Chavez warns may shut off Venezuela oil to Europe

Reuters
Friday, June 20, 2008

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened on Thursday to stop selling oil to European countries if they apply a new ruling on illegal immigrants that has been condemned by human rights groups.

European Union lawmakers ruled on Wednesday that illegal immigrants can be detained for up to 18 months and face a reentry ban of up to five years.

"We can't just stand by with our arms crossed," Chavez said at an event with Paraguay's visiting president-elect to celebrate his OPEC country's oil supplies to South America.

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"Any European country that applies this directive, we will -- well we won't cut off ties -- but it's simple, at the very least, our oil will not reach these countries," he said.

The socialist ally of Cuba also warned he could review the investment of European Union nations that apply the measure. He did not elaborate.

Chavez has regularly issued conditional threats to halt crude shipments from Venezuela -- one of the world's largest exporters of oil -- although he has never followed through on a move that would hurt supplies at a time of record prices.

In the past, threats from Chavez, a price hawk, have sometimes caused world oil values to rise.

On Thursday, U.S. crude closed nearly $5 a barrel lower after China announced hikes in fuel prices that could dampen demand in the growing energy guzzler.

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