Venezuela ready to welcome Hamas visit
Venezuela would welcome a delegation from Hamas, which won the Palestinian elections last month, if the group decided to visit Venezuela as part of its Latin American tour, Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said Monday.

"Of course we will receive them," Rangel told reporters, "What is the problem? Aren't they going to be received by Russia, Braziland Argentina? And what's more, they have a majority with the Palestinian people; they just won an election."

Hamas, which is considered by the United States and the European Union as a terrorist group, won an overwhelming victory in the Jan. 25 elections, Hamas has launched 60 suicide bombings against Israeli targets since 2000, but it declared a ceasefire in March last year.

Rangel said that the Hamas representatives would visit Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela, but a specific date had not been set. "I think they are going to go to Russia which will give them a special welcome," he added.

The Venezuelan government, which has publicly expressed sympathy with the Palestinian people, has stated it would be amongthe first to recognize an independent Palestinian state.