Chavez warns U.S. over refineries if cuts ties - Yahoo! News

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned on Saturday he could shut his government's U.S.-based refineries and sell oil to nations other than the United States if Washington decided to cut diplomatic ties, as relations between the two countries continue to worsen.

Chavez said he did not want to take such measures after he expelled a U.S. military attache earlier this week on spying charges and Washington responded by ordering out a Venezuelan diplomat in a tit-for-tat retaliation.
"If the U.S. government wants to break relations, then they have to take that decision over there, over there. I could easily order the refineries we have over there closed," Chavez told a large crowd of supporters.
"We'll see how high oil prices go, we'll see how much a gallon of gas will cost. I could easily sell the oil we sell to the United States to other countries," he said. "We don't want to get to that extreme, we want them to leave us in peace.
Venezuela, the world's No. 5 oil exporter, supplies about 15 percent of U.S. petroleum imports. Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA also operates refineries and gas stations in the United States through its Citgo refining and retailing arm.
Washington has made no suggestion that it plans to cut off relations with Venezuela.
Since his 1998 election, Chavez has clashed repeatedly with the United States, which he accuses of trying to overthrow his government and backing a brief 2002 coup attempt that he survived with the help of loyal troops.