Venezuela's Chavez rejects U.S. rapprochement overture
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Within hours of President Hugo Chavez's re-election on Sunday, Washington made overtures to open dialogue with Venezuela. But the man who calls President George W. Bush a "donkey" ruled out rapprochement.
Asked if he would take up the U.S. offer of engagement, the leftist leader, who because of Venezuela's oil wealth controls 12 percent of U.S. oil imports, recounted his first dealings with Washington to explain why his answer was "No."
Chavez said the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America, Peter Romero, visited him after he was first elected in 1998 and shared a Venezuelan dish wrapped in banana-tree leaves.
Shortly after those pleasantries, the American telephoned and asked Chavez if he was set to make a trip to U.S. antagonist Cuba.
"I hung up on him," Chavez said.
Eight years later, the communication line between Washington and Caracas remains dead -- and is unlikely to be resurrected. >>>cont
LinkHere
Asked if he would take up the U.S. offer of engagement, the leftist leader, who because of Venezuela's oil wealth controls 12 percent of U.S. oil imports, recounted his first dealings with Washington to explain why his answer was "No."
Chavez said the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America, Peter Romero, visited him after he was first elected in 1998 and shared a Venezuelan dish wrapped in banana-tree leaves.
Shortly after those pleasantries, the American telephoned and asked Chavez if he was set to make a trip to U.S. antagonist Cuba.
"I hung up on him," Chavez said.
Eight years later, the communication line between Washington and Caracas remains dead -- and is unlikely to be resurrected. >>>cont
LinkHere
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 5:19 PM
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