MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuela says US leads in human rights abuse

The Venezuelan government rejected Thursday the Venezuela chapter of the annual United States report on human rights and recommended Washington to get its own house in order before criticizing other countries.

Communications Ministry said in an official statement that Washington "has declared itself the judge of the world" but "we Venezuelans dos not recognize that prerogative".

The U.S. State Department human rights report claims that the Chavez administration had used the judicial system to attack political opponents and limit press freedom.

Politicization of the justice system, restrictions on the media and harassment of political opponents were among the human rights abuse highlighted in the report.

"Venezuela recognizes the moral authority of the international community when it is represented by countries with an impeccable record on the issue (of human rights), and United States is certainly not one of them" underlined the Communications Ministry.

"However it's worth while to comment on those aspects where Venezuela comes out looking good" because the country "has not been accused of, for example, bombing, invading or occupying other countries, imposing economic blockades, organizing and financing torture centres and death squads round the world" adds the release.

"We are also not accused of organizing coups ... kidnapping presidents or supporting bloody dictatorships" the ministry said, stressing that Venezuela does not have "secret prisons" like "the infamous prison and torture centre of Guantanamo".

The United States "focuses on repeating false accusations from the Venezuelan opposition and its media Inc accomplices" and, even if "these lies were true, they would be insignificant compared to the massive and permanent human rights abuses committed by United States".

Chavez and the Bush administration have been engaged in a long-running rhetorical war. President Chavez has accused United States of war mongering and imperialism, and claims the Bush administration is planning to kill him and invade Venezuela to seize control of its vast oil reserves.

Chavez, a friend and staunch ally of Cuba's Fidel Castro lately has threatened to cut off oil supplies to United States if "Mr. Danger" (President Bush) goes ahead with its conspiracies. Venezuela is the world's fifth oil exporter and fourth US supplier.

"The U.S. government should know that if it steps over the line they won't receive any more Venezuelan oil. I've already given instructions for such a scenario, but I will not reveal what they are", said Chavez.

Earlier this year, U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld compared President Chavez rise to power and administration with Adolph Hitler.