“A shocking report aired on the Lou Dobbs show Thursday night [4/27/06] revealed that Cuba has not only allowed China to drill but also to service an old Soviet refinery in Cuba while U.S. companies are locked out of the game.”  NewsMax.com

It’s no secret that the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) is aggressively securing resources such as oil, gas, metals, concrete and so on.  This behavior has been particularly glaring in Africa and Latin America.
But now we have a ringside seat.

“China, which he said is the world's second-largest user of petroleum products ‘is using this area off our coast, and in Cuban national waters, as a strategic commodities reserve. It is doing this by acquiring exclusive rights in the emerging Cuban offshore oil sector -- thereby forever closing the door on those resources to the U.S. industry and drastically impacting our foreign policy in the region.’"

According to a U.S. Geological Survey report the North Cuba Basin reserve is estimated to be from 4.6 billion barrels of oil to as much as 9.3 billion barrels. That is comparable to the 4 to 10 billion barrels estimated for the ANWR (Alaska National Wildlife Refuge). 

Hugo Chevez and many other leaders of the leftist persuasion have little love for the United States, and the Bush Regime in particular.  These countries, all the way from the tip of South America up to and including Mexico, are rich in various natural resources.  Argentina, in particular, is a significant supplier of oil to the United States.  Peru, Chile and other countries that might not be so rich in oil have rich deposits of bauxite (aluminum), copper and other valuable ores and minerals. 

“The Dobbs report also revealed that Venezuela's Castroite president, Hugo Chavez, has offered Chinese oil firms operating rights in his country.”

The PRC is actively mining and drilling politically in those nations, with some disturbing success.  Once again, as a Communist nation, it has an inside track because of the strong leftist tilt in most of the Latin American countries.  

Thought for the day: picture Cuba as America’s Taiwan just off the coast of the mainland. From the Chinese strategic viewpoint, it can be used as a burr under our saddle just as Taiwan is considered to be a burr under the Chinese saddle.   Could be a significant end-run strategically.