Cuba and China are not the only socialist powers with an interest in the South Pacific.
I missed this at the time, but worth reporting on in light of my previous post.
From the official website of the Kingdom of Tonga
The Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Feleti Sevele and the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hon. Vladimir Villegas Poljak,
Pursuant to approval by His Majesty’s Council on 13 April 2007, His Majesty’s Government formally established diplomatic relations with the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with the singing of a Joint Communiqué on 6 May 2007 at the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Washington, D.C. The Joint Communiqué was co-signed by the Hon. Dr. Feleti Vaka’uta Sevele, the Prime Minister of Tonga, and the Hon. Vladimir Villegas Poljak, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
In view of supporting sustainable development in Tonga, the Vice-Minister conveyed Venezuela’s offer of technical and financial assistance, among other things, in the Energy Sector. He intimated that the Government of Venezuela’s efforts to operate oil refineries and storage facilities in Vietnam and Malaysia would cut transportation time and costs to Tonga. Moreover, closer cooperation between the two countries would contribute towards national, regional and international peace and security.
The Vice-Minister looked forward to any assistance Tonga would provide Venezuela to strengthen the common interests of both countries. He reiterated the Government of Venezuela’s invitation extended to the Ambassador of Tonga, Mrs. Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu, to visit Caracas in June/July of this year.
The Prime Minister of Tonga conveyed his gratitude for the signing ceremony and for the technical assistance offered by Venezuela to benefit relevant sectors in Tonga, particularly towards taking action to expedite access to cost-cutting energy services. The Prime Minister stated the Government of Tonga’s desire to develop mutual cooperation with the Government of Venezuela.
Hugo Chavez’s criminal paradise
‘While this situation has so far been rather invisible to the rest of the world, it is patently clear to those in charge of fighting transnational crime. Anti-trafficking officials in Europe, the United States, Asia and other Latin American countries are paying unprecedented attention to Venezuela. These officials are not particularly interested in Venezuelan politics or in Chavez’s policies. All they care about is that the tentacles of these global criminal networks are spreading from Venezuela into their countries with enormous power and at great speed.
It is also a major stopover for illegal immigrants from China, the Middle East and other parts of Latin America who are on their way elsewhere. They can obtain a Venezuelan passport in a matter of hours.’
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-naim10nov10,0,1470504.story?coll=la-tot-opinion