Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stated that shale-oil extraction in the United States (US) may result in a powerful earthquake in the country.

“They are blowing up the Earth’s crust, and may God protect the American people. A strong earthquake can happen any moment, since they are slicing up the crust.

“As a result, there will come a time when the geological cracks will reach critical dimensions, and at that time a national disaster will come due to the ambitions of the US transnational companies, the ‘vampires,’” a Venezuelan TV quoted Maduro as saying.