Chavez proclaims end of U.S. Empire
5/16/2006 1:30:00 PM GMT

Chavez speaks at the Camden Centre London, during his arrival in Britain


Venezuela’s leader Hugo Chavez, who has just paid a visit to London, announced plans to ship his country’s oil to the needy, and declared that the “final days of the North American empire” are drawing near.

Chavez, who sits astride the world's fifth largest oil reserves, went to London with a pledge to cut-rate heating oil for needy families in Europe, who suffer soaring energy bills.

A similar offer was made by Venezuela’s Chavez to poor communities in the United States through Citgo, the Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, in what analysts described as an attempt to embarrass the American President George W. Bush.

"We have two refineries here, one in the north, one in the south," said Mr Chavez, who also met during his two-day visit with Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, trade unionists, Labour MPs and supporters of his socialist project, but not with the country’s PM Tony Blair.

"These refineries would be used to help the most needy people in London, in Great Britain, especially in the winter. If prices continue to rise, people will not be able to afford them. People will die."

Chavez was recently quoted as saying that the "final hours of the North American empire have arrived ... Now we have to say to the empire:
"We're not afraid of you. You're a paper tiger."'

Cheap oil to Europe's poorest
Addressing an “alternative summit” during a three-day meeting of leaders from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean in the Austrian capital, Chavez said:

“I'd like to do the same (Referring to his supply of heating to poor communities in the U.S. last winter) here in Europe.”

“I want to humbly offer support to the poorest people who do not have resources for central heating in winter and make sure that support arrives.”

However the Venezuelan President didn’t mention more details about how the supply scheme would work- He only said that the Venezuelan ambassadors in Europe were studying the matter.

“You Europeans can help us greatly. Your European social networks can make sure the support arrives where it should,” Chavez told the conference.

Chavez had lunch with Mr. Livingstone and 100 luminaries of the British Left, as well as Peter Voser, the chief financial officer of Shell International.

London’s mayor, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, praised the Venezuelan leader for the significant social reforms he achieved, calling him 'the best news out of Latin America in many years."

He also dismissed human rights groups' concerns about Venezuela's treatment of members of the opposition, citing Chavez’s sweeping victory in 10 elections of his party.

“He's won 10 elections for his party in the last decade and he's pushed through a whole programme of social reform.”

“Venezuela was like a lot of those old Latin American countries - small elite of super-rich families who basically stole the national resources. He's now driven a new economic order through, you've got for the first time healthcare for poor people, and illiteracy has been eradicated.”

"Worst criminal in the human race"
Seizing the chance to criticize the brutal policies of the U.S. government, the policies of the American government, Chavez described the U.S. President George W. Bush as "the worst criminal in the human race", urging Britain and Europe to end the "madness" of the current escalation between the U.S. and Iran and warning against launching another war in the region, which would result in an unprecedented surge in oil prices.

And while his remarks were welcomed with applause in the Greater London Assembly's council chamber, others were displeased, for example Bob Niell, the leader of the Conservatives in the assembly, described Chavez's offer as a "political bribe".

The U.S. has declared a full arms ban on Venezuela, repeating same old rhetoric that it had failed to cooperate in the fight against “terrorism”.

Arms embargo
State Department spokesperson, Janelle Hironimus, was quoted as saying that Venezuela had forged close relations with Iran and Cuba, both the U.S. accuses of being sponsors of terrorism.

"Venezuela has publicly championed the Iraqi insurgency," she claimed.

Chávez dismissed those claims

Speaking to The Guardian, the democratically elected president said "Washington has said I am a modern-day Hitler," noting that the U.S. government was simply unhappy with his government's success,

"They are very concerned, that is why they say these things."

Belittling the significance and the impact of the embargo, Chavez said:

“This doesn't matter to us at all", Chavez stressed, pointing out that his country would not respond with any punitive measures against the U.S., which he described as "an irrational empire" that "has a great capacity to do harm".

The U.S. and Venezuela had been engaged in a strong war of words ever since April 2002, when Chavez was briefly removed from power in a coup.

Chavez accused Washington of backing the attempted overthrow as well as 2002-2003 devastating oil lockouts.

He had also accused the U.S. President of planning for his assassination.

And in a further barb, Chavez declared that if he were killed the United States could "forget Venezuelan oil.

Now if the U.S. was really planning to attack Iran, it must reconsider those plans, it’s not just the U.S. dollar that’s being threatened, but also steady oil supplies will be cut.