VENEZUELA: President Hugo Chavez warns U.S. not to interfere in upcoming elections, threatens to withdraw oil supply

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez issued yet another stern warning to the United States on Saturday (November 04) during a campaign event in the state of Anzoategui, in the northern region of the country. While campaigning, President Chavez warned that he would no longer sell oil to the United States if they interfered or did not accept the result of presidential elections on December 03. "If they try to lead us down the path of destabilization, if they try to destabilize PDVSA, they will regret it because if the North American empire and their lackeys here in Venezuela attempt another coup, or denounce the elections we will not send one more drop of oil to the United States of North America, not one more drop," Chavez said. Chavez is a close ally of Cuba and fiercely opposes the Bush administration even though Venezuela provides around 12 percent of U.S. oil imports. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people marched in Caracas to support opposition presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, whose populist campaign has focused on reducing crime and redistributing oil wealth. Rosales, governor of the oil-rich Zulia state, trails Chavez by around 20 percentage points in most private polls ahead of the Dec. 3 election. "Many told me they were going to vote for the other candidate but that they respected me very much and had affection for me because of the effort we are doing to unite Venezuela and I have an obligation to unite this country," Rosales said. Opposition sympathizers donning Venezuela's signature red, yellow and blue patriotic colours joined the march, which spanned some 12 miles (20 km) across most of the capital city. Rosales promises to end Chavez's confrontation with the Bush administration, redistribute bountiful oil revenues and reduce soaring crime rates throughout Venezuela. Opposition leaders also accuse the Chavez government of drawing up blacklists to intimidate voters and requiring public employees to join pro-Chavez campaign activities. The Rosales campaign has told voters it will end Chavez's generous energy assistance programs to other countries, including one that distributes subsidized heating oil to poor U.S. residents through Venezuelan-owned energy company Citgo. Chavez has built up support among the poor by using oil revenues to finance a massive social development campaign that has expanded access to health care and education. He has also roused nationalist sentiment by criticizing Washington's involvement in Latin American affairs, and has repeatedly accused the U.S. State Department of plotting his ouster. Most polls released in recent weeks show Rosales far behind Chavez despite having united a fractured opposition that failed to oust the former army officer through a botched coup, a two-month oil strike and a recall campaign. Government supporters have criticized Rosales for signing a decree abolishing state institutions in the brief 2002 coup while Chavez was being held by dissident officers. Chavez was first elected in 1998 and again in 2000 on promises to end poverty and roll back U.S.-backed free market reforms. He is now the most visible leader of an increasingly influential Latin American left, and has openly supported the candidacy of Nicaragua's long-time U.S. foe, Daniel Ortega, who is running for president on Sunday.

ITN Source | November 5, 2006

Tags:. .distributes. .affairs. .voters. .trails. .focused