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Venezuela
Suspends Oil Supply To Honduras: No Zelaya, No Oil,
Chavez
Caracas - Venezuela on Wednesday
suspended its oil supply to Honduras, canceling the
daily shipment of 20,000 barrels to the country,
which is experiencing a major political crisis
following a military coup that toppled the
government of President Manuel Zelaya.
The decision was ratified by Energy and Petroleum
Minister Rafael Ramirez, who executed the order
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gave on July 3.
"Venezuela can not give benefits from Petrocaribe to
a dictatorship, and even less to a small group of
businessmen who made a coup," said Ramirez.
Through an energy integration agreement under the
Caribbean oil alliance Petrocaribe, Honduras,
together with other 18 nations, can get oil supply
from Venezuela.
Ramirez said Chavez will not restart the supply
until Zelaya is restored to power.
Chavez ordered to suspend the oil supply after
condemning the coup against Zelaya in Honduras
conducted on June 28.
Venezuela's decision followed the measure announced
by the U.S. government of suspending financial aid
to Honduras.
The U.S. financial aid was related to education,
environment, family planning, as well as other areas
included in the Dominican Republic-Central
America-United States Free Trade Agreement
(CAFTA-DR).
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