Chavez threatens to cut off oil to U.S.

[johnnyBgood]

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has warned he could cut off oil exports to the United States if Washington goes "over the line" in what he has said are attempts to destabilize his left-leaning government.[/b]
Chavez made his threat Friday, a day after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Venezuelan government posed "one of the biggest problems" in the region and that its ties to Cuba were "particularly dangerous" to democracy in Latin America.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/02/18/chavez.oil.ap/index.html

They said this before,But I think they are goanna do it this time.

[kevin1]

Chavez is a fourth rate banana republic punk and stupid to boot . His country sells their oil through the international commodities markets the same as every other oil producing nation , he could no more cut us off from their oil than he could stop the wind from blowing . Don't believe everything you read Stealthy ... er ..Johnnie .

[johnnyBgood]

I wouldn't count on that kev.

Chavez tells Rice: 'Don't mess with me, girl'
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday warned U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice not to "mess with" him days after Rice described Venezuela as a menace to regional democracy.[/b]
"Don't mess with me, Condoleezza. Don't mess with me, girl," Chavez said during his weekly Sunday broadcast, sarcastically offering her a kiss and jokingly referring to her as "Condolence."
The warning comes days after Rice described Venezuela as one of the "biggest problems" for the Western Hemisphere and promised to develop regional alliances as part of an "inoculation" strategy to expose what the State Department calls anti-democratic behavior in Venezuela.
Chavez has repeatedly accused Washington of trying to topple him, and says the United States will attempt to sow chaos this year as he launches a re-election bid.
Diplomatic relations between the United States and Venezuela, the world's No. 5 oil exporter, have been strained since Chavez accused the United States of plotting a coup d'etat that briefly ousted him in 2002.
Chavez, a former soldier turned populist leader, has promised to create socialist revolution in Venezuela and promote regional integration in Latin America to roll back U.S.-supported economic reforms.
The State Department says Chavez is using the nation's bountiful oil wealth to meddle in the affairs of neighboring countries, and has slammed him for boosting ties to U.S. foes like Cuba and Iran.
Tensions between Washington and Caracas increased in February after Chavez expelled a U.S. naval attache for alleged espionage. The State Department responded by expelling a top Venezuelan diplomat.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/02/19/chavez.rice.reut/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[kevin1]

As pointed out in your post it's an election year in Venezuela . Chavez is in the lead at the moment by a large margin and largely because he's doing what keeps him popular with the other banana pickers , he's ratched up his rhetoric toward the United States in an effort to look macho . His opponent has been oddly silent toward the US , and will probably lose if Chavez doesn't punk out and have him assassinated before the elections . Chavez is just shooting his mouth off to look tough , but deep down he knows it's just hollow words that he can't back up . Once the oil hits the international markets anyone can buy it whether Chavez likes it or not . The only way that he could prevent their oil from coming to us would be to sell direct to other nations/oil refiners rather than on the international market , which would be highly unusual for an oil producing nation .