Venezuelan Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) Wednesday took the floor at an extraordinary session of the OAS Permanent Council to reject a report published by the US State Department rating Venezuela for the third consecutive year as a country that fails to cooperate to fight drugs.

According to the diplomat, the US anti-drug policy is "immoral and interventionist," as it infringes Article 32, Charter of the United Nations, related to the economic duties and rights of the States.

He argued that Venezuela's anti-drug policies are among the most successful "in the hemisphere," particularly after the Venezuelan government moved to discontinue the agreements initialed with the US anti-drug agency (DEA).

According to Valero, the DEA performed monitored deliveries of drugs in Venezuela but did not disclose the results, thus running counter to the constitutional rules. He added that such behavior violated the Venezuelan sovereignty.

"The DEA encourages the interference of the US government in other countries' domestic affairs by hiding behind the excuse of anti-drug cooperation."

Valero stressed that drug seizures in Venezuela climbed from 43 tons in 2004 to 77.52 tons in 2005. He compared the figures to those in the United Stated, whom he branded as the world's largest drug consumer.

"Venezuela is not going back to be a colony of any empire. Venezuela is a free sovereign country and claims the right to develop its own anti-drug policies. It should be known that Venezuela is doing it successfully."