Venezuela Leader Vows War if U.S. Invades

Yahoo News ^ | Sun Mar 7, 8:30 PM ET | By ALICE M. CHACON, Associated Press Writer

[EsclavoDeCristo]

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez on Sunday vowed to freeze oil exports to the United States and wage a "100-year war" if Washington ever tried to invade Venezuela.

AP Photo

The United States has repeatedly denied ever trying to overthrow Chavez, but the leftist leader accuses Washington of being behind a failed 2002 coup and of funding opposition groups seeking a recall referendum on his presidency.

Chavez accused the United States of ousting former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and warned Washington not to "even think about trying something similar in Venezuela."

Venezuela "has enough allies on this continent to start a 100-year war," Chavez said during his weekly television show.

He added that "U.S. citizens could forget about ever getting Venezuelan oil" if the United States ever tried to invade.

Venezuela provides about 15 percent of U.S. oil imports, but relations between the two countries are rocky over Chavez's friendship with Cuban President Fidel Castro (news - web sites), his criticism of U.S.-led negotiations for a free trade zone in the Americas and his opposition to the war in Iraq (news - web sites).

The United States was slow to condemn the 2002 coup, initially accusing Chavez of provoking his own downfall.

Chavez has increasingly railed against U.S. meddling in Venezuelan affairs as his opponents step up protests to demand the recall vote.

On Saturday, at least 500,000 Venezuelans marched in Caracas to protest the National Elections Council's ruling last week that an opposition petition for the recall vote lacked enough valid signatures. Opponents turned in more than 3 million signatures Dec. 19, but the council ruled only 1.8 million were valid. The council ordered more than 1 million citizens to confirm they signed and rejected more than 140,000 signatures outright.

Rioting over the decision killed eight people and hurt scores more. The violence subsided after the Organization of American States and the U.S.-based Carter Center pledged to help give citizens a fair chance to prove they signed.

Venezuela is deeply divided between those who fear Chavez is trying to impose Cuba-style socialism and those who say he has given an unprecedented political voice to the impoverished majority.

Chavez insists the recall petition is fraud-ridden. He claims many signatures belong to dead people, minors and foreigners.

On Sunday, Chavez promised his government would investigate the deaths and injuries from last week's violence. Opposition leaders accuse National Guard troops of committing abuses while trying to keep rock-throwing protesters from blocking roads with burning tires. Chavez accuses his opponents of instigating chaos.

"The government is investigating all the acts of violence and especially those in which people died," Chavez said. "Violence only takes place when a group of the opposition leaders decide there will be violence."

[EsclavoDeCristo]

Man this guy is just looking to start trouble!

[CWOJackson]

I think this clown is just trying to stir up some sympathy from the U.N. and our ex European allies.

Maybe France will send him some military aide.

[Windcatcher]

Typical leftist tactic -- accuse political enemies of something outrageous to put them on the defensive.

Sorry, Hugo, you're going to have to try something different. We have Commies here, too (though we call them Dems), and we've seen that play before.

[GeronL]

He wants to cast blame for his failures. Look at Zimbabwe. Haiti. Cuba and every other failing dictator on the planet. Blaming the US is a classic method.

[PRND21]

Tha Madre of all Wars. Bring it on.
No oil sales = no support, it will be nearly bloodless.

[GeronL]

We shouldn't even think of invading his country anyway... heavy bombing maybe... but not invasion.

[Carry_Okie]

Hey Hugo! You know those mobile bio-labs Fidel parked on your back forty?

Can you say, crater?

This stupid thug reminds me of the fat bully on the second grade school yard.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" Maybe France will send him some military aide."

Kerry will probably consider Chavez for the VP slot-he sounds like Kerry's kind of guy.

[CWOJackson]

LOL!

[flashbunny]

"Venezuela "has enough allies on this continent to start a 100-year war," Chavez said during his weekly television show."

I think he meant 100 days.

[FranklinsTower]

He probably sent some of his minions to fill in fraudulent signatures.

Chavez is really asking for trouble isn't he? We don't really need to do much, his problems are from within.

[Torie]

The guy sounds desperate. Bush will let him stew in his own juice, much to his chagrin.

[Lael]

Half of the Venezuelan crude is too heavy to be refined anywhere but the United States.

ORINOCO SLUGE is the vernacular!!!

What little "sweet" stuff was skimmed long ago.

Actually it is all we can do to recover oil from around the ORRINOCO TAR SANDS...basically ASPHALT!!!

Parrifin based ain't there...but, with VENEZ basically just a three days sail from our MIGHTY Naval base at HAMPTON ROADS, perhaps we should invade on general principles, hire his opponents to run things, and STARVE THE RIFF RAFF "UNDERCLASS"!!

[Bobby777]

Hugo's been popping off lately ... must be conspiring with the Saudis to jack up oil prices ... certainly seems to have his rants of late ...

[Bobby777]

Hi, Hugo Chavez for Viagara. Ever since I ordered some Viagara from a spam e-mail I received, my confidence in popping off to first-world nations has been tremendous ... I recommend it!!!

[1066AD]

Chavez insists the recall petition is fraud-ridden. He claims many signatures belong to dead people, minors and foreigners.
Sounds like a Democrat document to me modeled on the "votes" for yet another city subsidized major league sports arena in your neighborhood LOL !

[marron]

Venezuela is hostage to its oil. Not us.

[Bernard Marx]

Chavez is a Castro clone. He's part of a plan to turn major South American countries against the U.S. and destabilize the entire region. It's simply part of the seemingly never-ending Communist insurgency in that part of the world. See this column which is a little out of date for an overview: Chavez

[endthematrix]

I agree. One hundred days is all we ask. What is the War Powers stipulate the President's time frame? 90 days?