MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Duhalde defends Venezuela and criticizes US.

Former Argentine president Eduardo Duhalde defended Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and criticized the United States government for insistently pushing for hemispheric support in curtailing Venezuela.

"A country with oil concerns United States, and Venezuela happens to have a lot of oil", said Mr. Duhalde during a radio interview in Buenos Aires. The former president argued that "Venezuela has a democratically elected government and suffered a coup attempt sponsored by United States", in direct reference to the 48 hours ousting of President Chavez in April 2002.

He also recalled that Venezuela is the only Latinamerican country member of OPEC, Organization of Oil Exporting Countries and sells daily 1,5 million barrels of to United States out of a total production of 3,1 million bpd. "I don't see why we should be involved in what a sovereign country does, why do we have to be involved because a country purchased weapons? asked Mr. Duhalde.

US-Venezuela relations have rapidly deteriorated following President Chavez announcement of weapons purchases from Russia, assault rifles and attack helicopters; Spain, patrol vessels and cargo aircrafts, and training planes and radars from Brazil.

Washington is also concerned with President Chavez alleged support to Colombian guerrillas, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC; to Bolivian radical groups that are threatening the country's stability and his admiration of Fidel Castro's regime.

United States has been contacting leading nations of South America, such as Brazil and Argentina to help "contain" the "instability force" sponsored by President Chavez.

"Relations between Argentina and the White House are normal, although with a slight intent of seduction, apparently from what I see from the side of United States", underlined ironically Mr. Duhalde.

However he was openly supportive of the Kirchner administration.

"We have a government that knows very well what means the defence of national interests, and besides we're a country with an unyielding administration".