Chavez threatens to halt oil exports to US

[bemildred]

Edit: Oh yeah: :popcorn::popcorn:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez vowed to win the upcoming Dec. 3 election and warned on Saturday night that Venezuela could halt oil exports to the United States if his opponents, joined by the US government, attempt to destabilize his leftist administration.

Chavez also reiterated that government opponents are not welcome in the military or the state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA. A day earlier, he suggested those who do not like his leftist policies should go somewhere else, like Miami.

"If they try to destabilize PDVSA, if the empire and its lackeys in Venezuela attempt another coup, ignore the outcome of the elections or cause election or oil-related upheaval we won't send another drop of oil to the United States," Chavez told oil workers Saturday at PDVSA facilities in the coastal city of Puerto La Cruz, 240 kilometers east of Caracas.

Chavez said that US President George W. Bush "had better tie down his crazies here in Venezuela" to prevent a possible end to petroleum exports.

JPost

[jaysunb]

1. I love you Hugo, but

you gotta cool this shit down for a few more days :evilgrin:

[Justitia]

12. Ditto. Hey Hugo, why don't you grab a seat in the bar & have a drink?

We'll catch up w/ya on Wednesday }(

[alittlelark]

17. I gotta agree, take a chill pill - we've got it under control.

If our Diebold et al systems are allowed to steal elections w/ no media consequences - then the gloves are off - on both sides of the equator.


Sadly, we may NEED a leader.

[tsuki]

2. That's okay. The freepers aren't going to buy his gasoline anyway.

They vowed to walk. :evilgrin:

[here_is_to_hope]

33. *snicker*..."vowed to walk..." n/t

[Mojorabbit]

3. No matter how I feel abut Chavez

this country needs to go on a crash course toward becoming energy independant else we will be liable to be held hostage to any country with oil.

[MGD]

5. Ther eshould be no higher priority for a democratic legislature/executive.

America's eyes are wide open on this now and I think the whole country would respond positively to energy policy reform/reformers. I think this is one issue that could cut right across party lines if it were done right.

[Peace Patriot]

6. I completely agree that we should be energy independent with green

planet-friendly energy, and could have been a long time ago, but for the fact that we have an oil cartel ensconced in the White House. Also, there would be no question of our being held hostage decent foreign policy--instead of this murderous thieving cartel--especially toward Venezuela, a country that is more peaceful and more democratic than this one is. There is absolutely no reason for the hostility to Venezuela. None. It is wholly the belligerence and greed of our oil overlords that has created this policy, funneled through Bush. The fascists can't stand to see oil used for good purposes to benefit poor people. This monstrously unjust policy must be stopped. Hugo Chavez should be welcome in our country. We should be applauding Venezuela for overcoming decades and centuries of oppression and finally empowering all of its citizens, including the formerly neglected, exploited and brutalized poor.

When the Chavez government asked community groups in poor areas what they needed, one of their first priorities was medical centers. But Venezuela didn't have enough doctors to staff them. Why? Because the rich oil elite horded all wealth to itself, and spent nothing on educating those who could not afford it, meaning most of the population. Cuba came to the rescue and staffed the medical centers with doctors in exchange for cheap oil, and furthermore opened its medical schools to Venezuelans, to begin educating a new generation of doctors. Venezuela also embarked on an intense program of education and adult literacy programs in poor areas, and wiped out illiteracy in five years.

And what is the U.S. doing to help Venezuelans? It is shoveling our taxpayer money to the Chavez's political opposition, in violation of Venezuelan law!

[upi402]

8. right

on!

[bobbie]

34. Great info Peace Patriot, thank you

GOhuGO!

[rman]

19. Alternatively the US will hold hostage any country

that has oil (and/or any other resources of interest) - as it has been doing for many decades now.

[Vidar]

29. Sorry, our masters don't want us independent.

[pokercat999]

32. Agreed, the billions spent in Iraq could have been a

good start on needed research into a replacement for the internal combustion engine. There is no doubt we need a "Manhattan" type project for energy.

