U.S. Envoy Says Venezuela Drug Talks Start

[Eugene]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5247401,00.html

U.S. Envoy Says Venezuela Drug Talks Start


Thursday September 1, 2005 4:31 AM

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - The U.S. ambassador to Venezuela said
Wednesday that American and Venezuelan officials are working out
details of joint counter-drug efforts, following President Hugo
Chavez's offer this week to renew cooperation.

"We are talking about how we can continue cooperating on the issue of
illegal drugs," U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield told reporters in
comments broadcast on the Venezuelan TV channel Globovision.

<snip>

In early August, Chavez accused the U.S. of using its drug agents for
espionage, and said Venezuela was suspending cooperation with the U.S.
agency. The U.S. government denied the charge.

But after meeting the Rev. Jesse Jackson on Monday, Chavez took a
different tone, saying his government is "always willing to continue
working together" with the U.S. government provided that anti-drug
work "cannot be a mask to carry out spying."

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