Venezuela's Chavez courts OPEC chief for the top job at PDVSA....Rodriguez became OPEC's secretary-general in January 2001. A former leftist guerrilla, he has a long record of service in Venezuelan politics but has no obvious experience in running a commercial enterprise.....Chavez has rallied for greater unity among OPEC's 11 member nations. Under his leadership, Venezuela has evolved into one of the group's most hawkish members, advocating restraint in crude output with the aim of keeping oil prices high. Chavez has exploited Venezuela's membership in OPEC to try to enhance his own image as statesman, hosting a meeting of the group's heads of state in Caracas in September 2000.
Cuban Minister Visits Venezuela***"I've come to support our staff and to tell them we are proud of their actions while defending the installation," Perez Roque said. Perez Roque had denied that any Venezuelans were seeking refuge at the site. He blamed the protests on "coup leaders" backed by Cuban exile groups in Miami. Chavez and Castro are good friends. Castro even celebrated his 75th birthday with Chavez last year in Venezuela.***