ARCAYA & ASOCIADOS Think TankMayo 2007SUBJECT: Policy options for Washington in rethinking bilateral and regional relations. SIGNIFICANCE: With Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recently re-elected, it is safe to assume that Washington -- including the next administration, beginning in January 2009 -- will have little choice but to continue to deal with him and the challenge he poses. To date, the US approach to Chavez has alternated between confrontational and passive, and has thus been incoherent and confusion. ANALYSIS: Since President Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999, Washington has either dismissed him as a buffoon who should be ignored or, alternatively, regarded him as a serious threat to US interests who warrants tough action. Neither categorisation is realistic; Chavez represents a challenge that could, over time, become more serious. This demands a more subtle and constructive response: ...Descargar informe completo (pdf - 76 kb)
