When people are having problems with their own electricity, protests in Margarita Island come to mind, it does not sit well to hear that Venezuela gave US$ 22 million to Gambia for its electric network. In my opinion, Gambia may actually be one of the few countries that may deserve such a gift, Haiti being another one that comes to mind, but it is indeed somewhat typical of this wishy-washy Government that even when they are doing good, they want to protect their image.
Thus yesterday, the Vice-Minister for Foreign Relations said this was false, despite the press conference in Gambia by the guy in charge of electrification in that country. My friend @Naldoxx contacted me yesterday and showed me documents (part of which has since been published by la patilla!) of which you can see the portion of the funding above. In no uncertain terms, it says that Venezuela’s Bandes has lent that country the money for the project.
Thus, in terms of half truths, the Vice Minister is right, Bandes lent the money to the Gambian Government, it is not a gift, just a loan, but in the end, I suspect it is the same, somehow Venezuela does not collect in most of these loans, least of all from Gambia, a country that will likely have to roll over the loan over and over.
So, it is false Venezuela gave Gambia the money, it was Bandes, and it was a loan, not a gift, OK?
Note Added: And my friend @Naldoxx sends me a link to the Bandes magazine, simply priceless (page 10-11):
The Devil's Excrement 
September 7, 2011 at 8:28 pm
Sorry Ira, i don’t have the slightest idea of what you are talking about. This article was published today and it’s only to support diablo’s post.
It seems that you don’t know too much about the soviets or should i say the russians, like I do…
and please, this is a serious bloq with serious people. there’s no need for your pottymouth.
Cordially,
Yura
September 7, 2011 at 3:45 pm
Gambia: U.S.$22 Million Electrification Project Awarded to Local Contractors
Omar Wally
6 September 2011….THe Daily Observer ( Banjul )
——————————————————————————–
The National Water and Electricity Company (Nawec) Saturday awarded over the US$22 million Venezuela Electricity Project Phase One to local contractors at a ceremony held at the West Coast Region (WCR) governor’s residence in Brikama.
The contractors are Dabanani, Power Com Mu Gaw, New Gambia Industrials, General Engineers and BB Electrical. The US$22 million was obtained by Nawec through the Gambia government from the Republic of Venezuela, and is among other things aimed at refurbishing, rehabilitating and expanding the electricity network in the Greater Banjul Area.
Speaking at the ceremony, Lang Sabally, the project coordinator disclosed that 70-80 percent of the first phase of the project will be installed in the WCR. He explained that this is the first phase of the project with installation of 4500 KVA, adding that another 500 KVA installation will be in the Kanifing Municipality and the Greater Banjul Area.
Sabally dilated on the history of the power sector over the past years. He said: “If you check the development of the power sector in the Greater Banjul Area in the late 1970s and early 1990s, the load centre was in Banjul and it gradually shifted with the commissioning of Kotu Power Station in 1981.”
Regarding the second phase, he said that 70-80 percent of the installation will be in the WCR, further hinting that efforts are on to secure more funds to pump into the energy sector.
On his part, Ebrima Sanyang, deputy managing director of Nawec, said: “In the first phase, we will be having close to 108 kilometers of distribution. The panels are fitted with street lighting equipment; the conductors are fitted with street lighting accessories. So it will be easy in the future to provide street lighting in the entire administration area of the project.
He noted that WCR, particularly Brikama, will benefit a lot from the project. “We commissioned a 9 megawatt plant within the industrial zone of Brikama and we are expanding the same plan to 30 megawatts in the future. So if it works well, the town of Brikama will have a befitting expansion,” he added.
Sanyang further noted that the contractors executing the project in various parts of the Greater Banjul Area are Gambians. “We believe it is our responsibility to build capacity and also ensure that the little revenues out of the project stay in the country,” he said.
Mama Nyang, the deputy permanent secretary, Ministry of Energy, described WCR as one of the fastest growing areas of the country, with the provision of electricity paramount in its development. He on behalf of the government of The Gambia thanked the government of Venezuela for providing funds for setting up the project.
September 7, 2011 at 4:27 pm
I don’t understand the purpose of your post exactly–but let’s follow the progress of this, shall we? I say we start with maps of Gambia (fuck the “the” in the name), and let’s see what happens.
For example, a 9 megawatt plant is promised for Brikama, with expansion to 30. (HAH!)
When do you, me and others predict this will happen? 2020?
For fucking, fucking, FUCKING Christ’s sake:
Everything Chavez or his sycophants promise to do is 100% reminiscent of the Soviets’ 5-year plans. Not 1% of theoseplans–ZERO % of their plans–ever came to fruition.
Yet the morons of communism are happy with a feel-good story in the morning edition of Pravda, while they sit in the dark, drinking dirty water, and suffering severe food shortages.
September 7, 2011 at 3:31 pm
I wonder WHAT “The Gambia” did with all the money, I bet they spit with Chavez and… voila… several millions -en calidad de “donacion”- are gone again
September 7, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Meanwhile, our distinguished opposition leaders are meeting in Margarita … (wait for it) to be present at the coronation ceremony of the Virgen del Valle. It seems that the latest developments are not worthy of their attention.