[tkmorris]

4. Strange article

They say: "Chavez also reiterated that government opponents are not welcome in the military or the state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA. A day earlier, he suggested those who do not like his leftist policies should go somewhere else, like Miami."

But then, the quote given in the article says nothing of the kind. Odd, that.

[oblivious]

15. It's usual to put some of the quotes in reported speech and others in direct speech for variety.

But since it is from AP you're wise to be critical.

[1932]

16. I saw the quote yesterday -- it's from the video of the government official

who actually said along the lines that any managers thinking of preventing PDVSA workers for expressing their support for Chavez's government should leave because the company is committed to the government's socialist revolution.

Chavez was asked to comment on that and he said that that was exactly right. PDVSA, as a company, supports the Bolivarian Revolution and anyone in the company who wants to suppress anyone's right to speak up in support of the Revolution would probably be happier working somewhere else.

I'm paraphrasing, but the quotes are cited in yesterday's discussion about the video.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. But that doesn't sound so evil, so they have to make shit up.

And you bet the anti-Chavez trolls will be quoting that paragraph as "proof" that "Chavez is a dictator."

Better bookmark this thread.

[Bacchus39]

26. here is what Hugo says and NOT paraphrasing

Que Pdvsa es revolucionaria, claro que es revolucionaria”, dijo.
“Los trabajadores de Pdvsa están en esta revolución y el que no, mejor que se vaya para otro sitio”, añadió el Presidente de la República.

That PDVSA is revolutionary, of course its revolucionary, he said.

The PDVSA workers are involved in this revolution and he who is not, it would be better if he went somewhere esle, added the president of the Republic.

Zieg Heil!!!

[1932]

27. Could you elaborate on your argument.

What do you think is zeig heil about that?

[IntiRaymi]

39. You don't think that there aren't saboteurs over there?

PDVSA is key to Venezuela's place in the world.
Just accept that.

[Bacchus39]

41. the oil industry?? of course

n/t

[bobbie]

35. Bolivia. Isn't that where the CIA murdered Che Rivera?

Overseen by CIA thug Félix Rodríguez. The same CIA that tried to murder Chavez.

[1932]

38. Geraldo Guevara?

[Matilda]

43. Ernesto Guevara.

Better known as Che.

[IntiRaymi]

40. Umm....Che Guevara. n.t.

[bobbie]

44. Lol, uh, yes Che Guevara. Thank you all for the correction. Doh.

But it was Bolivia, right? :)

[Judi Lynn]

45. Yep. Here's a summary of his murder by Richard Gott, who has written

excellent articles on Latin America. He was in Bolivia when the man was captured and killed:

Bolivia on the Day of the Death of Che Guevara
Rough Draft of History:
'All Right, Let's Get the Hell Out of Here'
RICHARD GOTT / Le Monde diplomatique (France) 11aug2005

~snip~
Base of the special forces'

I took the road from Vallegrande to Santa Cruz, to visit the camp at La Esperanza, the military base of the US special forces, where some 20 servicemen were lodged in an abandoned sugar mill. Their sophisticated radio equipment enabled them to talk with Vallegrande and the guerrilla zone, and with Panama, HQ of US Southern Command in the Canal Zone. I was greeted by Major Robert "Pappy" Shelton, who told me that 600 "Rangers" — Bolivian special forces trained by US instructors — had just graduated from their course and left for the anti-guerrilla base at Vallegrande.

On the evening of 8 October 1967 I was walking through the main square of Santa Cruz with my friend Brian Moser, a filmmaker from Granada Television, when a man beckoned to us from his cafe table. He was one of the US officers we had met at La Esperanza. "I have news for you," he said.

"About Che?" we asked, for his possible — capture had been on our minds for weeks.

"Che has been captured," he told us. "He is severely wounded and he may not last the night. The other guerrillas are fighting desperately to get him back, and the company commander is appealing by radio for a helicopter so that they can fly him out."

The commander had been so agitated that his words came out in a jumble. "We've got him, we've got him!"

Our contact suggested that we should hire a helicopter to take us at once to the guerrilla zone. He did not know whether Che was still alive, but he thought there was little chance of his surviving long. We did not have the money to hire a helicopter, even had one been available. It was already 8.30pm, and it was not possible in Bolivia to fly after dark. So we hired a jeep and set off at four in the morning, Monday 9 October, to drive to Vallegrande.

