August 19, 2005
US Senator wants improved Venezuela relations

(AP) - "A Republican senator asked Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on to lower his rhetoric against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to help win Venezuela's support for combating illegal narcotics.

Senator Arlen Specter, R-Pa. who met with Chávez, reminded Rumsfeld in a letter that the United States needs Venezuela's help for effective action against drug trafficking in South America.

'In this context,' the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman wrote, 'it may well be helpful to, at least, have a moratorium on adverse comments on Venezuela.' (...)

The senator also has been visiting Latin American countries to discuss drug and immigration questions. He met with Chávez on Wednesday and talked about Venezuelan accusations that U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents were spying on the government, and the Venezuelan government's decision to suspend cooperation with the DEA, among other things.

In the letter, Specter told Rumsfeld he had detected 'a window of opportunity at this time to resolve the disagreement on drug-interdiction policies.'

'I suggest it may be very helpful to U.S. efforts to secure Venezuela's cooperation in our joint attack on drug interdiction if the rhetoric would be reduced,' Specter wrote (...)".