Bush meets opponent of Chavez

WASHINGTON President George Bush has met a prominent opponent of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the White House in a show of support that could anger the firebrand leader of a major US oil supplier.

Maria Corina Machado, a founder of Sumate, a citizens rights organisation, helped promote an August referendum against Chavez and still faces a possible jail term of up to 16 years along with her colleague Alejandro Plaz.

Called a "traitor" by Chavez, she was accused by a Venezuelan state prosecutor last year of conspiracy after her organisation received a grant from the US Congress-funded National Endowment for Democracy, a group that promotes democracy.

Her trial is still pending.

Chavez has accused the National Endowment for Democracy of spearheading US government attempts to topple him, which Washington has strongly denied.

Venezuela is a major supplier of oil to the United States.

Bush's show of support for the opposition came days after the United States angered Chavez by rejecting Venezuela's initial efforts to extradite a Cuban exile wanted for an airliner bombing.

Asked whether she suggested overthrowing Chavez, Machado replied: "That's clearly something that would be against promoting democracy."

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said US policy on Venezuela is "of being open to any progress that they want to make, being open to having a decent relationship with Venezuela. But at this point, I'm afraid that hasn't been possible."

- REUTERS