Colombia, France
Sign Agreement On
Fighting Crimes
Venezuela
To Give Island To New Jersey
Socialist Redemption, Says Chavez
Ecuadorians Reflect
Before Voting
Venezuela To Give
Island To New Jersey
Washington -- Venezuela
will give a 121-hectare island in the
Delaware River to the U.S. state of New
Jersey in a gesture of goodwill to the U.S.
people, CNN reported on Thursday.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez used
Wednesday's Earth Day celebration as the
occasion to announce the transfer of Petty's
Island, CNN quoted a statement from New
Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine as saying.
The Venezuelan-owned Citgo Petroleum Corp.
had bought the island, which is part of
Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, to use it
as a fuel storage facility.
The island is home to a pair of American
bald eagles, several great blue herons and
state-endangered black-crowned night herons.
Plans are being finalized for the
transition, which will not occur before
2020, Corzine's office said.
The New Jersey government must first certify
that Citgo's cleanup of the island has met
state standards before it can be
transferred.
The Citgo has agreed to create a
2-million-U.S.-dollar fund to allow the
Natural Lands Trust, a state
land-preservation board, to manage the
island.
The company is setting up another
one-million-dollar fund to help establish a
cultural and education center.
Activities on the island will be limited to
hiking and bicycle riding.
At the 5th Summit of Americas held in
Trinidad and Tobago on April 17-19, the
U.S.-Venezuela relations seemed to have been
turning warm.
On April 17, Chavez and his U.S. counterpart
Barack Obama exchanged greetings and shook
hands with smile before the inaugural
session of the summit.
On April 18, Chavez gave Obama a book titled
"The Open Veins of Latin America" by
Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano.
Chavez also designated a candidate for the
ambassador to the United States.
The U.S.-Venezuela relations have been tense
in recent years. In September 2008, Chavez
ordered the expulsion of the U.S. ambassador
in solidarity with the Bolivian government's
decision to expel the U.S. ambassador in La
Paz.
In retaliation, the Bush administration
ordered the expulsion of the Venezuelan
ambassador in Washington.
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