Marking their independence from the U.S.

I attended a discussion session in Washington with Justice Fernando Vegas of the Venezuelan Supreme Court. Justice Vegas was asked about the importance of Venezuela's relationship with Cuba. He responded that Venezuela’s relations grew with Cuba, at first, because they had to prove their independence from the U.S., and that a sure fire way to achieve that independence was to build stronger relations with Cuba.

That relationship grows stronger all the time. The BBC reported that Cuba and Venezuela have formed a joint venture to revamp a Cuban oil refinery. This move is not only good for Cuba’s economic relationship but will also further Venezuela’s strategy of making more crude and refined products available to the countries of the Caribbean.

technorati tags: oil, Cuba, Venezuela economy