Issue date: 10/16/06 Section: Editorial/Opinion

It was with no surprise that Hugo Chavez called President Bush "the devil" during his speech at the U.N. conference Sept. 20. Two weeks prior to this conference, the Venezuelan president told Bush that he would cut down oil supplies to the United States if it attacked Iran. Chavez made this allegation during a visit with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Venezuela in early September.

Chavez's comments are very controversial. Some people might see him as outspoken and fearless, but he is Venezuela's president, and that title doesn't give him the right to speak without respect or down to others.

Chavez has been Venezuela's president since April 13, 1999. During his first months in office, he changed the Venezuelan constitution so that he would be president for six years instead of five. Elections are due in December, and unfortunately, those elections may be in jeopardy right now, as Chavez's opponents claim that they are not ready to have elections and that because of that, they must be suspended. How does this affect the United States and the rest of the world?

In my case, and as a Latin woman from Bolivia, I do fear that Chavez will get re-elected. Ever since Venezuela paid our external debt to Argentina, tension has being growing. There are some people that think that Bolivia will soon face a civil war, and if that would be the case, Chavez will send weapons to the west side of Bolivia in La Paz, where the government is based. When this happens, there are rumors coming from Paraguay and Argentina that the United States will send help to the east side of Bolivia for a counterattack.

Hopefully, this won't happen, and the only problems we will have to face with Venezuela will be Chavez accusing capitalism and the United States of being the "evil empire," and using his power to control oil exports to the rest of the world.

Venezuela is one of the wealthiest countries in the oil industry. The United States has been Venezuela's client for more than 20 years.

The United States has 5 percent of the world's population and consumes 45 percent of the gasoline produced on earth. Venezuela has been exporting more than 1,000 barrels of crude oil per day and more than 2,000 barrels of petroleum each day. With its exports to the United States, it covers 15 percent of American oil consumption. The United States consumes 20,000 barrels of oil per day. Just from Venezuela's oil barrels, the cost was more than $140,000 a day when prices were near their peak at $78 this summer.

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