Clinton’s S American tour aimed to divide region

As the top US diplomat Hillary Clinton tours Latin America, the Venezuelan president charges the US with efforts to sow discord among regional nations.

President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that Clinton’s six-country visit to the region was aimed at driving divisions between Latin American states.

Meanwhile, the US secretary of state, currently in Costa Rica, urged Latin American leaders to recognize the new Honduran government that came to power after a military coup, widely believed to have enjoyed US backing, ousted the democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya last June and forced an early election that excluded Zelaya.

Clinton also claimed that the November presidential election in Honduras had been free and fair. Washington helped to broker the election that brought to power the current Honduran President Porfirio Lobo.

Many countries in the region, including Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentine have shunned Lobo’s government because the polls were organized by the military coup leaders.

Some regional countries have insisted that Washington had a hand in the coup. The United States was among the first nations to recognize Lobo’s government.

In her current Latin American tour, Clinton has placed the recognition of the new Honduran government by regional countries at the top of its agenda.

However, Brazil and Argentina, visited earlier by Clinton in her ongoing tour, were not convinced on restoring ties with Honduras. They demanded the return of Zelaya back to power and stated that the recognition of the new Honduran government would amount to rewarding the coup leaders.

Clinton has visited Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Costa Rica. She ends her tour of the region with a visit to Guatemala on Friday.