MEXICO CITY, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Mexican Interior Minister Santiago Creel Miranda on Thursday rebuffed a brief from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which indicated that several Latin American countries, including Mexico, are "potentially" unstable.

    "The analysis made by the CIA is false. It is regrettable an agency of a foreign government is addressing Mexican matters. It is unacceptable," Creel told reporters. "We know the CIA often makes mistakes."

    The comments resulted from a brief of CIA Director Porter Goss on Wednesday which said Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Cuba and Mexico are potentially unstable.

    "Campaigning for the 2006 presidential election in Mexico is likely to stall progress on fiscal, labor and energy reform," Gosssaid before the US Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence.

    In response, Creel said it is an electoral competition rather than a conflict as the CIA said. "Perhaps there is a mistake in translation, I don't know," he added.

    Creel is considered a possible candidate of the ruling National Action Party in Mexico's presidential race next year. Enditem