Bush Nominee: Chavez Serious About Oil Cutoff

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is not just bluffing when he threatens to cut off the huge volume of oil his country sells the United States, the Bush administration’s nominee to be top U.S. diplomat for Latin America said Wednesday.

Although it would be difficult for Venezuela to halt the flow soon, Chavez does want an alternative market so he will not be subject to adverse decisions by the U.S. government, with which he is increasingly at odds, Thomas A. Shannon said at his Senate confirmation hearing.

Los Angeles Times