April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he will raise trade barriers against Colombia and Peru because the neighboring Andean countries reached free-trade agreements with the U.S.

Chavez said his decision last week to withdraw Venezuela from the Andean Community of Nations trade bloc was ``irrevocable.'' Venezuelan producers can't compete with ``super- subsidized'' products from the U.S., he said.

``We're now free to take protection measures against Colombia and Peru, who signed with the U.S.,'' Chavez said from Anzoatequi state during his weekly television show. ``We're going to have to take a series of measures to protect us from an invasion of U.S. products from Colombia and Peru.''

Chavez, 51, said that free-trade agreements between the U.S. and Andean countries would endanger the viability of the organization, which was founded in 1969 and also includes Ecuador and Bolivia.

Peru and the U.S. signed a free-trade agreement on April 12 that needs congressional approval in both countries to be enacted. The U.S. has a free-trade accord with Colombia, and is in talks with Ecuador.

``We made this decision to withdraw to protect the interests of Venezuela's economy,'' Chavez said. ``We invite Colombia and Peru to break the curse of capitalism.''

Colombia and Venezuela are the two largest members of the Andean free-trade group and account for a majority of transactions between the bloc's members. Colombian-Venezuelan trade was about $2.5 billion in 2004.

Venezuelan joined the Mercosur trade block, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, in January as a special member, meaning it can't vote on group decisions.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Kennedy in Caracas at akennedy1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 23, 2006 14:24 EDT