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Disadvantaged Scots may get cheap oil |
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Monday, 25 February 2008 |
Scots struggling with rising fuel bills may be set to benefit from a Venezuelan scheme that offers free or cheap oil to disadvantaged communities.
Oil-rich Venezuela currently provides subsidised fuel for London buses, allowing 250,000 Londoners on income support half-price travel. The country also provides discounted heating oil to over 120 native American communities, as well as to deprived urban areas such as Baltimore.
Visiting Scotland last week, Venezuelan Ambassador Samuel Moncada said a similar scheme operating in deprived parts of Scotland could help build relations between the two countries.
“We can explore that with the Scottish Government. We are perfectly able to explore and discuss these matters. In Glasgow there may be a chance to do it, so let’s explore it. That’s part of our view of how to co-operate with other countries,” he said.
Moncada stressed the importance that Venezuela places on its relationship with Scotland.
“I have been here as ambassador for three months and this is my first visit to Scotland, but it shows the importance we place on Scotland that I would come very early on in my post to come and talk to Scottish people.
“We understand the importance of Scotland, not just within the UK, but also in connection with Venezuela. We have a very important relationship between Venezuela and Scotland. We are both oil-producing nations and specifically in Aberdeen, through Robert Gordon University there are many Venezuelan students studying technical oil matters. That is a very important connection.”
Moncada says a key part of his work will be educating Scotland about the reality of
life in Venezuela, and countering what he described as “disinformation” about the
country.
“We want Scottish people to understand better what is happening in Venezuela. We have to fight misrepresentations of what is really going on because we are portrayed as a rogue state, a narco-trafficker, mad dictatorship and we want to clear public opinion of these misrepresentations,” he said.
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