A day after Venezuelan President Chavez called President Bush "the devil" in a speech to the UN General Assembly, he visited a Harlem church and pledged to double the amount of discounted heating oil his country ships to poor Americans.
Chavez announced that Citgo, the US-based refining arm of Venezuela's state-run oil company, plans to increase the amount of heating oil it is making available under the relief program from 40 million gallons to 100 million.
He said the oil will reach people in 18 states, including American Indians in Alaska.
Chavez started the heating oil program last winter, accusing Bush of neglecting the poor.
He called Bush "an alcoholic and a sick man" to applause from the crowd which included activists and supporters at the Mount Baptist Olive Church.
Chavez said that the American people are friends of Venezuela and he hoped that they would awaken before long and elect a better president. He called Bush's policies in Iraq criminal.
The South American country receives billions of dollars from the US as its top buyer of Venezuelan oil, which fund many of Chavez's popular social programs.
Chavez repeated warnings that if the US government tries to oust him, Venezuela would halt oil sales to the US.
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