This week a number of service and resource related issues have come to light in the Americas. Obviously the major issue the media is reporting is the projected oil shortage and the rise in the price of oil. Along side this interestingly Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan President has been in Montego Bay, Jamaica promising oil price concessions to Caribbean countries, meaning their oil will be reduced in price and also discussing further reductions if prices continue to rise. This appealing state of affairs for the Carribean will inevitably promote Hugo Chavez's prfile in the region, giving Venezuela a more favourable image, from the poor scenes of domestic insurrection in Caracas last year.
To coincide with this conference the Jamaican Labour Party called for road blocks to bring Jamaica to a standstill this Tuesday in protest of energy bills, bus fares and utility prices. It successfully managed to do so, on an island that seems to lilt readily into inactivity given a plausible excuse.
The National Fuel lobby has also declared that it wants to blockade the oil plants in Britain next Wednesday and we will soon know whether the all important farmers which constituted a major role in the blockade 5 years ago will join in. This action seems to be pointless in the fact that the government has not increased petrol duties and only by inflation has there been any fuel price increases. On an island where 'to carry on regardless' seems to be the attitude, seen after the bombings in London, and the subsequent failed attack, the success of next weeks protest seems to be very unlikely. The attitude of the nation does not seem to be receptive to this act at all. All good protests need a political appeal, and this planned protest has none of this, parliament are still on a summer break and the economic disruption to this nation would be far greater than any political or moral success of the National Fuel Lobby. The petrol supply to Britain is far too streched at the moment as it is, any more will cause longer lasting problems on the supply of petrol.