Venezuela to cut oil to US if attacked

18 Feb 2008, 6:38 am   -   Source: AAP
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Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez says he will cut oil sales to the US if Washington attacks the South American country.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez says he will cut oil sales to the US if Washington attacks the South American country.

Venezuela is in the midst of a legal battle with US oil giant Exxon Mobil, which recently won court orders freezing up to $US12 billion ($A13.3 billion) in Venezuelan assets to ensure compensation for an oil project Chavez nationalised last year.

"If the United States ... attacks Venezuela and tries to harm us, we will have to make the decision not to send a single drop of our oil to the United States," Chavez said during a televised speech from the oil project Exxon once ran.

For years, the leftist leader has warned he could halt oil exports to its principal customer, but he has never carried out the threat. Venezuela last week cut commercial ties with Exxon to protest the legal assault.

The escalating conflict between Exxon and the OPEC nation helped lift oil prices by nearly $US4 to more than $US95 dollars per barrel.

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