Dispite strained relationship, Chavez offers oil

On the heels of offensive comments by Pat Robertson and increased tension with the Bush administration, Venezeula offers aid to Hurricane Katrina victims.

From AFX:

CARACAS (AFX) - Venezuela has offered emergency funds and fuel to the hurricane-battered US, and is ready to send a humanitarian aid taskforce to assist US disaster recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina, the foreign ministry said.

'The government and the nation of the Bolivaran Republic of Venezuela express to the United States and its leaders their dismay over the magnitude and consquences of Hurricane Katrina,' the ministry said in a statement.

'Venezuela reiterates the offer of President Hugo Chavez to send fuel and humanitarian aid to the United States to help alleviate the effects of this catastrophe.

' But US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that he is 'not aware of any such offers' of aid or oil from Venezuela.

Caracas's offer comes after months of deterioration in the relationship with Washington, which has branded Chavez a 'negative force' in the region.

Chavez had threatened to cut off oil supplies to the US, and after US evangelist Pat Robertson called last week for the US to assassinate Chavez, the Venezuelan leader accused Washington Monday of 'giving protection to a terrorist, who is demanding the assassination of a legitimate president.'

technorati tag:
Pat Robertson
Hugo Chavez
Katrina
Oil