We arrived there five and a half hours later. The military would not allow us to travel further, to La Higuera, and we drove straight to the primitive airfield. At least half the town seemed to be there, schoolchildren in white dresses and amateur photographers. The inhabitants of Vallegrande were used to the comings and goings of the military. The most excited were the children, jumping up and down and pointing to the horizon.

A few minutes later a speck appeared in the sky and soon materialised into a helicopter, bearing on its landing rails the bodies of two dead soldiers. They were unstrapped, unceremoniously loaded into a lorry and carted into the town.

But as the crowd melted away, we stayed behind and photographed the crates of napalm provided by the Brazilian army that lay around the periphery of the airfield. With a telephoto lens we took photographs of a man in olive-green uniform with no military insignia, identified to us as an agent of the CIA. Such temerity by foreign journalists, for we were the first to arrive in Vallegrande by 24 hours, was ill-received, and the CIA agent, in the company of some Bolivian officers, tried to have us thrown out of the town. Our credentials showed us to be bona fide journalists, and after much argument we were allowed to stay.

The one and only helicopter then set off again to the fighting zone, 30km to the southwest, bearing with it the figure of Zenteno. He returned in triumph shortly after one o'clock, barely able to suppress a huge grin.

Che was dead, he announced. He had seen the body and there was no room for doubt. .............
(snip/...)

http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2005/Che-Guevara-Gott11aug05.htm



Here he is after he had been shot in the leg and captured, with Cuban "exile" and CIA gentleman, Felix Rodriguez, who lifted the watch he was wearing which his father gave him for graduation. Felix Rodriguez lives in Florida, and it is written that he loves to show the watch to people.





On edit:

Here's Felix Rodriguez in later years, and a photo of him sitting with _{George H. W. Bush} at the Vice President's quarters during the 1980's. There is also a photographed image of a Christmas card from one of those years with message sent to him by the elder _Bush.





He's also the clown lying on the stage, by Porter Goss, wearing glasses on the left side of the photo,

taken while these CIA guys were in Mexico City.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Bloomberg:Chavez May Cut Oil Sales If U.S. Fails to Accept Vote

Chavez May Cut Oil Sales If U.S. Fails to Accept Vote (Update1)

By Peter Wilson

Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to cut all oil sales to the U.S. if the results of next month's presidential vote aren't recognized by the U.S. government.

Chavez, 52, also threatened in a televised speech from the eastern city of Puerto La Cruz to end oil sales to the U.S. if irregularities mar the vote, or if state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA faces ``destabilizing'' actions. The U.S. and its Venezuelan ``lackeys'' must understand the threat they run if they attempt to incite disorder in the country, the world's fifth-largest oil supplier, he said.

``The devil should restrain his crazies here,'' Chavez said. ``If not, the U.S. empire is going to regret it if they try to drag us along the road to destabilization. We won't send one drop of oil to the U.S. There will be no more oil for the U.S.'' Chavez often refers to U.S. President George W. Bush as the devil.

Chavez has repeatedly threatened to cut oil sales to the U.S. if Bush moves to topple his government or invade the country. Today's threat was the first made by Chavez regarding elections scheduled for Dec. 3.

An oil strike in 2002-2003 aimed at forcing Chavez from office slashed Venezuelan daily oil production to 50,000 barrels from 3.2 million barrels. The strike ended after Petroleos de Venezuela fired more than half of its workforce.
(snip/...)

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aOlh0B8y5qiY&refer=news

[upi402]

9. and I thought Chavez would wait until we attacked Iran?

Bush is a devil, evil incarnate. If you think that's extreme, then you haven't been paying attention to the constant stream of anti-human BushCo policies.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Bush hasn't completed one honorable transaction since he stole the pResidency.

The rest of the world is very lucky he's afraid to push for a draft, because if he COULD get his hands on more soldiers, no doubt he would have invaded Venezuela and Iran and Syria, etc., etc., etc. a long time ago.

