BY CHRISTINA HOAG
 Special to the Herald

 CARACAS -- President Hugo Chávez on Thursday labeled Peter Romero, the
 U.S. State Department's top official for inter-American affairs, ``an international
 agitator'' in response to Romero's remarks that the Venezuelan leader may be
 aiding violent rebel groups in Latin America.

 Romero, a foreign service officer with long experience in Latin America, told The
 Herald in an article published this week that Chávez may be aiding such groups in
 Bolivia and Ecuador.

 The article further said Bolivia and Ecuador have privately raised the issue with
 Chávez, while Colombia has openly protested the presence of Colombian
 guerrillas at events sponsored by the Venezuelan government.

 ``I denounced him several months ago as an international agitator,'' said Chávez
 during a three-hour press conference, in which he also called Romero ``a
 professional liar.''

 ``He has said ridiculous things; he doesn't have a clear idea of his role. I regret
 that a country like the United States has agitators in such roles,'' Chávez said.

 The Herald quoted U.S. officials as saying they were concerned Chávez may be
 trying to export his ``peaceful revolution,'' and create a regional political force as a
 counterweight to U.S. influence.

 State Department spokesman Phillip Reeker said Thursday that the Clinton
 administration ``welcomes the statements by Venezuelan officials'' that their
 government has not aided violent groups in Latin America. Reeker added that
 Romero's statement was not part of an official policy declaration, but was made
 ``informally, in response to a question.''

 Chávez, who has often harangued local and foreign media for perceived negative
 coverage in his 23 months in office, also lashed out against Colombian
 magazines Cambio and Semana, which had reported about alleged Venezuelan
 military contacts with Colombian guerrillas.

 Chávez strongly denied allegations by Bolivian and Ecuadorean officials in the
 Herald article that he was aiding Ecuadorean Colonel Lucio Gutiérrez, who
 headed a coup attempt last January against then-president Jamil Mahuad, and
 Bolivian indigenous leader Felipe Quispe.

 Chávez said that the Herald story ``puts into evidence the campaign'' designed to
 weaken his leadership.

 ``This isn't the first time [The Herald] has invented any number of things,'' he said.
 ``This is the mafia that Fidel [Castro] calls the `Cuban-American mafia.' ''