Chavez: Obama is a 'good guy'

CARACAS, July 14 (Reuters) - President Hugo Chavez denied today that Venezuela was a threat to anyone, after U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney criticised Barack Obama for playing down the risk posed by the socialist leader.

Obama told a Spanish-language television station in an interview screened this week that Chavez's actions over recent years had not had a serious impact on the national security of the United States.

Romney said Obama's comments were "stunning and shocking" and showed a pattern of weakness in the Democratic president's foreign policy. In an interview with a local Venezuelan television station, Chavez dismissed the allegations he posed any danger.

"The Venezuela of today is no threat to anyone," he said.

"It has all been a hoax by the imperialists and global far right: that uranium is being enriched in Venezuela, that we're setting up missiles here, that we're supporting terrorism."

With both Chavez and Obama running for re-election this year, Chavez struck a conciliatory tone, saying the latest comments by his U.S. counterpart needed to be seen in context. "Obama is campaigning. He's a candidate. I hope the real revolutionaries understand well. I think that Barack Obama - aside from 'the president' - is a good guy," he said.