Venezuelan government: oil never a weapon

Re: "Bolivian Scare – Forced resignation of president is a bad omen," last Friday's editorials.

Your editorial claimed that "Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez has used his country's petroleum as [a] weapon in an ideological war against the United States." This allegation is completely false.

The government of Hugo Chávez has never used oil as a weapon, and has made every attempt to maintain a steady flow of oil to the United States. The supply of Venezuelan oil to the United States was cut off during the first two months of 2003 by an illegal work stoppage intended to bring down the democratically elected government of Hugo Chávez. Since then, Venezuela's oil exports have recovered much faster than industry analysts predicted.

Furthermore, the Chávez administration has encouraged investment by U.S. oil companies in both the oil and gas sectors. Such new joint ventures signal Venezuela's desire to be a secure source of energy for the U.S., as it has been for the past 80 years.

Bernardo Alvarez Herrera, Venezuelan Ambassador to the United States
Washington, D.C.
Dallas Morning News
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