CARACAS, Friday February 23, 2007 | Update
A Venezuelan tanker arrived in Ecuadorian seaport of Balao
(north) carrying 200,000 barrels of diesel, as part of a swap
for crude oil, AFP reported.
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is heading Friday a ceremony
to mark the occasion.
Tanker Manuela Sáenz is to unload the diesel. Venezuela
is to receive in exchange 300,000 barrels of heavy-crude oil
from Esmeraldas (over the border with Colombia).
Ecuadorian Minister of Energy and Mines Alberto Acosta and
his Venezuelan counterpart Rafael Ramírez are also attending
the ceremony.
The original shipment was estimated at 220,000 barrels, but
Venezuela finally dispatched 200,000 barrels.
This crude oil for diesel swap agreement was initialed by
Correa and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez last
January 16th.
04:20 PM. Western Hemisphere. Colombian President Álvaro Uribe said on Tuesday that governments should ensure citizens' rights to live on the border, in reference to a political and diplomatic crisis with Venezuela and its effects on border residents.