Vice President sets off on Latin American tour

www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

Venezuelan Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel has held talks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim to discuss the political situation in Venezuela as part of a trip that will also take him to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

Rangel will now hold talks with his Brazilian counterpart Jose Alencar on the Friends of Venezuela group's role in the breaking the Venezuelan political deadlock, but the meeting Rangel had scheduled with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been cancelled.

Rangel will then head to the other Latin American countries on his list to further spread the government's position on the current crisis.

This follows similar initiatives from opposition representatives who have also looked abroad to drum up support.