Relations between the United States and Venezuela, 2001–2009: A Bridge in Need of Repairs

In the 2000s, relations between the United States (US) and Venezuela became the most contentious of all bilateral relations in the region. President Hugo Chávez has earned the reputation as the head of state in the region that most virulently criticizes the U.S. government and its economic system. Chávez’s animosity, evident in speeches and some policies, seems hard to stop. In September 2008 animosity reached new heights when Chávez, in a speech full of expletives, declared the U.S. ambassador in Caracas, Patrick Duddy, persona non grata. Even before presidentelect Barack Obama took office in January 2009, Chávez was already accusing him of having the same “negative” attitudes as George W. Bush.