Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened Sunday to cut off oil supplies to the U.S. if Colombia commits "armed aggression" against Venezuela."We wouldn't send one more drop" of oil to the U.S., which is the top buyer of oil from Venezuela, Chavez said in a speech. Venezuela is fifth-ranked on U.S. oil imports, sending 851,000 barrels here a day.
Venezuela cut ties with its neighbor Thursday after Colombia presented evidence at the Organization of American States of 87 alleged FARC guerrilla camps running out of Venezuela. The FARC rebels are designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.
On Friday, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the allegations were important and merited further investigation.
"Venezuela among other states in the region have very clear responsibilities to combat terrorism in the region and to support efforts within the OAS and within the UN to fight terrorism wherever it is," Crowley said. "...These were serious fact-based charges that Colombia made yesterday at the OAS and they deserve to be fully investigated."
Crowley called Chavez's decision to sever ties with Bogota "a petulant response."
Chavez wrote Sunday that he would wait to see if Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's successor, Juan Manuel Santos, will ease the standoff "without tricks" when he takes office on Aug. 7. Santos, like Uribe, is center-right, having served as Uribe's defense minister. Source :www.thehill.com
