Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

US playing 'good cop-bad cop' with Venezuela, says Chavez
12-21-2006

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) : President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday demanded US Ambassador William Brownsfield withdraw his "lie" about increased drug trade in Venezuela if US-Venezuelan relations are to prosper.

Brownfield on Tuesday said cocaine trafficking in Venezuela had increased by 20-30 tonnes per year, to 300 tonnes in 2006, since a cooperation agreement with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) expired in 2005.

Brownfield "told a great lie and should take it back, if (the United States) really wants good relations" with Venezuela, Chavez told reporters as he received visiting Ecuadoran president-elect Rafael Correa.

Brownfield's comments came after he announced on Friday that Washington and Caracas had resumed a "bilateral dialogue," and followed earlier statements by the US State Department's official for hemispheric affairs Tom Shannon praising the country's December 3 elections, in which Chavez won a second six-year term.

The contrasting statements prompted Chavez to say that Brownfield and Shannon were playing games with his government.

"The Ambassador to Caracas is playing bad cop, and ... Shannon good cop," Chavez said.

He said Brownfield's comments on the alleged boost in drug trade showed "a lack of respect toward the people of Venezuela."

Chavez said that since the Venezuela-DEA agreement was suspended in August 2005, drug seizures had in fact increased in Venezuela.