The Carroll Standard

Chavez Endorses Obama Wants Relationship

(Breitbart) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he wants to "shake hands" with his US counterpart, Barack Obama, and have "good relations" with Washington if the two leaders are reelected this year.

"Here we're going to win the elections on October 7 and Obama is probably going to win. With us winning here... if Obama wins there... hopefully we can shake hands again and talk and have better relations," Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace in Caracas on Friday.

The Venezuelan leader made the remarks in response to statements by Obama, who said Thursday in an interview that "there is a tendency on the part of the Venezuelan government to use the United States as an excuse for some of its own mistakes."

However, he also said he would like to see "improved relations with Venezuela."

When a reporter read Obama's remarks to Chavez, the Venezuelan president said, "I prefer to emphasize that last one," referring to the American president's desire for improved relations.

"Note that Obama said he would give importance to Latin America, but he has not given it and that is one of the big mistakes," Chavez said.

The Venezuelan president wants to be reelected to his third six-year term in the October 2012 election while Obama seeks to be reelected to a second presidential term in November.

The United States and Venezuela have had no ambassadors to each other's countries since 2010 and still are unable to reach an agreement for normalized relations.

The most recent diplomatic clash between the two countries occurred only weeks ago, when the United States expelled Venezuelan Consul Livia Acosta from the consulate in Miami. ... continued...