Chile´s Lagos to US Rice: Chavez Is Legitimate
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos reminded US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has expressed hostility to Venezuela and Cuba in her four-country Latin American tour, that the government of Hugo Chavez was democratically elected.

Rice is attending Friday morning a closed-door meeting of the 3rd Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies before heading out to El Salvador, the last leg of her tour in Latin America, which she started in Brazil and has continued in Colombia and Chile.

The prime goal of her agenda has been to echo the Bush administration´s stance on Venezuela and Cuba, and in particular lobby for Washington´s favorite candidate to get the post of Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Mexico´s Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez.

Historically, the US favorite candidate has always got the job, but this time around it seems another hopeful might be the one.

Chile´s Interior Minister Jose Miguel Insulza is the other candidate, who is enjoying growing support in the region.

Elections at the OAS are scheduled for May 2. Her visit has also coincided with the events that led to dismissal of former Ecuadorian President Lucio Gutierrez.

At a news conference Thursday night, Rice said the US had made clear its concern over the Venezuelan government´s internal policies and its respect for neighbors.

Following her remarks, Lagos reminded her that President Chavez was "legitimately and duely elected." She heard the same position on her visit to Brazil.

Rice arrived in Chile Thursday to participate in the 3rd Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies. She went directly, though, to the Chilean executive house for a meeting with President Lagos.

A prior interview with Chilean Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker, scheduled for noon, had to be postponed, informed the Chilean Foreign Ministry in a communiqué. No explanation was offered.