CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- 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.
The United States has repeatedly denied ever trying to overthrow Chavez, but the leftist leader has accused Washington of being behind a failed 2002 coup and of funding opposition groups now 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 the South American country.
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, his criticism of U.S.-led negotiations for a free trade zone in the Americas and his opposition to the war in Iraq.
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. Top U.S. officials have recently accused Chavez of becoming increasingly autocratic.
On Saturday, at least 500,000 Venezuelans marched in Caracas to protest the National Elections Council's decision last week that an opposition petition for the recall vote lacked enough valid signatures. Opponents turned in more than 3 million signatures December 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 proved 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 election officials have reason to believe 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."http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/03/07/venezuela.chavez.ap/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/03/07/venezuela.chavez.ap/index.html)War get's a thumbs up?
You're a trick.
Chavez is a great man. If you interfere in the affairs of another country, fund the opposition into demanding unconstitutional shit (like steppin down, 2 yrs into his elected mandate), and tryin to overthrow a foreign leader, shouldnt be a surprise when said leader cracks down.
No more aristides.
Chavez is a great man. If you interfere in the affairs of another country, fund the opposition into demanding unconstitutional shit (like steppin down, 2 yrs into his elected mandate), and tryin to overthrow a foreign leader, shouldnt be a surprise when said leader cracks down.
No more aristides.
I was lazy, damn it.
Anyways, I said the guy was a great man. I like him, he has chutzpah. Seems like an affable fellow.
As for your speech, whats the source behind Chavez having no popular support left. You know CIA involvement is not limited to just killing people, it involves funding opposition, including domestic media. Bullshyt unrest destablizes a country, that means ramifications on the economy, you twist a couple of media outlets, and a bunch of fools are gathering on the street.
And yes, Id like another Castro in the area
it would be about a 3 month war......bomb the fuck out of them if they even tried anything
it would be about a 3 month war......bomb the fuck out of them if they even tried anything
::) You'll have Vietnam flashbacks...from Apocalypse Now.
This ain't no Iraqi desert.
Chavez is a great man. If you interfere in the affairs of another country, fund the opposition into demanding unconstitutional shit (like steppin down, 2 yrs into his elected mandate), and tryin to overthrow a foreign leader, shouldnt be a surprise when said leader cracks down.chavez is an idiot...and so is the FAGHAN 8)
No more aristides.
Politics is allways dirty business and it's only logical the greatest political power in the world is rotten to the core.Though some people will still say the US is a great country ::) Well,it's like Disney Land...nice to have been there but you don't wanna live there..I'd rather live in the US then any other place in the world...
it would be about a 3 month war......bomb the fuck out of them if they even tried anything
::) You'll have Vietnam flashbacks...from Apocalypse Now.
This ain't no Iraqi desert.
good reasoning, this also isn't 1975 ::)
they did research and found that almost 1/2 the US soldiers found dead in vietnam, didn't fire a single shot. they contributed this to basic training where their targets were just bulls-eyes. today's military is trained to be more deadly, the targets are now shaped as humans so the mind believes it's shooting at a body.
laser guided missles are another neat invention lacking in the 70s
improved nightvision goggles....
improved transportation for heavy artillary vehicles...
you're right, the US doesn't stand a chance
it would be about a 3 month war......bomb the fuck out of them if they even tried anything
::) You'll have Vietnam flashbacks...from Apocalypse Now.
This ain't no Iraqi desert.
good reasoning, this also isn't 1975 ::)
they did research and found that almost 1/2 the US soldiers found dead in vietnam, didn't fire a single shot. they contributed this to basic training where their targets were just bulls-eyes. today's military is trained to be more deadly, the targets are now shaped as humans so the mind believes it's shooting at a body.
laser guided missles are another neat invention lacking in the 70s
improved nightvision goggles....
improved transportation for heavy artillary vehicles...
you're right, the US doesn't stand a chance
I didn't know you could use night vision goggles in the day time...don't forget the tunnels system/booby traps.
Chavez is a great man. If you interfere in the affairs of another country, fund the opposition into demanding unconstitutional shit (like steppin down, 2 yrs into his elected mandate), and tryin to overthrow a foreign leader, shouldnt be a surprise when said leader cracks down.chavez is an idiot...and so is the FAGHAN 8)
No more aristides.
Krayze - Eyez, you're a smart guy and seem to know much about the issue, but for a person who doesn't know enough about Venezuela but knows about how The United States raped south america throughout 20th century,
why do you have to be such a fucking asshole?Don't get angry at your lack on knowledge on a subject, read up, then be an asshole right back to me.