US envoy returns to post in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - A U.S. envoy who was expelled last year by President Hugo Chavez said Thursday he hopes to re-establish dialogue after resuming his post in Venezuela.

Ambassador Patrick Duddy also praised the response from governments across the Americas and international bodies such as the Organization of American States in criticizing the coup in Honduras.

"We've seen the United States, Venezuela and the rest of the democratic countries of our hemisphere work intensely in the OAS to search for a peaceful and democratic outcome that will re-establish constitutional order in Honduras," Duddy told reporters as he hosted a U.S. Independence Day celebration with Venezuelan officials among the invited guests.

The united stance "shows the importance of dialogue," he said.

Recent pledges by the United States and Venezuela to improve relations in spite of their differences contrast sharply with the tensions under former President George W. Bush's administration.

Chavez expelled Duddy and withdrew his own envoy in September, saying it was in solidarity with Bolivia after its president, Evo Morales, ordered out the U.S. ambassador and accused him of helping the opposition incite violence. The Bush administration denied the accusation and reacted by expelling the envoys of Venezuela and Bolivia.

But after Chavez and Obama had a warm first encounter at a summit in April, the governments announced last week that they would restore their ambassadors by rescinding the "persona non grata" declarations under which they were expelled — a process much quicker than would be required to appoint and confirm a new U.S. envoy.

It was a rare move. The only other known case of U.S. chief of mission being reinstated to a country after previously being declared a "persona non grata" was in Chile in 1892, according to the U.S. State Department's historian's office.

"I think both sides are seriously interested in improving the level of communication between our governments," Duddy said. He pledged to "dedicate (himself) to re-establishing a dialogue at the highest level."