Rice goes after Chavez

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is one of the biggest dangers facing Latin America, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has said. According to Rice, Chavez was trying to influence others away from democracy, and called for a united front against him.

President Chavez responded by accusing the US of aggression, saying 'world opinion is with Venezuela'. The exchange would appear to undermine recent efforts to improve increasingly strained ties between the two states.

Ms Rice has further accused Mr Chavez of leading a 'Latin brand of populism that has taken countries down the drain'.