Venezuela no longer cooperating against terrorism

"Stepping up complaints that Venezuela isn't cooperating in the war on terrorism, US government officials say the country has provided no substantive response to about 130 written requests for information on terrorism suspects over the past three years," McClatchy newspapers are reporting.

"In addition, socialist President Hugo Chavez's government has turned down 20 written requests by the US Embassy in Caracas for interviews with senior Venezuelan counterterrorism authorities - without explanation, the US officials said," according to correspondent Pablo Bachelet.

"The refusals are fueling concerns that Venezuela, ruled by a president who's condemned the Bush administration while maintaining close ties with countries such as Cuba and Iran, is becoming a dangerous blind spot in international counterterrorism efforts."

The Voice of America reports Congressman Ed Royce, chairman of a terrorism panel, as saying, ""Venezuela under President Hugo Chavez has tolerated terrorists on its soil and has forged close relationships with officially-designated state sponsors of terrorism, for example Cuba, Iran and North Korea."