Caracas, Jan 16 (Prensa Latina) Accusations of drug trafficking, limitation of freedoms and destabilization marked the end of a slight rapprochement on Tuesday between the US and Venezuela and signaled a more difficult stage.

After the landslide win of President Hugo Chavez in the December 3 elections, Washington s spokespeople and US ambassador to Caracas William Bronwfield expressed interest in improving the tense bilateral relations.

Those declarations were welcomed by Venezuelan official sectors as signs of a change of policy for Venezuela s main trade partner.

However at the beginning of 2007, Undersecretary of State John Negroponte, who as national intelligence director had termed Chavez a threat for the region, affirmed they will not change positions soon.

Once more, a report from the US National Intelligence Director s Office called Venezuela a threat to democracy.

For US investigator Eva Golinger, who disclosed declassified files on Washington s financial aid to the Venezuelan opposition, that is the current Department of State guideline and an increase of CIA actions against the South American nation should be expected.

That analysis could serve to explain imputations from Farid Dominguez, a Colombian capo caught in Venezuela, who accused authorities in this nation of being involved in drug-traffic.

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B9012B679-9E4B-4F4D-90D3-C4B317343E89%7D&language=EN