Venezuela head threatens US oil cut over Colombia row

BBC ^ | July 25, 2010

[La Lydia]

President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has threatened to halt oil exports to the US if his country is attacked by Colombia - a close US ally. The threat comes amid an escalating dispute over allegations that Venezuela is harbouring Colombian rebels.vChavez broke diplomatic ties with Colombia last week and put his army on high alert. Venezuela is America's fifth biggest source of imported oil, supplying about a million barrels a day...

"If there was any attack on Venezuela from Colombian territory or from anywhere else, promoted by the Yankee empire, we would suspend oil shipments to the US, even if we have to eat stones," he said. "We would not send one more drop to US refineries"...

But relations hit a new low last week when Colombia presented detailed allegations, including maps, photographs and testimony from guerrilla deserters. Venezuela vehemently denies the accusation, and Chavez has accused Colombia of trying to create a pretext for US military intervention against him....

[La Lydia]

Could be Chavez wants to start a war with Colombia, which he would lose. But I doubt it. I think this is all about distracting the Venezuelan people and drawing their attention away from the multiple failures and economic mismanagement of his regime. Get them all het up about "Yankee" aggression, and they won't be as likely to overthrow his regime.

[CORedneck]

Be nice for Columbia to attack. Time to cut that snake’s head off or in other words, time for him to have a permanent dirt nap six feet below

[pnh102]

If this means that Joe Kennedy won’t be getting any more oil then I am all for it.

[Gay State Conservative]

Gimme an M-14 and a ticket to Caracas and I’ll solve the problem within 48 hours of arrival.

[sappy]

Obama. Does everyone love us yet?

[CdMGuy]

If the gutless wonder in the White House had any guts, he would announce tomorrow that the US would no longer be importing oil from Venezuela. As oil is a fungible product, and the world presently has a surplus what difference whether we import oil from Venezuela or Brazil or Saudi Arabia, etc.

[Bringbackthedraft]

“even if we have to eat stones” ................................ I’m sure the People will love that he made that decision for them.

[DaxtonBrown]

How does Venezuela survive without a million barrels a day of income?

[kanawa]

“eat stones’

I’d sooner see him eat lead.

[Tzimisce]

Ha!

Now that we’ve killed our own domestic oil production, we don’t need yours Hugo! :)

-liberal logic

[Average Al]

It doesn't, but George Soros, Obama, and Petrobras in Brazil will do famously! ;-)

[Lysandru]

Columbia's Army has become impressive, but it is now configured to hunt guerrillas-- not conquer a neighbor. The Venezuelan "Bolivarian" Armed Forces are better suited to a conventional war. But I think that they lack the logistical capability to really threaten Columbia.

It's too bad that we lack the political will and a couple of spare divisions to go rid the world of Chavez.

I read an opinion piece some years ago that speculated that Venezeulans would eventually take care of Chavez. But we keep waiting for that day of reckoning.

[La Lydia]

Yes, there is that. He would be cutting off his nose to spite his face. He desperately needs that oil income. He also needs our refineries, because his oil is not of the first quality. He has mismanaged the oil wealth as badly as he has mismanaged his country’s economy, electricity supply, water supply and consumer goods. If he declares war on Colombia, it would not be unreasonable for the US to seize all of his assets in our country, although I seriously doubt the current administration would ever take such a step.

[bestintxas]

Hey Hugo: Obama beat you to it by cutting off our oil when he declared the drilling moratorium in Gulf.

[RightGeek]

[Eric in the Ozarks]

VZ has refineries in the US.
Hugo really is stupid.

[panaxanax]

>>”VZ has refineries in the US.”<<

We should follow his example and nationalize U.S. Citgo refineries. Then go down and just take what we need from him. This jerk needs to be shut down.