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U.S. Renews Hard Line on Venezuela

U.S. officials are scrambling to assert that the Obama administration hasn't 
softened U.S. policy toward Venezuela, where President Hugo Chávez recently 
won a controversial referendum allowing him to run for office as many times 
as he wants.

Last week, acting State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid surprised some 
observers when he said that Venezuela's election "was held consistent with 
democratic principles," though he also mentioned some "troubling reports of 
intimidation of opponents."

The remarks set off a furor among Venezuelan opposition activists and some 
commentators because the description of Venezuela's referendum seemed 
markedly different from the tone set by the Bush administration, which 
repeatedly voiced worry that Mr. Chávez was undermining Venezuela's 
democracy.

U.S. officials say they continue to be very concerned about Venezuela, one 
of the leading suppliers of oil to the U.S.

"The state of health of democracy in Venezuela is not very good," said a 
State Department official, adding that the U.S. also continued to be 
concerned that Venezuela's continuing support for Colombia's drug-funded 
communist guerrillas is undermining democracy in the region. "There's no 
change in policy," he added.