United States-venezuela Relations

HUGO CHáVEZ ERA

Since Hugo Chávez was elected President Of Venezuela , the long-standing close diplomatic relationship between Venezuela and the United States have progressively worsened. Chávez's public friendship and significant trade relationship with Cuba and Fidel Castro have undermined the U.S. policy of isolating Cuba, and long-running ties between the U.S. and Venezuelan militaries were severed on Chávez's initiative. Chávez's stance as an OPEC price hawk has raised the price of oil for the United States, as Venezuela pushed OPEC producers towards a higher price, around $25 a barrel. During Venezuela's presidency of OPEC in 2000, Chávez made a ten-day tour of OPEC countries, in the process becoming the first Head Of State to meet Saddam Hussein since the Gulf War . The visit was controversial at home and in the US, although Chávez did respect the ban on international flights to and from Iraq (he drove from Iran, his previous stop). {Link without Title}

Chávez opposition to U.S. foreign policy

Chávez's stance as an OPEC price hawk has raised the price of oil for the United States, his public friendship and significant trade relationship with and in numerous other areas

Allegations of U.S. covert actions against Chávez government

The United States recognized the government of Pedro Carmona during the 2002 Coup Attempt which briefly overthrew Chávez. On 20 February 2005 , Chávez stated that he had reasons to believe that the U.S. had plans to have him assassinated; he said that any future attempt would mean that Venezuela would cut off oil to the U.S. {Link without Title}

Venezuela expelled US naval commander John Correa in January 2006. The Venezuelan government claimed Correa, an attaché at the US embassy, had been collecting information from low-ranking Venezuelan military officers. Chavez claimed he had infiltrated the US embassy and found evidence of Correa's spying. The US declared these claims "baseless" and responded by expelling Jeny Figueredo, the chief aid to the Venezuelan embassador to the US. Chavez promoted Figueredo to deputy foreign minister to Europe. {Link without Title}

Personal disputes

Chávez's anti-U.S. rhetoric has sometimes touched the personal: in response to the ouster of Haiti an President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004 , Chávez called U.S. President George W. Bush a '' Pendejo '' ("prick"); in a later speech, he made personal remarks regarding Condoleezza Rice . The U.S. has called Chávez a "negative force" in the region, and requested support from Venezuela's neighbors in isolating Chávez.

Allegations over weapons purchases

The U.S. has opposed and lobbied against numerous Venezuelan arms purchases, including a purchase of 100,000 AK-103 rifles from Russia , which Donald Rumsfeld implied would be passed on to FARC , the purchase of aircraft from Brazil , and Warships from Spain .

OAS

At the 2005 meeting of the Organization Of American States , a United States resolution to add a mechanism to monitor the nature of democracies was widely seen as a move to isolate Venezuela . The failure of the resolution was seen as politically significant, expressing Latin American support for Chávez.

SEE ALSO

Venezuelan Solidarity Conference

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United States-venezuela Relations