The bright lights of the Kenmore Square Citgo sign, which have brightened the Boston skyline since 1965, may dim permanently if a resolution filed Sept. 21 by Boston City Councilor Jerry McDermott (Allston, Brighton) finds popular support.

The resolution orders the flashing “trimark” logo of the Venezuelan-owned oil company be removed after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called U.S. President George W. Bush “the devil, the devil himself” in a Sept. 20 speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

“Given the hatred of the United States displayed by dictator Hugo Chavez, it would be more fitting to see an American flag when you drive through Kenmore Square,” McDermott told The Boston Herald.

According to the oil company’s website, Citgo is a company of “PDV America, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. — the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”

The 60-by-60-foot square that shines from dusk to midnight every night from atop the Barnes and Noble in Kenmore Square was predated by a sign for the Cities Service Company — which eventually became Citgo — that was built on the then divisional offices in 1940.

In 1965 the Cities Service sign was replaced by the now signature Citgo logo.

Robert Sawyer, a self-proclaimed Citgo sign expert who said he has “had an involvement with the sign for 35 years” and is often referred to as the sign’s “caretaker” in the media, said the sign is important to Bostonians and its neighborhood.

“It’s obviously a very critical part of the landscape,” Sawyer said.

Sawyer said McDermott and the City Council have no authority whatsoever to take down the sign, adding that Citgo owns the sign and it is situated on a building owned by Boston University.

Sawyer said McDermott is a “young city councilor trying to get publicity for himself.”

“[Chavez’s] remarks were totally inappropriate,” Sawyer said, adding that McDermott’s reference to Chavez as a “dictator” is inaccurate.

“Chavez is a popularly elected president,” Sawyer continued, adding that the Venezuelan president said Bush supported an unsuccessful coup against the democratically elected leader, and that Chavez is “not an enemy of America, an enemy of George Bush.”

“I hope the other city councilors will stand up and oppose the foolishness,” Sawyer said.

Sawyer said when Citgo planned to tear down the deteriorating Kenmore Square sign in 1983, the public came to its rescue.

According to Sawyer, one passionate Bostonian during this period said, “London has Big Ben. Paris has the Eiffel Tower. Boston has the Citgo sign.”

“The sign is a landmark for runners in the Boston Marathon,” Sawyer added.

In 2003 when the Red Sox needed to beat the Baltimore Orioles in order to win a playoff position, Red Sox owner John Henry called Mayor Thomas Menino and asked the sign be turned on for the game.

The sign – which is turned off when significant outage in the lights requiring repair affects the sign’s appearance – had been unlit during the previous game, which the Red Sox lost.

According to Sawyer, Henry thought “that Citgo sign is a good luck charm” and told sportscaster Jerry Remy after the team’s win about the importance of the sign.

Besides the cultural attachment Bostonians have to the Citgo sign, Sawyer said “the dumbest thing in the world is to boycott Citgo,” adding that Citgo provides below-cost heating oil to the United States and is the largest supplier of oil to the United States outside of the Middle East.

The Citgo sign is also an important part of city life for Boston University students.

“So many people have a personal attachment to the Citgo sign,” said College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Kate Peruzzini.

Peruzzini, who said the Citgo sign was visible from her room in the Towers dormitory freshman year, dressed up as the Citgo sign for Halloween.

“The Citgo sign was the theme of my year. It was my guiding star,” she added.

“Tearing down the Citgo sign would be a really rash option,” Peruzzini said of McDermott’s reaction to Chavez’s comments.

Peruzzini said she saw in the media that people from other states were congratulating McDermott for his proposal.

“They don’t live here,” she said. “It’s not their Citgo sign. It’s ours.”

McDermott could not be reached for comment.