February
23, 2004
Venezuela pledges to maintain
oil US exports
(The Irish Independent) - "Venezuela
promised to keep politics out of the oil market
with its Foreign Minister Jesús Pérez
promising not to with-hold oil shipments as a
pressure tactic despite their differences with
the US.
The news is positive for the oil consuming nations
of the globe, and should ease pressure on global
oil markets, economists said.
Jesús Pérez, who became foreign
minister this month, said that he did not foresee
a break in US-Venezuelan relations (…)
He also ruled out cutting oil shipments to the
United States. Caracas relies on oil exports for
half of government revenues. Venezuela is the
world's No. 5 oil exporter and the United States
is its biggest client.
'We're not threatening them with any embargo.
. . . We are against using that kind of weapon,'
Pérez said.
Venezuela is one of the four top suppliers of
oil to the United States, along with Mexico, Canada
and Saudi Arabia (…)".
