Don't mess with me: Chavez to Rice

Caracas: Iran may be the US's top irritant right now but it's Venezuela that sending the sharpest salvos against the Bush administration.

To the point, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called Venezuela one of the "biggest problems" of the Western Hemisphere.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has launched a verbal attack against US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, bluntly warning her saying: "don't mess with me, girl."

Chavez has accused the US of trying to overthrow him in a coup four years ago. The US says he is anti-democratic. Chavez said he might continue in office beyond his term if Opposition parties boycott the coming elections.

Last week, after her US Congress testimony, Chavez dismissed Rice as "the imperial lady."

He vowed on Monday that Washington would fail in its bid to arouse international opinion against Caracas, and accused the Bush administration of fomenting transit strikes and other unrest to destabilise his country.

"Venezuela is free and however much they may try to instigate internal movements here, we will defeat them," he said.

On Friday, Chavez had warned that he was taking steps to potentially cut off oil shipments to the United States if Washington attacks his country.

(With AFP inputs)