The Cuban government will spend at least $412 million on products made in Venezuela under a trade agreement signed between the two countries, according to terms of the deal published today in Caracas. Cuba will buy food and work clothes and boots "for an initial sum of $412 million," according to the Official Gazette, a government publication listing the details of recently approved diplomatic deals and legislation. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed the trade agreement with Cuban President Fidel Castro during a visit to Cuba in late April. During the visit, Venezuela announced that the 53,000 barrels of oil it began selling to Cuba on preferential terms in 2000 had risen to 90,000 barrels per day. Cuba agreed to increase the number of its doctors working in Venezuela to 30,000 by the end of the year. Cuba also will help train 40,000 new Venezuelan doctors. --SP 2326 Local Time 2026 GMT
