Paranoia and Chavez - a Match Made in, well, in Venezuela

Chavez is suspending a trip to Cuba, in expectation of an imminent military raid from Colombia.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez suspended on Sunday his trip to Cuba in fear of an imminent Colombian military raid to his country aided by the U.S. Forces, Xinhua reports.
During a massive meeting with his followers that was broadcast by state-run TV channel Venezolana de Television (VTV), Chavez said that if Venezuela is raided by Colombia his government will immediately stop the oil supply to the United States.
Chavez also announced to apply internal measure against the governors of the opposition to neutralize the support of anti- revolutionary sectors to the foreign forces. Chavez said these measures will also be applied to the media and civil organizations against his government.
'Let's not be panic. We are threatened by the Yankee Empire,' Chavez said. He also mentioned the U.S. bases established in Colombia and he added that the United States invent excuses to attack, invade, kidnap or kill the president of any country.

And Hyperbole Man strikes again! If such a phantom raid were ever to materialize outside of Chavez's own delusional mind, he just might shoot his nation's economy in the foot by cutting off oil flow to the US and take down 90% of his exports in the process.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened on Sunday to cut oil supplies to the United States in case of a military attack from Colombia as a dispute escalated over charges his country harbors Colombian rebels.

A vocal and frequent critic of the United States, Chavez broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia last week over the claims by the outgoing government of President Alvaro Uribe, a close U.S. ally.

Chavez, a leftist who says Washington is behind the charges, has never carried out previous threats to cut oil supplies to the United States, Venezuela's main customer.

"If there was any armed aggression against Venezuela from Colombian territory or from anywhere else, promoted by the Yankee empire, we would suspend oil shipments to the United States, even if we have to eat stones here," he said.

"We would not send a drop more to U.S. refineries," he said to a roar of approval from thousands of supporters at a rally for his Socialist party.

Chavez, a former soldier and close ally of Cuba's Fidel Castro, is also angry with Bogota over a deal to allow U.S. troops access to a series of military bases.

By: Brant