Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has claimed that the US government is planning to sabotage the oil-producing country's economy.
Mr Chavez, speaking yesterday on his TV talk show, predicted that "one of the fiercest battle fronts" was coming ahead as Washington readied to destroy Venezuela economically.
He said that recent comments by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accusing him of "destroying" his country's economy meant that "the imperialist plan of the moment" had turned to economic sabotage.
"(That's) one of the plans. The other is assassination," he said, reiterating past claims that the US government is plotting to kill him. "We've neutralised various attempts, and I have faith we will continue neutralising them. But they won't rest."
Mr Chavez said that recent urgings by President Bush for his country to reduce its oil dependency on unfriendly nations, including Venezuela, meant that Venezuela was already on "the drawing table" and Washington was laying its plans.
The United States is the top market for crude from Venezuela, the world's eighth-largest oil exporter.
AP