...tried to assassinate Chavez last year. (I can't stand American Media, sometimes)

That's why Chavez signed a trade deal with China through the BRIC Alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China). His government no longer wants to be dependent on the falling US dollar, so they agreed to a deal with the largest economy in the world.

Chavez has been screaming about this for months. There's been a media black out on it.