Politicians usually make a lot of hollow noise to get press, and anything which gives the illusion of a potential oil embargo gets more press than anything.

Chavez wants to be the next in a long line of South American more-or-less dictators who have a world image, even if it is as a loony. Who knows? Maybe some day there will be t-shirts with his face on them just like that jerk Che Guavera - and these shirts make great wipes when the dog has diarrhea....