Ecuador accuses US of 'blackmail' as oil dispute worsens

[UpInArms]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/usecuadoroiltradesched4thlead

QUITO (AFP) - Ecuador accused the United States of "blackmail" after Washington abruptly suspended free-trade talks with the South American nation in the wake of its cancellation of a US oil company's exploration rights.

The suspension of the free-trade talks came after Quito told Occidental Petroleum Monday that it was canceling the US firm's rights to an oil field in the Amazon basin region and taking control of its production infrastructure.

"This is a sanction, unacceptable blackmail," Ecuador's interior minister, Felipe de la Vega, told the Uno television channel on Wednesday.

"We are a sovereign nation and if gentlemen want to halt the free-trade talks, which is sad, then we will look to Europe," he said.

De la Vega spoke as the dispute between the two countries over oil and trade appeared to worsen, as have relations between the administration of US President George W. Bush and Venezuela and Bolivia, two other key South American energy producers.

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[Rainscents]

1. Bush is doing a heckofajob!!!

Do we have any friends left???

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. "Do we have any friends left???" - That's a rhetorical question, right?

.
.
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Friends disappearing

Enemies increasing

well done George

if indeed the Bush gang wanted the World to hate the USA

then,

"Mission Accomplished"

[LuckyLib]

2. American petroleum companies have been polluting Ecuador's

Amazon area for decades. Shell, Texaco, Oxy. They have pillaged the land, polluted the waters, and raped the country of millions of dollars in resources. Ecuador may be one country that is going to stand up to Big Oil -- and the Bush Oil Boys will fight back with everything they have.

[jkg4peace]

4. A blessing in disguise, I'm sure...

Trade agreements with the US are not all that beneficial for Latin Americans -- ask Mexico! Look South, dear Ecuador, and jump on the ALBA, Mercosur, Telesur bandwagon!

[cliss]

5. It's my understanding that

China, India and other countries have been courting these countries, including Venezuela.

The US, in the meantime, just pisses on their shoes. It's just unbelievable that the Bush regime thinks these countries will bow and scrape, forever!!!

Hugo Chavez has said that he would like to write up some new oil contracts to India and China, rather than sell to the US. OMG....does Bush realize what that would do to our economy?

And he just never stops antagonizing them....he really is out of his flippin' mind.

[Copperred]

7. Yes, he is.

[iconoclastNYC]

6. American Foreign Policy 2000-2008: The Petulant Spoiled Child Years

[anotherdrew]

9. exactly. how we'll ever live this down is beyond me. n/t

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. "how we'll ever live this down" ??? - you won't . . .

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.
.

The USA has exposed it's achilles heels, oil and $$

All the nukes in the World can't save the USA now

The bully is ready for his comeuppance

About time!

[cliss]

12. I'm working on an article.

The title is "Our bombs will not save us".

Your sentence says the same thing: 'all the nukes in the world can't save the USA now'.

Here's why the US has paved the path to its own destruction: as the price of oil goes up, the oil producers' power goes up. Washington is trapped like a sewer rat, and they know it.

Notice? It's no coincidence Chavez, Ahmadinejad, Morales and now Ecuador are all starting to stand up to the US. The reason is because of the high price of oil. THEY are now holding all the cards, and not us. It's happened! The tables have turned.

If oil shoots up to $100.00/barrel, these countries will be holding all the cards. Bush will come begging to them.

[wordpix]

14. good title for book on *

[anotherdrew]

8. bush is pathetic. our way or the hiway doesn't work chump n/t

[libodem]

10. Alot of tension

with 'free-trade' talks, sounds as if private companies want to use political power to manipulate business to their own advantage. American citizens would do well, to be informed about Free Trade. The Evil Empire is a menace to the Planet.

[tecelote]

13. The high price of oil

has more to do with our poor foreign relations than with anything else. China and India are an excuse.

[struggle4progress]

15. kick

:kick: