I JUST heard about the nasty Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, who has been giving the USA cheap oil in a programme designed to help the poorest citizens of that country, as federal programmes continue to be cut. More than half a million Americans from poor neighbourhoods will benefit from this initiative.

Apparently that great example of democracy, Barack Obama, has accused Chavez of restricting human rights and taking threatening steps against democratic values.

But only one of these countries does not invade other lands, only one of these countries carries out the agenda they were democratically elected for, and only one of these countries is giving cheap oil to its “enemy” and it ain’t the USA!

So I wonder why the richest country in the world and a super power too, cannot afford to keep its own people warm in winter, but needs charity from a so-called Third World dictator.

I wonder how Chavez in Venezuela and Obama in the USA will fair in their respective and impending elections?

Maybe those naughty people in government and the media are not telling us the complete story.

By the way, you will not find this story on the BBC, but Russian TV.

No doubt the next target for OFCOM to shut down and no doubt a good result to some of your less democratic correspondents!

TIM SIRET Millmoor Crescent Eynsham