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War of words between Chávez and US heats up
 Accusations of spying and tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats might seem the stuff of historic ideological battles between Washington and Moscow. But such cold war antics look set to take centre-stage in the saga of deteriorating ties between the US and Venezuela, home to the largest energy reserves in the Americas.At the weekend, Hugo Chávez, Venezuelan president warned Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, against trying to build an international alliance to curb his governments expanding tentacles of influence across Latin America. I will sting those who rattle me, so dont mess with me, Condoleezza, he said, blowing Ms Rice a kiss during his Sunday television programme.
Analysts believe some of the recent provocations come because Mr Chávez is seeking to radicalise his anti-imperialist credentials ahead of elections in December. He has already begun his re-election campaign by insisting that his true opponent will be George W. Bush. Relations with the US are deteriorating and they are going to get worse, says Adolfo Salguiero, an international relations analyst in Caracas. At some point this year we could well face a grave diplomatic crisis as Chávez attempts to rally nationalist sentiment ahead of the election. Mr Chávez, who has been in power for seven years, recently reiterated his prediction of an inevitable showdown with the US. He may be right.
Ms Rice said last week that the US must pursue an inoculation strategy to curb Mr Chávezs oil-funded influence in the region. A united front against some of the things that Venezuela gets involved in was needed to contain Mr Chávezs activism in Latin America, Ms Rice told the House of Representatives. Caracas has financed billions of dollars worth of projects in the region, and Mr Chávez has made clear his support for candidates and movements with an anti-US stance. He has in the past threatened to sever oil supplies to the US, even if most analysts have dismissed such a threat as economic madness. Venezuelan oil is especially heavy and can only be processed in US-based refineries owned by Citgo, the Venezuelan state-owned oil companys refining and marketing subsidiary in the US. However, the US Government Accountability Office, Congresss non-partisan investigative agency, is examining the risks for the US economy of losing its most secure supplier of oil. Ms Rices recommendation appears to put flesh on the bones of the idea of containing Chávez suggested a year ago by only the most hawkish members within the Bush administration. People familiar with the policy development in Washington say it has gelled as a result of recent appointments in the area of security. The policy is to convince the governments of South America that Chávez is a danger to the hemisphere, if not to the US, said a US security consultant who has been party to the discussions. Robert Zoellick, deputy secretary of state, is believed to have advised Ms Rice recently of the risk of neglecting Latin America. Similar views have been taken, the consultant said, by Porter Goss, chief of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Negroponte, director of national intelligence, and Patrick Maher, the national intelligence officer for the western hemisphere. The US has vetoed the sale to Venezuela of military equipment from Spain and Brazil, on the grounds that the hardware contains US-made components. Meanwhile, Mr Chávez has extended warm relations to radical movements in the Middle East. Venezuela said recently that it would welcome leaders of Hamas, the militant Palestinian Islamic group. It is also backing Irans position on its nuclear programme. A new cold war would seem to be in the making.
Posted by: lotp 2006-02-21 |
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