CARACAS, April 26 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's Latin America tour is aimed at isolating Venezuela from the rest of the region, Information Minister Andres Izarra said Tuesday.

    The mission against President Hugo Chavez's government will be a sound failure, Izarra was quoted as saying by the Bolivarian News Agency.

    He said Venezuela will be closely following remarks made by Rice, who kicked off her first Latin America tour of Brazil, Colombia, Chile and El Salvador on Tuesday.

    Also on Tuesday, Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said problems between Venezuela and the United States could be resolved "politically."

    "We're going to politically address them. Certainly if they are addressed in a political way, one could neutralize the worst aspects of differences in a democratic way," he said.

    "Venezuela is not an enemy of the United States," Rangel said. "We are doing absolutely nothing to affect our relations with the United States."

    The vice president noted that "in fundamental aspects" for both countries, "one could say we have impeccable relations."

    Venezuela and the United States have experienced various conflicts and friction since Chavez took office six years ago.

    However, trade between the two countries has not been affected by political disputes. Venezuela exports some 1.5 million barrels of oil to the United States every day, accounting for 15 percent of the total US oil imports and making the country the fourth largest oil supplier to the United States. Enditem