Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez told a Caracas press conference Jan. 26: "I accuse the government of Colombia of devising a conspiracy, acting as a pawn of the US empire, of devising a military provocation against Venezuela. A military aggression is being prepared." He warned that Venezuela would cut off all oil exports in the event of a military strike. "In that scenario, write it down: The price of oil would reach US$300, because there wouldn't be oil for anyone. The invaders would have to step over our dead bodies."

Chávez spoke as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Colombia, saying she and two other senior US officials who recently visited Bogotá "came to attack Venezuela" in their remarks. He predicted that relations with Colombia "are going to continue deteriorating" and that cross-border trade will suffer. (AP, Jan. 26)

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