Chavez warns US, calls Bush "a#@hole"

[diamond geezer]

http://www.forbes.com/business/newswire/2004/02/29/rtr1280446.html

CARACAS, Venezuela(Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned the U.S. government Sunday that if it tried to invade Venezuela or impose a trade blockade against his country, he would shut off Venezuelan oil supplies to the United States.

Although the context Chavez gave was hypothetical, it was the first time the outspoken Venezuelan leader had publicly mentioned the possibility of cutting off oil supplies to the United States.

Venezuela is among the four top suppliers of crude and oil products to the U.S. market.

The left-wing Venezuelan leader made the warning in a fiery speech to supporters in which he accused U.S. President Bush's administration of backing opposition attempts to oust him from the presidency of the world's No. 5 oil exporter.

"Mr. Bush must know that if he gets the mad idea of trying to blockade Venezuela, or, even worse, of invading Venezuela, if that happened, the people of the United States should know that not a drop of oil would reach them from Venezuela, not a drop more," Chavez told tens of thousands of cheering supporters
In his speech, Chavez also called Bush an "asshole" for, he said, supporting a short-lived coup in 2002 that briefly toppled him.

[Awimoway]

http://www.forbes.com/business/newswire/2004/02/29/rtr1280446.html

"Ladies and gentlemen, the 51st state of the United States of America... Venezuela."

I tastelessly kid, of course. It's just so surprising to see a Western Hemisphere leader show some balls and mouth off at the U.S.

[Applexilef]

Hey, I'm an international student from venezuela attending college in the US. I have to say that this guy is bringing chaos to our country. He likes to talk s***, but deep down he is the biggest coward.

At no moment has anyone in the US attempted to make him step-off his presidency, he is just scared that the US is giving him suggestions and commenting on the situation of our country. Chavez is also scared that the own venezuelan people are looking for foreign help in order to eliminate this bastard.

If venezuela stops supplying oil to the US the only one that will be affected is venezuela, not the US.

[Awimoway]

Hey, I'm an international student from venezuela attending college in the US. I have to say that this guy is bringing chaos to our country. He likes to talk s***, but deep down he is the biggest coward.

At no moment has anyone in the US attempted to make him step-off his presidency, he is just scared that the US is giving him suggestions and commenting on the situation of our country. Chavez is also scared that the own venezuelan people are looking for foreign help in order to eliminate this bastard.

If venezuela stops supplying oil to the US the only one that will be affected is venezuela, not the US.

How solid would you say his hold on power is?

[Desertrat]

Chavez seems rather charismatic. He's always been a Gringo-hating socialist. His various actions in ruling Venezuela destroyed their foreign credit and threw their oil industry into turmoil. Citgo, a Venezuelan-owned company, was importing refined products into Venezuela, and buying oil and refined products for its U.S. operations from other oil companies.

I believe it was in the spring of 2000 that he lobbied OPEC to cut back production and get oil prices higher. He wasn't satisfied with the (roughly) $25/bbl that OPEC and the U.S./Europe agreed was righteous for both buyer and seller.

He's not at all "standing up to" the U.S. He's playing to the lowest common denominator of the mob, stirring up jingoism for political gain in-country.

'Rat

[diamond geezer]

He's playing to the lowest common denominator of the mob, stirring up jingoism for political gain in-country.

'Rat

Can I cut-and-paste your quote into a message regarding Bush/Terrorism/Iraq?

:)

[Neserk]

[QUOTE=Applexilef]Hey, I'm an international student from venezuela attending college in the US. I have to say that this guy is bringing chaos to our country. He likes to talk s***, but deep down he is the biggest coward.

QUOTE]

Thanks for your position, it is obviously more reliable than any I could give on him. I have to say, though, he has Bush pegged :D

[toontra]

Can I cut-and-paste your quote into a message regarding Bush/Terrorism/Iraq?

:)

Spot on! Thanks for making me luagh out loud on a Monday morning :D :D :D

[Thomas Veil]

How solid would you say his hold on power is?
Are you talking about Bush or Chavez? ;)

[Sayhey]

Given the recent events in Haiti and the US role in throwing out a democratically-elected president, I would say Chavez has good reason to worry. How many of you are old enough to remember the US covert support for the opposition in Chile during the Allende years? Both Haiti and Venezuela sound very similar to me.

[Desertrat]

Given the recent events in Haiti and the US role in throwing out a democratically-elected president, I would say Chavez has good reason to worry.

'Scuse me? We threw out Aristide? Last I heard, we put him back into power when the Haitian people wanted to get rid of him. Clinton? Marines? A $billlion or so on the effort?

Aristide might have been better than Papa Doc and the Ton-ton-macoute, but that doesn't necessarily make him a good guy. Hell's bells, Hitler and Stalin won their elections; "democratically elected" isn't the be-all and end-all of "good government".

:), 'Rat

[Sayhey]

'Scuse me? We threw out Aristide? Last I heard, we put him back into power when the Haitian people wanted to get rid of him. Clinton? Marines? A $billlion or so on the effort?

Aristide might have been better than Papa Doc and the Ton-ton-macoute, but that doesn't necessarily make him a good guy. Hell's bells, Hitler and Stalin won their elections; "democratically elected" isn't the be-all and end-all of "good government".

:), 'Rat

'Rat don't try to change what I said. I never said Aristide was a "good guy." I never said that being democratically elected meant good government. I am also aware of the history of the '90s and Clinton's role in restoring Aristide to power. It would seem you haven't being paying attention to the news the last week or so. The US shoved Aristide out the door and now we have the good possibility of unelected thugs from the old days of "Papa Doc" and the "Ton-ton-macoutes" at least sharing power. Good for democracy?

[pseudobrit]

Hell's bells, Hitler and Stalin won their elections

Hitler never won an election.

Common misconception.

[Frohickey]

Ah... Hugo Chavez.

I think he's been taking lessons from Fidel Castro on how to be a pain in the *ss. Only thing is, its his countrymen that suffer.

Why can't the oil industry in Venezuela be privatized?

[Desertrat]

Okay, Sayhey, I haven't kept up with the details. From what I did see in the headlines and squibs in the news, it seemed to me like his own countrymen were doing a pretty good job of shoving him out. Anything we did to/for him kept him from being shot or hacked to pieces. I guess.

What is it we're supposed to have done, actively, in this shoving?

(I've been putting in some long hours, these last two weeks, on operating or maintaining my backhoe and grader, rebuilding the road up to my house after way too much rain while I was gone. Rebuilding my dadgum body, too. :D I did manage to go to the shindig at the BoatHouse Bar & Grill at Terlingua GhostTown. Enjoyed the pickin' and singin' and grinnin' and I placed second in the Tall Tales Contest. :) [Did better, last year.] Life Is Good.)

'Rat