- PARIS - Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez said Thursday that his government is preparing for a possible
U.S. invasion and he warned that such "aggression" would send
gasoline in the United States prices soaring higher. The U.S. government
repeated that it is not planning any such thing.
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- Chavez, a vocal critic of "imperialism" and
the Bush administration, said he was not against the American people -
just the current government.
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- "We are sure that it will be very difficult for
the United States to attack Venezuela," Chavez said. He said his country
has eight oil refineries and 14,000 gasoline stations in the United States.
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- "If the United States tried to attack Venezuela
by a direct invasion, forget the oil," he said during a two-hour news
conference beamed live to Venezuela. "Everyday, we send 1.5 million
barrels to the United States."
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- The barrel price of crude oil could hit $150 following
a U.S. attack, Chavez said. Currently New York light sweet crude oil trades
around $60 a barrel.
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- "That's why Pat Robertson, the spiritual adviser
of Mr. Bush, is calling for my assassination - that would be much cheaper
than an invasion," Chavez said.
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- Robertson, the U.S. religious broadcaster, said in August
that Chavez should be killed, then later apologized.
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- In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
said Chavez's suspicions were unfounded.
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- "I've stated many times before, the United States
is prepared to work with any government in the region: left of center,
center, right of center. Our issue is with states that don't govern in
a democratic manner," McCormack said.
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- The Venezuelan leader used his news conference to trumpet
what he called his "alternative" vision of a world that works
for the poor rather than corporations seeking profits.
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- Chavez reiterated longtime claims that the United States
finances his opponents, seeks his ouster and sabotages efforts to move
his country forward.
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- "Venezuela is used to defending itself ... and fighting
imperialism," Chavez said, speaking in Spanish with a French translator.
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- "We must be ready for an aggression," said
Chavez, who previously said Venezuela is organizing an expanded military
reserve and civilian defense units.
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- In an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio
aired earlier Thursday, Chavez said he had evidence to prove the U.S. government
was planning an invasion.
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- Chavez said he believed the reason Washington was plotting
an invasion was to take control of Venezuela's oil fields.
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- Meanwhile, Israel canceled a lucrative deal to upgrade
Venezuelan warplanes under American pressure, Israel TV reported Thursday.
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- The report said Israel was to install its own systems
in U.S.-made F-16 fighters for the Venezuelan air force, but the U.S. government
forced Israel to call off the deal. No dollar figure for the deal was given.
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- Israeli Defense Ministry officials were not immediately
available for comment.
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