Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ruled out Thursday that his country is an "enemy" of the United States, but reiterated his criticism against Washington which he said "attacks whoever it wants."

The United States "does not want to be enemies of Venezuela, nor do we. We do not want to be the enemy of anyone," said Chavez in the Presidential Palace in reference to the remarks by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In the United States, "they say I am concentrating power, but, how about the power they have amazed and utilized all these years?" he added.

"I just want to be left alone so as to do my duty towards people," Chavez said, adding that in no way he wishes any sort of confrontation with the United States, as assured by the internal opposition of Venezuela.

The Venezuelan president also thanked the support by his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who rejected in a summit Tuesday at the Venezuelan city of Guayana any foreign interference in the nations of the region.