MoonDog

I wasn't aware that the US considered Venezuelan petroleum as part of our Strategic Petroleum Reserves. I believe that we use, or have used, petroleum purchased from Venezuela to help fill the SPR. Did you mean your statement in that way, or perhaps you meant that the United States is so arrogant as to consider that country's petroleum as our own?

Before I end this thread hijack, consider that the US does get a tidy bit of petroleum from Venezuela; not a huge amount, but it is somewhere around 50% of their output. With Chavez in power, we have seen a move towards socialism, an increasing friendly relationship with Cuba (which I could care less about, actually), threats on the oil supply to the US from that country, the use of Venezuelan oil and other aid packages to thwart US trade goals in Latin America, an attempted coup on his government, a recall vote on his presidency, potential aid to destabilizing forces in other Latin American countries, and a lack of attention to his country's own oil infrastructure while he increases spending on social programs (which do appear to be doing some good, at least).

I think it is reasonable for the US to consider Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as, at the very least, a destablizing force in the region - particularly in reference to US foreign and energy policies.