Ali Rodriguez Quotations

There is no problem with crude supply. Prices do not depend exclusively on OPEC,

Venezuela is always prepared to assist other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean as far as it can,

The OPEC secretary general informed me officially yesterday that there was no idea by any country to raise output unilaterally, ... We all continue to share what has been a longstanding practice in OPEC to take decisions unanimously and after consultation.

This process is a clear violation of the most basic elements governing democratic processes,

If anyone in the world had a doubt .Ê.Ê. that sectors of the U.S. government have been planning President Hugo Chavez's assassination, those doubts surely have been cleared up through the criminal act by a personality very close to President George W. Bush, who has a lot of influence in the current U.S. administration.

There is no break in relations... we hope to find a solution to this,

We are not putting pressure on others. We are calling for contributions.

We are convinced that we have to increase production this year,

We demand mutual respect so as to achieve healthy relations as other countries do,

There has been no forceful condemnation by the United States as everyone expected.

There has been an underhanded condemnation, not a condemnation as such, ... Doubt is still in the air over what is the U.S. government's official position.

The president is going to receive more of a disaster than a crisis.

We can only conclude that OPEC has more than fulfilled its role as a reliable oil supplier and that the true reasons for currently high prices lie behind a series of other factors,

This situation is entirely the responsibility of President Fox,

At the moment we are in consultations and probably we will meet here (Vienna) at the beginning of August,

Argentina has agreed to provide complete support for Venezuela in all negotiations to become a full member,

The simple announcement by U.S. authorities to place one million barrels a day ... will provoke a strong descent (in oil prices) on Monday.

Prices will fall, but the effect will be temporary.

Problems are solved by talking. They took the initiative; now they should solve the problem and we'll try to help them,

At last, our oil workers can work without the constant pressure of these (political) campaigns.

It's very strange that the US government, which has constantly made very severe statements about terrorism, hasn't had precisely the same strength to speak out on this delicate issue.

If there is no agreement to withdraw two million barrels per day from the market there will be a serious problem because when prices fall, the reaction of many producers is to increase production to compensate and that ends up flooding the market,

If there are problems in the Asian economy, and there are already in the Japanese economy, the fall in (oil) prices could be more serious than we thought,

If prices in the market stay above $28 day after day, production will rise by 500,000 barrels per day,

In the event of prices remaining at current levels, (OPEC ministers) should be prepared to take the necessary steps to raise output,

For the oil industry, this event (the referendum) will contribute to stabilization,