Venezuela threatens anew to turn off oil spigot to US

Well this certainly can not be a smart move for Venezuela to start spewing now, this is just not smart with $67 oil.


Tue Aug 16, 3:07 PM ET

CARACAS (AFP) - Venezuela's energy minister, Rafael Ramirez, said that Caracas is "ready and willing" to cut off its oil supply to the United States, if there are any signs of aggression from the superpower toward his country.

"We are prepared to do that, and we stand ready to defend our rights," Ramirez told the official news agency ABN.

On Sunday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to end oil exports to the United States if Washington did not stop its "aggressions."

"We do not want to break relations with the US government; it is not in our plans," Chavez said. "But if the aggressions continue, ... this could put diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the United States at risk."



And this little tidbit doesnt help either,

Chavez has become an increasingly outspoken critic of the United States, and accuses Washington of planning attacks against Venezuela, while the United States has accused Venezuela of funding efforts to destabilize Latin American neighbors and allowing weapons to cross into Colombia, whose government is battling a leftist insurgency.

The latest rhetoric from Caracas came about a week after the Venezuelan government announced that it had cut its anti-drug cooperation with the United States, accusing the US Drug Enforcement Administration of breaking local drug laws.

Venezuela then withdrew diplomatic immunity for US anti-narcotics agents after the United States withdrew visas for several Venezuelan officials in Washington, on suspicion of involvement in drug trafficking.





LINK

[edit on 16-8-2005 by edsinger]

Sorry, I don't see the problem or point of this post.

Agression equals no more oil. Isn't that fair enough? Or do you think that if they are attcked they should continue supplying oil?

Ed, I guess will be advocating full scale military operations against Venezuela then.

Whats not smart? Is the US the only oil buyer?


Accusing them of running guns into colombia? Wait.. i have seen this excuse before! Nicaragua, and most recently Iran was "caught" smuggling guns to iraq.

And when you say Columbia is fighting a Leftist insurgency... you mean America is fighting a leftist insurgency in Columbia.. coz US guns seems to cross that border without hassle.

Venezuela is fed up with US involvement in South and Central America.. like most of us rational people. And like all other examples that have gone before.. the US will not tolerate ANY form of social or democratic reform in what it considers to be its back yard. Look at all the examples from south/central american countried that tried to change during the 70's and 80's.

I think this is all saber rattling, Venezuela is a member of OPEC and can't unilaterally stop oil exports to a particular country as far as I know...correct me if I'm wrong.

Popycock! Venezuela is destabiliazing the whole region , just as Cuba and Castro wished.

I agree 100%, dont bite the hands that feed.

So, when do we hear the press announcement that Chavez has been stockpiling weapons of mass destruction to destabilize the region?

When do we see the US going in to "liberate" Venezuela?

When do barrels get released from the National Reserve to stabilize the gas prices during the operation?

I want timetables!!!

You know, if we Americans keep paying $2.50 a gallon for gas (yes, cheap to most of you overseas, but you guys live closer to everything, we have to drive far each day), then we'll probably support ANY military action on even the shakiest evidence, to get that price down. Sad, but true.

Venezuela is playing a dangerous (and rather stupid) game. Biting the hand that feeds you is not a good idea.

[edit on 17-8-2005 by Gazrok]

I know little of this but what type of aggresions has USA been doing to Venezuela?

Just be simply saying "aggresions" don't give me much details unless if this is a long story.

I'm afraid that trying to "google" this for an answer would not come up with a correct answer.

[edit on 17-8-2005 by SuperTrashCan]

Well meddling in Democratic elections is one provable charge. Remember to the US the poor aren't supposed to vote only the middle class and the rich are supposed to vote because anything else is communism! Venezuela keep it up! Look out for your own butts for a change and who cares what the US says. If they try and invade just pull an Iraq and don't even fight back. Go underground and do hit and run attacks as well as IED attacks. This imperialist aggressor needs to be stopped somewhere.

If you're going to run a country on a resource not readily available then you will be at the mercy of those who have it, else take it by force and be seen as an agressor. America tries to appease it's citizens with low oil prices, but it's delaying the inevitable. As long as were on this path we're destined to compromise to the will of those who have or be ready to take it from those who possess it. It's an all around losing path we stay on, either direction you go.

[edit on 17-8-2005 by Cattlest]

I guess Venezuela have the right to do with their oil whatever it feels like it.

The open demonstration and displeasure shown by Chavez against the US government is to let the world know that if they become targets of an US invasion the entire world already know why.

The credibility of the US is already tarnished when it invaded Iraq.

I don't think US will invade Venezuela anytime soon.

Way to go Venezuela the states won't invade, just like they won't invade Iran, America is to week George bush has seen to that. The Americans can't even beat a third world county like Iraq, they would really get there heads handed back to them on a plate if they tried Venezuela or Iran. Venezuela

Bottom line it's Venezuela's oil and can sell to who ever they want. I am glad to see them stand against the Terrorists.

[edit on 17/8/2005 by Sauron]

I applaud Venezuela for standing up to the US. It takes a lot of guts to stand up to a superpower that is hell bent on the destruction of anyone who stand in its path. I suppose Venezuela doesn't want to end up like Iraq or like those poor South American countries like Ecuador and Bolivia who were drained of all their oil in the late 70s and 80s and then fell into trillion bajillion dollar deficits with the US.

What did the US do after sucking up their natural resources? Turned a blind eye to the drug trafficking of the CIA until it suited them to start a 'war on drugs'. In the 90s it then turned around and denied those same 3rd world countries aid for literacy and development due to - you guessed it - it's hypocritical war on drugs.

America's smelly foreign policy and bullying tactics are nothing new.

I must have missed that one..didn't know an aggression problem existed between Bush and Venezuela.

Dallas

I think I am getting it now.

Bush turns the blind eye on the drug cartels while he is too busy spending trillions of dollars on iraq.

[edit on 17-8-2005 by SuperTrashCan]

he did? i wonder why we still have organizations still targeting the cartel. i mean we did have recent arrests on leaders of the drug cartel. those organizations would have been disbanded long time ago u know?

btw Chavez accuses the U.S. of attempted coup even though there is no proof of that. all the Bush admin says is that they dont believe in Chavez for he lets the leftist rebels to roam freely and terrorizing Latin America. since then Chavez is pretty much pissed off. enough that he wants to threaten the cut off of oil to the U.S.

Does Panama ring a bell? The Monroe doctrine is still in effect you know.

goes to show you dont rely on facts by this response, like many here you place unfounded accusations then rant on about a range of things related and not related, arguing on emotion and assumption.