VENEZUELAN President Hugo Chavez yesterday threatened to cut off oil supplies to the US if it supported a Colombian military attack on Venezuela, and warned Washington to stay out of the crisis.
Mr Chavez broke off diplomatic relations with Bogota last week in response to charges by President Alvaro Uribe that 1500 Colombian guerillas had set up camp inside Venezuela and were launching attacks from its territory.
The firebrand leftist leader said that if Colombia were to launch an attack “promoted by the Yankee empire, we would suspend oil deliveries to the US, even if everybody over here has to eat stones”.
Venezuela, a member of OPEC, is South America’s largest oil producer and exporter. Mr Chavez said he had intelligence that “the possibility of an armed aggression against Venezuelan territory from Colombia” was higher than it has been “in 100 years”.
“Everything points to the Colombian government, and even more so to the US – there you have the guilty one, there you have the great instigator,” added Mr Chavez. He said Venezuela was ready to repel any aggression from Colombia.
Venezuela’s armed forces along the border with Colombia had been placed under “maximum alert”.
At present, there are about 20,000 troops deployed along Venezuela’s 2000km border with Colombia, according to military officials.
The US last Friday threw its support behind its key ally, Colombia, in its latest row with Venezuela, calling Mr Chavez’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Colombia and put border troops on alert “a petulant response” to Bogota’s accusations.
Mr Chavez yesterday hinted at a possible easing of tensions with Colombia when president-elect Juan Manuel Santos replaces Mr Uribe on August 7.
“We must get clear and unambiguous signs that Colombia’s new government has real political will to resume the path of dialogue (with Venezuela) without any tricks,” Mr Chavez wrote in an opinion column.
Venezuela’s exports to the US almost entirely comprise oil.
Be the first to comment