Hugo Chavez Warns the US: we would suspend shipments of oil to the United States!

On Sunday, Hugo Chavez the president of Venezuela said that if Colombia attacks the country on the grounds that rebels are hiding over the border he would cutoff all the shipments of oil that will go into the US. Colombia is an allied country of the United States of America. More about the conflict between Venezuela and Colombia here.

“We wouldn’t send another drop of oil to its refineries, not a single drop more!” said Chavez after he said that the US is the first to blame for planting the seed of conflict between the two countries.

If the president of Venezuela keeps his promise, the economy of the country will be shaken real hard because it is based mostly on oil sales. Most of the oil from Venezuela goes to the United States being in the first five oil providers.

Chavez made this statement to be one step ahead of the US and Colombia who didn’t manifest an interest in military actions but Chavez managed to prevent the starting of a powerful international campaign against Venezuela, he also sustained clear the idea that there are no rebels in Venezuelan territory.

In 2008 Colombia crossed the border of Ecuador with military forces and attacked a rebel camp where they killed the rebel leader. Chavez made the statement on Sunday warning that this will not happened in Venezuela as well.
“Chavez’s threat to halt oil sales if attacked by Colombia is credible in my view,” said an analyst at the Washington office on Latin America, Adam Isacson.

Isacson believes that the statement of Hugo Chavez about the cutoff of the oil is against the two forces that in his opinion are a danger to his country and on a national level a way to attract voters because of the legislative elections that will take place in two months. Venezuela’s biggest problems are crime control and high inflation and Chavez wants to reroute the attention of the Venezuelan people outside the boarders and to see him as a patriot savior.

“Troubles with Colombia give Chavez the chance to rally his base, and get out their vote, by playing the patriotism card,” said Isacson.

Colombia went to the Organization of American States to present the facts that there are rebels in Venezuela because Chavez’s government didn’t approach the subject in any way, denying the presence of leftist rebels.

Chavez said that he believes that this is the moment in which is more likely that Colombia will attack the Venezuelan territory. He said that he has information from the Venezuelan intelligence and because of this news he considered that he should stay in the country and canceled a visit in Cuba.

Chavez also stated for a newspaper that he awaits the reaction of elected president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos who will take the power next month and he hopes that his reaction will be for the improvement of the conflict status between the two countries.

“We have to receive clear and unequivocal signals that there is a real political will in the new Colombian government to take up the path of dialogue again, without tricks,” said President Chavez for the newspaper.

Uribe the actual president of Colombia has constantly argued with Chavez, for many years the officials of Uribe verbally attacked the Venezuelans because of hiding two rebel chiefs of their two rebel groups.

President Uribe has been quarreling with Chavez because he is trying to distract the attention of the public from the problems at home, like being prosecuted for spying on journalists and judges, said the critics.

Since Colombia permitted the US military forces to extend their influences on Colombian bases which made Chavez to break relations with Colombia and a reaction to these actions made, the trade with Venezuela has dropped 70 percent.

Santos said that the trade with Venezuela is very important for Colombia and Colombian food producers. Chavez stated that under the new president, Santos, the relations between the two countries could be improved.

“The likely conclusion for now is that Santos will say something conciliatory around the time of his inauguration, Chavez will respond in kind, and relations will improve for a while,” said Isacson. The only problem is that the matter about the leftist rebels who are hiding in Venezuela will create sparks again between the two countries.

“It’s dangerous because even a misunderstanding or minor incident at the border could get out of hand, escalating and spreading to other parts of the border,” Isacson said.
Chavez accused Washington of trying to make him release the power, and walking on this path he believes that they are doing this through Colombia.

The president of Venezuela said on Sunday that the US is an expert government when it comes to crush the opposing force, talking about the Iraq war.

The US government has denied the accusation of Chavez about secret plans against him and his country and insisted to replay to the Colombian government’s requests about the rebels.

Which president is covering better the mess from their country with an international one ?