Venezuelan ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Jorge Valero Tuesday asserted that President Hugo Chávez' government "has not broken relations with the United States because we are a responsible country."

Amid steady US-Venezuela diplomatic impasses, Valero told local news TV network Globovisión that Chávez "has not threatened the United States. He only warned that in the event that attacks continued, we are to make any move we deem necessary to defend our process of changes and our sovereignty," DPA reported.
   
On February 4th, Chávez warned he would not hesitate to close eight refineries Citgo -the state oil giant Pdvsa's refining branch in US- owns in the United States, in the event that bilateral ties are severed.

"If the US administration actually wants to break relations with Venezuela, that is their business. Make your move! I will not hesitate to order closure of the Citgo refineries we own in the United States. We will see how oil prices will soar! We will see how fuel prices will jump!" Chávez said before thousands of followers commemorating the 14th anniversary of his failed 1992 coup d'etat against President Carlos Andrés Pérez.

Chávez' comments came in response to Washington's move to oust Venezuelan diplomat Jenny Figueredo from US after the Venezuelan ruler decided to expel US Navy Attaché John Correa from Caracas for alleged involvement in spying activities.

According to Valero, "all the Venezuelan government wants is avoid hostilities, and all we have done so far is to reply in a staunch way to aggressions."

"Venezuela, US have positive trade relations, but their political ties are contradictory. You have to do anything you can to defend sovereignty," Valero added.
  
Venezuela's daily oil shipments to US average 1.5 million, including crude oil and oil by-products, despite permanent verbal confrontations between Caracas and Washington over the last few years because of political differences.