"Am I therefore become your enemy,because I TELL YOU THE TRUTH...?"
(Galatians 4:16)

U.S. sanctions Chavez aides in growing crisis

CARACAS/WASHINGTON-The United States imposed sanctions on aides to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday in retaliation for his expulsion of the U.S. ambassador, escalating a crisis that raises the specter of a possible oil supply cutoff.The diplomatic moves and Chavez's threat to cut off oil shipments to the United States sent the OPEC nation's debt prices tumbling and plunged relations between the superpower and one of its top energy suppliers to their lowest point in years. Chavez warned on Thursday that if he stops selling oil to the United States, world crude prices would immediately double to above $200 a barrel.The socialist leader leads a growing bloc of left-wing leaders in Latin America and has diversified Venezuela's oil customers in recent years, particularly increasing supply to China.He said his decision to expel the U.S. ambassador on Thursday in an expletive-laden tirade against "Yankees," was made to support Bolivia's leftist president who is facing violent protests against his government that he blames on interference by Washington. Washington struck back on Friday with sanctions against two Chavez aides, including Venezuela's former Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez, for allegedly aiding Marxist guerrillas in Colombia.It is also possible Chavez knew sanctions were coming against his officials and wanted to take the offensive. Rodriguez resigned unexpectedly last week, and Chavez often uses a strategy that his best form of defense is attack when he is assailed.Washington was also preparing on Friday to eject Venezuela's top diplomat in the United States, a U.S. official said, although Chavez tried to preempt that move by telling him to pack his bags and come home a day earlier.
To read more go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1151209320080912
As in the days of Noah....