Venezuela buys Argentine bonds worth US$500M, courts deals with Bolivia and Ecuador/ Chávez dice compró 500 mln dlrs bonos Argentina

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said his government has snapped up US$500 million (€362 million) in Argentine bonds to help the country free itself from the International Monetary Fund, which he likened to "Dracula." In Argentina on Tuesday as part of a four-nation South American tour, Chavez also said Venezuela is pursuing bond deals with leftist allies in Ecuador and Bolivia — deals seen as a major push by Chavez to spread his petro-dollar influence and counter U.S.-backed free trade prescriptions ( full information)/ El presidente venezolano, Hugo Chávez, dijo el martes que ya se completó la anunciada compra de 500 millones de dólares en bonos argentinos y que en los próximos meses habrá otra operación por la misma suma. "Son 500 millones de dólares, nos pidieron 1.000 (millones de dólares); yo le dije a (el presidente argentino) Néstor (Kirchner): 'Mira, 1.000 (millones de dólares) es duro para nosotros ahorita, vamos a hacerlo en dos partes", señaló.( información completa)