Chavez Warns of Global Energy Disaster if US Invades
Venezuela

Xinhuanet View

Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez on Thursday warned of a global
energy disaster if the United States invaded his
country to seize its oil reserves. During an interview broadcast by the state-run VTV
television, Chavez said the US Defense Department is
interested in Venezuela'sOrinoco region, which has a
crude reserve of 300 billion barrels. He said the Venezuelan intelligence services have
learned of a US plan to invade his country and capture
the oil fields.

Under the US plan, code-named Balboa, a number of
ships, men and bombs will be used for invasion of the
major cities of Caracas, Maracay and Valencia,
according to the president. Chavez vowed that the US soldiers "will bite the
dust" if they invade Venezuela.

Relations between Venezuela and the United States
have been deteriorating over recent years, and Caracas
accused Washington ofsupporting an abortive coup to
overthrow Chavez in April 2002.

Chavez also accused Washington of planning to
assassinate him, which the US government has denied.

Venezuela, with a daily 2.8-million-barrel output,
is the second most important producer of crude oil in
Latin America, nextonly to Mexico. It is the region's
main exporter with 1.5 million barrels of oil being
shipped out every day.