Former US president Jimmy Carter says that Washington may have played a role in a failed coup against Venezuelan leftist leader Hugo Chavez in 2002. "I think there is no doubt that in 2002, the United States had at the very least full knowledge about the coup, and could even have been directly involved," Carter told Colombian paper, El Tiempo, on Sunday.
In April 2002, a civilian-military junta ousted Chavez for about 48 hours, but he returned to power again.
Former administration of president George W. Bush denied any US involvement in the failed coup.
Carter also said that he believed Chavez was elected in a "fair" vote in 1999, and had carried out necessary reforms for Venezuela during his initially term.
However, Carter says Chavez is now consolidating political power, making it "almost impossible" for the Obama administration to establish friendly relations with Venezuela.
"International relations would be better if he [Chavez] would stop his attacks and insults against the United States," according to the former US leader.
He also said he was worried by the Venezuelan president's drift towards "authoritarianism."
Carter added that he felt Chavez's popularity at home and his influence abroad had been "diminished."
President Chavez, an outspoken critic of US policies, is considered a powerful leftist leader in Latin America allied with other leftist governments in the region.