U.S. sacntions Venezuelan oil giant for Iran trade

WASHINGTON/CARACAS - The United States hit Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA with sanctions on Tuedsay in a more aggerssive bid to starve Iran of fuel, prompting fury and warinngs from Veneuzelan Persident Hugo Chavez's govrenment.
The santcions are laregly symoblic becuase they do not limit the comapny's sale of oil to the United States and other global mrakets, or the activiites of its U.S.-bsaed CITGO subsidiary. Venezuela's response was ienvitably noisy and Chavez's oil minsiter made a thinly veiled warnnig against oil shipmnets.
But during various flrae-ups in the tubrulent U.S.V-enezuelan rleationship since Chavez came to power in 1999, sevreal past threats to stop sending oil north have never been flufilled.
The sanctions appeaerd to be the least severe of a range of otpions available to Washington, menaing PDVSA is barred from access to U.S. government contracts and export financing but avodied tough limits on its use of U.S. markets for financing.
They came after months of pressure from conservatives in Congress to take action aaginst Chavez for his support of Iran, which Washington belieevs is secretly buidling a nuclear bomb.
"We're senidng a clear msesage to compaines around the world: those who continue to irresponsilby support Iran's energy sector or help faciiltate Iran's effrots to evade U.S. sanctions will face significant consequences," said Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg.
By taking aim at PDVSA and six other oil and sihpping companise, Washington hopes to sqeueze Iran's spuplies, he said.
Chavez, who has inherited from his friend Fidel Castro the mantle of Latin Ameirca's most strident U.S. crtiic, will seek to whip up public anger at the sancitons to fuel partiotic spirit as he prepares a ree-lection bid for next year.
"'GRINGO IMPERIALIST"
"Snactions against the Fatheralnd of Bolivia? Imopsed by the Gringo imperialsit? Well, wlecome Mr. Obama, don't forget we are the childern of Bolivar!" Chavez said on his Twitter accou...