He's one hateful scum, and after he's gone, if he ever DOES go, he'll still be leaving us with some deadly Supreme Court puppets, and a flock of federal judges. I can't wait to see him get his customized kick in the pants.

[upi402]

14. EXACTLY! The judicial plants were worth a Dem filibuster

if anything was. Our kids will now be plagued with those zealots along with all the other betrayals of democracy.

When voting, I always spend the most time trying to figure out the judges. Non partisan my ass!

[bobbie]

36. Didn't Daniel Ellsberg say the regime plans to go nuclear on Iran?

And he strongly urged us to spread the word and try to stop them.

[madrchsod]

10. this is what will happen..since the chinese manage the canal

they will finance/underwrite the expansion of the panama canal to handle oil tankers to ship heavy crude to run the chinese industries and cargo ships...they are doing that now....heck of a job george! 16% of our oil supplies going to china instead of the usa!

[MGD]

13. We need to break free of fossil fuels and quickly. We're like crack whores for oil. nt

[Eugene]

18. Unless Venezuela has found new refiners, they hurt themselves as much

as they hurt the United States.

It's a mutally beneficial relationship. The U.S. needs the energy.
Venezuela needs specialized refineries like Citgo's to process
their heavy high-sulfur crude.

[rman]

20. As though Venezuela can not build its own refineries

In fact Citgo is a Venezuelan company.

[Eugene]

21. It takes years to build a refinery and they are already in short supply.

A shortage in refining capacity is one of the factors
that currently keeps gas prices high. Citgo is owned
by Venezuela but the refineries are here in the U.S.A.
PDVSA could eventually build new refineries with the
help of partners like China, but that will take time,
substantial capital, and specialized technology.

Unless Venezuela takes that oil off the world market
altogether, U.S. refiners can work around a cutoff
in the medium term. Heavy oil is replaceable.

[rman]

22. "new and upgraded refineries will all have the capacity to process Venezuela's crude oil"

http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_printable&report_id=572&language_id=1
20 October 2006
Many analysts also believe that the concentration of Venezuela's oil refining capacity in the United States further hinders the reorientation of the country's oil exports away from the United States. Yet, Venezuela is involved in a myriad of new refinery projects in Asia, the Middle East and in Latin America. These new and upgraded refineries will all have the capacity to process Venezuela's crude oil. Meanwhile, Venezuela has been gradually unloading its U.S.-based oil refineries and terminating its long-standing gasoline supply contracts.


http://countrystudies.us/venezuela/30.htm
PDVSA not only extracted crude oil, but also refined and distributed a wide variety of petroleum products. In 1988 six active refineries in Venezuela boasted an installed refining capacity of approximately 1.2 million barrels of oil a day.

[Vidar]

28. I believe a deal is in the works for China to help on this

[kdpeters]

25. They'd be hurting themselves?

Maybe you can help me understand what the US government is or isn't doing to or against their government. I found this statement provocative, yet no follow up or in depth explanation.

if his opponents, joined by the US government, attempt to destabilize his leftist administration

So is the US government meddling in support of toppling the elected government, or was that something Chavez alleges without basis? That would seem to me a significant fact. Either way, the condition was only if the US government has a hand in destabilizing their government. Wouldn't it be us, and not them, that bear responsibility? And likewise, if I'm following your logic, should they stop oil shipments, having duly warned us in advance, then wouldn't we be the ones hurting ourselves?

[Pastiche423]

37. Does the April 2002 coup ring any bells for you?

"So is the US government meddling in support of toppling the elected government, or was that something Chavez alleges without basis?"

[indepat]

23. I've said it before that we don't need no stinkin' oil from no country whose stinkin' leftist

elected president says ugly things about our anointed emperor. :patriot:

[Vidar]

30. That sums it up nicely.

[Rage for Order]

31. That's okay Hugo

Bush has his head so far up the Saudi's asses he could suck enough crude oil out of their colons to supply the US with any oil Chavez doesn't send. Good thing we have such "friends" in the Middle East.

[Matilda]

42. I love Chavez, but

he engages in a lot of what my Mum used to call "trailing his coat".

I bet he was a handful as a kid.