Uribe rules out gas cut to Venezuela

BOGOTA, July 27 (UPI) -- Cutting the supply of natural gas to Venezuela isn't under consideration for now, said Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declared an energy emergency in February as pervasive drought caused problems for his country, which relies heavily on hydroelectric power.

Colombian gas exports to Venezuela collapsed in January, complicating the energy emergency. U.S. oil company Chevron said Colombian gas exports to Venezuela fell from 179 million cubic feet per day in January 2009 to 60 million cubic feet per day in 2010.

Amid renewed tensions with Venezuela over rebel groups, Uribe said his country would wait "awhile" to decide if he would cut the supply of natural gas, Venezuela's El Universal newspaper reports.

Chavez last week denied Colombia's charges that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia had established camps in his country.

"We have no choice, out of dignity, but to totally break our relations with our sister Colombia," he said Friday while heightening border security measures.

The crisis comes less than a month before the inauguration of Colombia's new president, Juan Manuel Santos. Santos was defense minister under Uribe, who Chavez said was "showing signs of lunacy."

Chavez said during the weekend he would cut the supply of oil to the United States if it intervened in the matter. P.J. Crowley, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, told reporters that Washington has "no intention of engaging a military action against Venezuela."