Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Friday his government had no plan to suspend oil supplies to United States but would prefer to give priority to energy deals with Latin American neighbors. Speaking to regional central bank representatives, Chavez took a softer line after earlier harsh rhetoric and threats to cut off U.S. petroleum supplies should Washington "cross the line" in their heated diplomatic dispute.Venezuela, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and a key U.S. crude supplier, has signed energy pacts with Latin American neighbors, China and India as Chavez seeks to break his nation's traditional economic reliance on the United States.
Chavez' comments came a day after the U.S. ambassador to Caracas said Venezuela had suspended a threat to restrict or ban flights by U.S. airlines after the two governments agreed to negotiations to end a dispute over aviation rights. But on Friday the Venezuela government said lifting the threat depended on how well talks went next week with U.S. officials in Caracas.