The United States rules out any military action against Venezuela, said Virginia Staab, a US State Department spokeswoman, after Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez threatened to cut oil supplies to the US if Washington supports an attack against the South American country.

The United States and Venezuela have enjoyed a "mutually beneficial energy relationship" for a long time, and Washington wants "this relation to continue," Staab told AFP.

The US is the main consumer of Venezuelan oil. The country led by Hugo Chávez, a fierce opponent of the US, is the fifth provider of crude oil to the United States.