A week after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called George W. Bush "the devil," convenience store chain 7-Eleven Inc. said on Wednesday it will stop selling gasoline from Venezuelan-controlled Citgo Petroleum.
Chavez angered the White House and its supporters when he called President Bush "the devil" in a September 20 speech at the United Nations and said the podium still reeked of sulfur after a Bush appearance there.
"We sympathize with many Americans' concerns over derogatory comments about our country and its leadership recently made by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez," 7-Eleven said in a statement.
7-Eleven said it would begin taking down CITGO signs and sell under its own brand gasoline provided by several U.S. refiners.
"Costumers will begin seeing the gasoline canopy signs change, with the CITGO logo coming down from the gas canopies and off the gasoline dispensers, and the 7-Eleven brand going up."
7-Eleven is the world's largest convenience store operator, with chains in 20 countries.
Despite the backlash, Chavez maintained his anti-Bush harangue on Wednesday, repeating his sulfur comment in Caracas at an event to sign business deals between Venezuela and Russia.
His war of words with the Bush administration has prompted one organization, the conservative American Family Association, to call for a boycott of Venezuelan oil.
Despite his animosity toward Bush, he has not stopped the flow of oil to the United States, which is Venezuela's biggest crude customer
