President-elect Obama’s openness to sit down with the leaders of countries the Bush administration has either alienated or straight out offended — a campaign trail promise and a point in his favor over opponent Hillary Clinton — will soon be put to the test.

The Castros of Cuba appear to be willing to reciprocate, but there is still some doubt about the willingness of Fidel’s BFF, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who has said that Obama is no different than the Republicans in “attacking” his country.

One Venezuelan diplomacy scholar, María Teresa Romero of the Central University of Venezuela, agrees that the ball is pretty much in Chavez’s court, and isn’t very hopeful about future U.S.-Venezuela relations:

“This is, or should be, a moment of change for Hugo Chavez, but I don’t think that will happen. He might do it with words, but will end up fighting again, having impasses with the U.S., because unfortunately so-called revolutionary and radical leftist regimens always need to have an enemy to confront and an anti-imperialist rhetoric.”

I kind of feel scared for Romero’s life (or at least her job) after reading her opinions, and wonder how many others feel this way. Romero says there is some hope for normalization of relations between the countries, however, and provides some insight into what could happen this year:

“I have information that there have already been conversations. The normalization of diplomatic relations will be the first step, even before a possible meeting between Obama and Chavez. Hillary Clinton has said that the U.S. is willing to have a closer relationship with Venezuela. However, they are expecting the same, they expect that President Chavez change his attitude towards the U.S. Logic would tell you that he should do this, but the problem is that Chavez is guided by revolutionary logic, not the logic of rest of us.”

What do you think about Romero’s comments? Is she right that Venezuela under Chavez will forever be at odds with the U.S.?

Via / El Universal (Venezuela)