership, who got large contracts with the oil-rich state. The businessman obviously beneffited; he went from a modest distributor of tractor parts, to owning millions of dollars worth of condos in luxurious Key Biscayne in a couple of years.

Had this money been on route to Miami or the Caymans, you could chalk it up to money laundering. But it was going to Argentina on a plane full or Venezuelan and Argentinian officials. Some theorized it was a campaign contribution to Mrs. Kirchner, payments to radical mass movements allied of Chavez, or to pay some sort of business deal. Antonini told customs in Argentina that right before this trip, he had been at a luncheon with Chavez and was then and there told to go to Argentina, not even having time to bring a coat along. Antonini - by many accounts an affable fellow - had some level of confidence with top government officials in Venezuela, since he had made several trips to Uruguay and Argentina - accompanied by top Venezuelan officials.

This is a messy picture, it is hard to tell Chavista Official from pro-Chavez businessman, sanctioned or un-sanctioned business, official foreign policy from covert foreign policy, international trade or bribery.

It all boils down to what Antonini knows, and to who he says it to. At the moment the FBI (and one imagines the CIA) are talking to him - and Venezuela's government has a lot of reasons to be concerned. There is an unconfirmed report in South Florida's Venezuelan (anti-Chavez)press, that Antonini has already told them that he was not the "bagman", but was the designated fall guy when it became clear the passengers were going to be searched. That would directly place Argentine or Venezuelan officials with the 800K in cash.
These same reports in Miami also say that Antonini has already given up quite a bit to the Feds: not only Chavista corruption, but also payoffs to foreign governments and leaders. Venezuela's government has million$ of ways to convince him, and something might be worked out with Argentina. You never know, but the guy knows enough to have both governments worried.