Alaskans prefer Chill to Chavez’s free oil

With deferential regards for their President, Alaska’s native villages have unanimously decided to show their thumbs down to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s annual offer to provide discount oil for the cold winter months, saying they would prefer to chill rather accept the proposal from the one who insulted President George W Bush.

Indigenous people’s decision follows Chavez’s recent cataclysm of criticism of Bush during the U.N. General Assembly last month, when the Venezuelan leader attributed to the president as "el diablo" (the devil) and admonished Bush for his policies in Iraq and elsewhere.

Not only in Alaska, but some indigenous people in Venezuela have also stamped their disapproval on Chavez’s offer. In Alaska, the Aleuts are saying no to his home heating oil subsidies for the winter, and in Venezuela the Bari indigenous are saying no to Chavez taking their tribal property.

During the last two winters, CITGO, an oil and gasoline industry controlled by Chavez, has provided discount oil to a number of U.S. communities, including those in Boston and Maine, where aggrandized global oil prices have made the cost of heating a home highly expensive for some poor Americans.

But, after Chavez’s UN speech calling Bush 'the Devil' and the US the greatest threat looming over the planet, has put the company in danger zone, from a business point of view.

His attempts to warm poor indigenous people this coming winter have proved failure when mass villages declined to accept the donations they dubbed as unpatriotic as it comes from someone who wants to destroy the US. To stem benefits from the hot issue some American donors have come forth to replace the CITGO oil gift.

Despite the fact that many of the villagers are desperately poor, and heating-oil prices are among the highest in the nation, the natives are firm on their decision not to accept the Venezuelan oil this winter. Even, in Boston, deeply hurted with Chavez’s remarks some officials are urging for the landmark CITGO sign in the city's historic Kenmore square to be wiped out.

Although, some Alaskans have already refused to accept the offer but there are scores of Alaska’s Eskimo and Indian villages who say they have no choice but to accept the offer.

According to analysts, the wretched U.N. remarks could have long-term consequences for Chavez's supposed scheme for impressing poor Americans. "[Chavez] seems to have struck a nerve with his remarks," John Kilduff, senior vice president of the energy risk management group at Fimat USA Inc., said.