March 25 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said John McCain is showing a more confrontational stance with Venezuela than the current U.S. administration, and relations may worsen should McCain win this year's presidential election.
Chavez said Republican candidate McCain has criticized U.S. President George W. Bush for being too ``soft'' on Venezuela's government.
``McCain seems like a man of war,'' Chavez told reporters today in Caracas. ``People say it's impossible to get worse than Bush, but we can't be sure.''
Chavez, who earlier this year threatened to cut off oil sales to the U.S. and wage an ``economic war,'' said today that the U.S. economy would head deeper into a recession without Venezuelan crude. The South American country is the fourth- biggest foreign supplier of oil to the U.S.
Still, Chavez said he hopes to have ``better relations with whoever is elected the next U.S. President.'' He said there was more dialogue between the two countries under the administration of former President Bill Clinton.
``Anytime you're attacked by a thug and a dictator, Senator McCain will wear that as a badge of honor,'' said Steve Schmidt, a senior McCain adviser.
Venezuela's president also said he hopes to meet with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe soon to ease tensions stemming from Colombia's attack March 1 on a rebel camp in Ecuador.
Blow to Relations
Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos this week defended the cross-border incursion into Ecuador that claimed the life of Raul Reyes, the No. 2 leader of a rebel group known as the FARC, calling rebel camps a ``legitimate military objective.''
Chavez said the comments were a ``direct blow against the full restoration of relations.''
The Venezuelan leader said his domestic agenda this year is focused on organizing his newly formed United Socialist Party of Venezuela, preparing for regional elections at the end of the year and working to resolve ``inefficiency'' in the government. He said he doesn't plan to alter the country's foreign exchange controls.
When asked if he plans to try to amend the constitution to allow him to run for re-election when his term is up in 2013, the president didn't respond directly.
``Everything at the right moment,'' he said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=asr76ngcNhFM&refer=latin_america
No comments:
Post a Comment