Venezuela Denounces U.S. Pressure on OPEC

The United States is pressuring OPEC to increase production of crude oil; this position is derived from its aggression in Libya, says the Venezuelan representative at the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino), Ángel Rodríguez.

According to the former Minister for Electric Power, Washington is seeking a fall in oil prices that would result from supply exceeding demand.

The International Energy Agency is backing such requests by the United States and other rich countries, which in reality is an attempt to lessen the effects of their military intervention in Libya, warns a statement by the Venezuelan delegation to Parlatino.

To Rodriguez, the recent upward trend in the cost of crude, traded at more than $100 per barrel, is a consequence of the tensions generated by war in the North African OPEC member, and not a lack of supply.

Exports are keeping up with demand, said the parliamentarian, who furthermore denounced the media’s complicity in the foreign crusade in Libya.

International media supported the campaign against the 12-member OPEC, which led the way to disharmony based on alleged infighting, he said.

Given the scenario, Rodriguez suggested that the real urgency is in stopping the attacks on Libya, in order to promote stability of oil supply.

With regard to OPEC and the lack of consensus at its most recent meeting over the issue of increased output, the Venezuelan Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Rafael Ramirez, denied there are fractures in the entity, which produces more than a third of the crude oil consumed in the world.

Whatever the circumstantial differences exist, they do not signify internal fissures or weaknesses in an organization that has maintained unity and strategic clarity for 50 years, as shown this week.