Venezuela: U.S. Would Undermine Election

Venezuela's information minister said Monday that U.S. officials were urging opponents of President Hugo Chavez to boycott a December presidential vote. But U.S. officials dismissed the charge.

Information Minister Willian Lara said U.S. Embassy officials have held meetings with presidential candidates who side with the opposition and urged them to pull out of the election campaign ahead of the Dec. 3 vote.

``We have information about meetings that have been held in which the idea of participating in the electoral campaign until November and then withdrawing from it has been proposed,'' Lara told a press conference.

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Salome Hernandez, referring to Lara's allegations, said: ``We don't respond to baseless accusations.''

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5913483,00.html

and trying to influence their elections. Always the double standard.

Especially here and abroad.