If the huge oil profits caused PR and political problems for energy companies recently, it’s only logical that taking the reverse action could have the reverse effect, which is what Citgo (U.S. arm of Venezuelan oil) did, and is getting big media attention here this morning…

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez added New York City to his program of selling discounted heating oil to low-income Americans, begun in Boston last month… “We want to help the poorest communities in the U.S.,” Chavez said in August. “There are people who die from the cold in winter in the U.S.”

Skeptics interpret this as a way of embarrasing President Bush, but ultimately it’s a great humanitarian gesture that should shame other companies into doing the same.