Caribbean leaders fear they may no longer be able to afford oil from Venezuela's PetroCaribe aid programme.

Dean Barrow, prime minister of Belize, has criticised a proposal that participants in the programme pay up to 80 per cent of their bills within 90 days instead of the current 60 per cent.

Barrow says his poor country does not have the money.

Guyana Prime Minister Samuel Hinds says his country also would struggle to make payments.

Both leaders were at a trade bloc meeting of Caricom leaders Sunday in Guyana.

Oil revenues cut

Venezuela created the Petro-Caribe accord in 2005 to sell fuel to allies at preferential terms, but the drop in world prices has cut its oil revenues.

Officials say Venezuela has financed US$3 billion of the value of 94 million barrels of fuel sold to neighbours.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has predicted that world oil, which is now selling at around $63 to $70 pr barrel, will grow to US$100 per barrel on the world market this year.

- AP