September 7, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Ja, ja, ja
Alí Rodríguez aseguró que las protestas por las multas eléctricas son promovidas por el Imperio
September 7, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Se vé que el Imperio le tiene metido el dedo a todo. Hasta se lo tiene metido al Comandante Fausto.
September 7, 2011 at 1:14 pm
¿Cuanta gente mató el Comandante Fausto cuando era guerrillero? ¿Y ahora se queja que le tiran piedras? ¡Que hipócrita¡
September 7, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Ex-guerrillero convertido en gobernante quejandose de la protesta popular.
Oh, deliciosa ironia!
September 8, 2011 at 8:26 am
If only it were simply irony, rather than bald-faced hypocrisy.
September 8, 2011 at 9:08 am
Geha, the chuzpah is bigger than many think.
Two of the worst criminals from the masacres of Yumare
and El Amparo were Enrique Vivas Quintero and
Rodríguez Chacín. The first is one of the key founders
of the MVR shit. The second you know very well: minister until his
links with some other thugs became too evident even abroad.
And Chavistas tell us about the human right abuses
of the “Cuarta República”.
And sixty-year-old Chavista honchos will call 18-year old men and women opposing them “old oligarchy”.
September 7, 2011 at 11:58 am
Why Gambia? Isn’t Gambia one of the many stop-over countries for the transportation of cocaine? Most of it, the cocaine shipments, originate at obscure military bases in Venezuela on direct flights to various west African countries. From there it is shipped to most of western Europe. The vast majority of cocaine to be found in Europe originated in Venezuela, and had been trans-shipped through Africa. Perhaps the Gambians will show their appreciation for the upgrade to their electrical network by naming a soccer stadium after Hugo Chavez? It’s the very least they could do. I wonder if the good citizens of Benghazi have removed the “Hugo Chavez” name from their soccer stadium? Hmmmmm?
September 7, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Chavez has been very secretive about “things African”-example-
rumors of arming terrorist groups in various countries in African
continent-hint- Chavez’s brother Qadaffi -well-known for buying
candidates and supporting various groups in African countries.
Also-remember- Cuba getting involved in past.
Point is- planes, drugs and weapons? leave Venezuela for
African countries…and posited that al Queda is involved in the
transhipping of drugs into Europe from Africa..I know it is not clear..
I don’t think these fellows are in the rose and chocolate business..
September 7, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Yep: They are going to use the money to light landing strips
September 7, 2011 at 11:28 am
By the way, Gambia is yet another country ruled by a thug that seized power in a coup.
September 7, 2011 at 11:26 am
For those of us who live in Margarita & have to listen to the inane excuses from the representatives of Corpolec as to why we have daily outages of from anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours this money to Gambia (The Gambia?) or generators to Nicaragua (which has been reported were originally for Margarita) just makes us angrier & more frustrated.
Just this week the outflow of excuses (lies) has been monumental:
The shortages are due to the “Tourists” (duh!!! Margarita has far fewer tourists this year than any time in the last 12 years)
The shortages will be balanced in October (right, the Island will be empty by then)
The new solar plant will add x kw to the grid. (Believe it when I see it)
The generators are overdue for maintenance and have to be taken off line. (have they never heard of planning)
We are responsible for using too much electricity (I would bet that on a per capita basis we use less than 2 years ago. Do they not think that by cutting us off 10% of the time that that will not reduce usage. Actually I have my doubts as the extra energy needed by A/C units to re-cool rooms & buildings probably uses up any savings.)
Like Fonden, PDVSA, Pudreval, the prisons, hospitals, schools…just about any government service you can think of… nothing works.
Do regular people here think that this happens in civilized countries?
Sorry for the rant. Business is bad (tourism) & the A/C’s are struggling with just 112 watts (one side) of electricity and the next cut will probably arrive just at lunch time. It’s so depressing.
September 7, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Don’t worry there is a new President of Corpoelec now, all will be sorted out!!! ha ha……I have spent the last month in Caracas as i knew it would be 3 hours without electricity in our Margarita apartment every afternoon. I was right.
Even the Venezuelans may not return to Margarita at Xmas with the disaster of the electricity inservice. And as for the insecurity, I hear a 65 year old German resident in Margarita was killed early this morning in Porlamar.
September 7, 2011 at 1:34 pm
The protests in Margarita are becoming increasingly violent. Yesterday, protesters marched to the principle office of Corpolec here on the island and began throwing rocks, breaking all the windows in the building. The protesters were finally dispersed by the National Guard using tear gas.
What is sad is that the increasing violence actually had the affect desired and the outages so far this week are fewer and of shorter duration than last week. No llora; no mama…
September 7, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Roy, as mentioned, the Island is slowly emptying even though a few are still here for the religious festival.
As of next week things should be back to normal until Christmas when the shit will hit the fan again. Once the pressure is off they will not do anything.
It amazed me that they knew for weeks (months?) that there was a problem with the undersea cable & did nothing until the protests started.
September 7, 2011 at 11:08 am
Chavez is stealing Venezuelans blind. The thief ought to be in jail.
September 7, 2011 at 11:04 am
And it was not to Gambia, it was to The Gambia, na-na-na!
Thanks, Miguel!