Economy
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said on a mandatory radio and TV broadcast that "year 2009 is ending well" with a "smile in the soul and the spirit." The president did not mention the recession mirrored by the results released by the Central Bank of Venezuela. He stressed that "ex officio forecasters said one year ago, when oil prices plummeted, that 2009 would be disastrous."

"Financially, this year is ending much better than we thought even in the best scenario," said the ruler, and stressed that this result occurs in the midst of "the systemic crisis of capitalism."

The Head of State repeatedly said in his speech that he had different documents and charts, but he did not want to expand on his New Year message. Therefore, he simply noted the rebound of oil prices and the limited expansion of unemployment.

The official economic measures, he stressed, helped keep unemployment in check. The jobless rate started 2009 at 7.9 percent and close "at the same level," unlike other countries in the world where the indicator "skyrocketed."

He noted that oil prices have made it into the price range between USD 60 and 80 a barrel, as the oil market demonstrated recently.

"Winter is hard on the North and that has increased the demand for heating oil and other needs and oil prices have rebounded," he said. Projections suggest that the oil yearly average price will be USD 57 a barrel, while January will start with a price above or close to USD 70.

In other areas, the Venezuelan ruler said that 34 companies owned by banker Ricardo Fernández Barrueco were intervened by the Venezuelan state have been "occupied and secured."

He hoped such companies to contribute to achieve food sovereignty. The list comprises rice, cooking oil, tuna, corn, and metalworking companies, farms, fleets of vehicles stored and machinery, among others. Chávez stressed that another 25 companies are "in process" but did not elaborate.

He reported that the food reserve, which has to be enough for 3 months under the Organic Law on Food Sovereignty, at this time has food for 25 days of domestic consumption, in areas such as rice, white and yellow maize, vegetable oil, milk powder, tuna and sardines, sugar, soybeans, sorghum and beef "largely domestically produced."