Bush sees Chavez as threat to undermining democracy

WASHINGTON, July 31 (Reuters) President George W Bush said today he sees Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a threat to undermining democracy but not a military threat.

Chavez has threatened to shut his government US-based refiners and sell oil to other nations if Washington decided to cut diplomatic ties, a prospect that Washington has not suggested it would do.

Bush told Fox News Channel's ''Neil Cavuto'' that Chavez' threat is an ''indication that we've got to make sure we've got a wise energy policy in the United States'' and repeated his desire to wean the country from its dependency on foreign oil.

As for whether he sees Chavez as a threat to the United States, Bush said: ''No, not a military threat. We've got a very strong military and we can deal with any threat to the homeland there is.

And will if we have to. But, no, I don't view him as a threat. I view him as a threat of undermining democracy.'' REUTERS SRS BST0206