Chavez: Venezuela no 'paradise' for drug smugglers

Sep 5, 2008 3:00
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
CARACAS, Venezuela

President Hugo Chavez said US officials are criticizing Venezuela's anti-drug efforts for political reasons and denies his nation has become a "paradise" for smugglers ... http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1220526714613&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



Venezuela brands visit of US drug czar as "useless"
The Foreign Ministry rejected the "animosity and hatred" of John P. Walters and reaffirmed its accusations against the DEA, calling it "a body that operated in a criminal way in Venezuelan territory"
ELVIA GÓMEZ
EL UNIVERSAL

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the government of President Hugo Chávez, released a statement on Sunday to reject "the recurring hostile statements" by United States officials. Venezuela also accused John P. Walters, the Director of the US National Drug Control Policy, of aiming "to impose as mandatory" his visit to Venezuela.

Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported on August 26 that the Venezuelan government denied Walters a visa request to visit Venezuela and sent him a letter claiming that Chávez's government would let him know when it was ready to welcome him. Then, they would process the visa application.

"The fight against drugs in Venezuela has registered significant progress over the past years, particularly since the Bolivarian government ended the official cooperation program with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)," reads the Venezuelan official statement issued on Sunday ... http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/09/01/en_pol_art_venezuela-brands-vis_01A1956959.shtml



Venezuela's Chavez threatens to expel US ambassador
09.01.08, 11:22 AM ET

CARACAS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to expel the U.S. ambassador in a dispute over drug-trafficking that could worsen already frayed ties between the South American nation and its biggest oil customer.

Chavez, who spars with the United States over everything from oil prices and free trade to democracy, has made similar threats before without following through on them.

This time, he was responding to U.S. criticism that Venezuela should do more to stop cocaine flowing through the country from neighboring Colombia, the world's No. 1 exporter of the drug.

Chavez ended formal anti-drugs work with the United States in 2005 and refuses to renew a cooperation accord.

'We are not going to accept interference in our internal affairs,' Chavez said on his weekly TV program on Sunday. 'If you violate international norms, then you would have to leave this country ... You might have to grab your suitcases and get out of Venezuela, so choose your words more carefully your excellency, Mr. Ambassador.' ... http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/09/01/afx5375963.html

If the US would do more to reduce demand, there would not be so much cocaine flowing out of Colombia to transhipment points.