Chavez invites US to stop buying Venezuela oil

Caracas, Feb 15: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez today said the United States is free to stop buying oil from its No. 4 supplier of imported crude amid persistent political tensions between Caracas and Washington.

''If they don't want to buy (our) oil, they can tell us and we won't sell them oil,'' Chavez said during a speech to retirees. ''Over there they are the biggest consumers on the planet, that's not our fault.'' Chavez, who has repeatedly threatened to cut off oil sales to the United States if Washington moves against him, was responding to US government efforts to reduce reliance on foreign oil.

US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman today told a Houston energy conference ''the current level of energy insecurity in the world poses an unacceptable risk to our economies and security.'' Venezuela under Chavez has worked to reduce its reliance on the US energy market by cultivating ties to countries like Russia and China.

Reuters