Western Hemisphere
James Steinberg, who was appointed Deputy Secretary of State, the second most important official of the US Department of State, said that the United States needs to restore that sense of  "leadership and united work" of the country with the region. "And now we have the opportunity to do it."

"Our friends and partners in Latin America are looking to the United States to provide strong and sustained leadership in the region, as a counterweight to governments like those currently in power in Venezuela and Bolivia which pursue policies which do not serve the interests of their people or the region," Steinberg said.

He stated that the US relationship with Venezuela "should be designed to serve our national interest, which means to speak out clearly on issues of concern to the United States, while seeking cooperation where it is important to our interest, as is the case in fighting the increasing flow of illegal drugs."

The US Deputy Secretary of State said that "Venezuela is one of the principal drug-transit countries in the Western Hemisphere.  Counternarcotics successes in Colombia have forced traffickers to shift routes through neighboring Venezuela, whose geography, rampant corruption, weak judicial system, and lack of international counternarcotics cooperation make it vulnerable to illicit drug transshipments.  The increasing preference of drug traffickers to transship cocaine through Venezuela.

According to Steinberg, "The Obama administration intends to pursue clear eyed diplomacy with Venezuela including direct contacts when they serve our national interests.  Those interests include ending Venezuela's ties to the FARC and cooperating on counter-narcotics.  For too long, we have ceded the playing field to Chavez whose actions and vision for the region do not serve his citizens or people throughout Latin America.  We intend to play a more active role in Latin America with a positive approach that avoids giving undue prominence to President Chavez' theatrical attempts to dominant the regional agenda."

"It remains to be seen whether there is any tangible sign that Venezuela actually wants an improved relationship with the United States," he said.

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas