Former US ambassador to Venezuela cannot find sound grounds for expulsion

"We had a positive agenda in Venezuela," said Duddy, who was expeled from Venezuela (Photo file)

Politics "We had a positive agenda in Venezuela; we were trying to have a better relationship and seeking to identify areas of mutual cooperation, as the fight against drug trafficking," with these words the former US ambassador to Venezuela Patrick Duddy told the US TV network Univisión that his work in Venezuela was not linked to any destabilization plan.

Duddy said that, in his view, the decision of President Hugo Chávez to expel him from Venezuela and cool the relations between the two countries has no basis.

Besides the political issues, Duddy talked about economic topics, especially the production and trading of oil between Venezuela and the United States. Duddy said: "oil is traded through an international market (...) We still buy crude oil from Venezuela; in fact, more than half of Venezuela's production. The disruption of supply would damage the Venezuelan economy, much more than the US economy."

He said that any impulsive decision based on fiction "will not benefit the Venezuelan people." Duddy said he was sure that the United States is trying to improve its relationship with Venezuela. The idea that we were trying to overthrow Chávez's government is unfounded and false."