Western Hemisphere
 President Hugo Chávez's influence may have peaked, but he is still leading a regional force against the United States, warns a report released on Tuesday. Chávez "continues to impose an authoritarian populist political model in Venezuela that undermines democratic institutions," according to the Annual Threat Assessment of the Intelligence Community 2009, submitted on Tuesday to the Senate by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Dennis Blair.

Regarding foreign policy, "Chavez's regional influence may have peaked, but he is likely to continue to support likeminded political allies and movements in neighboring countries and seek to undermine moderate, pro-US governments," said the document, as reported by Efe.

"He and his allies are likely to oppose nearly every US policy initiative in the region, including the expansion of free trade, counter drug and counterterrorism cooperation, military training, and security initiatives, and even US assistance programs," adds the report.

In the analysis, which includes a brief chapter on Latin America, Blair says that, in general, democratic governance remains strong in Latin America and the Caribbean, although in some countries democracy and market policies remain at risk because of the continued threats from crime, corruption, and poor governance.