Caracas: Venezuelan ForeignMinister Nicolas Maduro has said the US should not buy Venezuelan oil ifit does not want it.

"We are going to keep selling oil to North America because we are a serious country and we sell it to NorthAmerican society. If they say they do not need it, well, let them stop buyingit," Maduro said late yesterday (Feb 12, 2007).

Venezuela'sforeign minister was reacting to recent comments by Nicholas Burns, US undersecretary of state for politicalaffairs, who said the USis turning to bio-fuels because it does not want to depend on Venezuelan oil.

Maduro also said US President George W. Bush's upcomingvisit to Latin America seeks to divide theregion, but will not succeed.

"He will waste his time on the trip. In any case thepeoples of South America will talk backmassively and will say what they have to say to this man who has done so muchharm to humanity and to peace," Maduro said.

Bush is set to visit Brazil,Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemalaand Mexicoin March.

The government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hasclashed repeatedly with Washington, and thecontroversial Left-wing populist went as far as to call Bush "thedevil" in September before the UN general assembly in New York.

Venezuelais the world's fifth-largest oil exporter and 50 percent of its exports go tothe US.