MARIANNA PÁRRAGA
EL UNIVERSAL

After attacking US oil major Exxon Mobil, Sunday President Hugo Chávez once again threatened to discontinue Venezuelan oil shipments to the United States.

"They will never steal from us again. You, bandits of Exxon Mobil, will have to pass over our dead bodies. You are some imperialist bandits, white-collar thieves, corrupters of governments, and government-unseating plotters. You endorsed both the invasion and bombing of Iraq, and you continue to support genocide. That is what corporations such as Exxon Mobil are. They are bandits, mafias operating worldwide."

Chávez announced he instructed Minister of Energy and Petroleum and CEO of state oil holding Pdvsa Rafael Ramírez. "I am talking to the US empire because they are the master. Keep doing this and we are not going to send you one single drop of oil to the US empire."

Based on OPEC figures, in 2006 Venezuela's oil shipments to the US averaged 996,000 bpd, including deliveries to the Louisiana-based Chalmette refinery -owned by Pdvsa and Exxon Mobil, with a 50 percent stake each.

On Sunday Chávez rejected the fact that courts not involved in a dispute between Pdvsa and Exxon Mobil issued orders to freeze Venezuelan oil holding's assets. "Since they believe they are the masters of the world, a court ordered to freeze Venezuela's assets. It is all right. If they actually harm us, we are going to harm them, and we are not going to send oil to the US."

He suggested US President George W. Bush -whom Chávez once again called Mr. Danger- to be on alert, because "if this economic battle against Venezuela continues, oil prices will climb to USD 200 and Venezuela is going to engage in the economic war. More than a country is ready to join us. You are not going to scare us."

Late in January, courts based in London and the Netherlands ordered to freeze USD 12 billion in assets owned by the Venezuelan conglomerate in their jurisdictions, including the Netherlands Antilles.

While Pdvsa owns a stake in two refineries in the United Kingdom -Eastham and Dundee- and owns an oil storage facility in Bonaire, minister Ramírez last Friday disregarded the court orders, claiming that Pdvsa does not own assets in the countries involved. He confirmed, however, that Pdvsa's USD 300 million was frozen in accounts in the US. Ramírez stressed that the state holding's operations were not hit by the legal actions.

The US and the rightwing
"The one who is actually leading an international movement in this hemisphere is not Chávez, but the US empire, which the worst threat facing the peoples in this continent," Chávez said.

He asked "not to let the Venezuelan rightwing regain power in Venezuela" because they have a plan that is the "the US empire's plan to turn Venezuela again into a US colony. That is why they are attacking us so hard."

Chávez slashed out at the people who celebrated the freezing of Pdvsa's assets. "The oligarchy automatically endorses any plan against Venezuela."
Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.
msuarez@eluniversal.com