President Barack Obama (center left) jokes with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez (center right) at the 2009
Summit of the Americas in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

CARACAS, Venezuela – President Obama issued rare criticism of Venezuela's anti-American despot Hugo Chavez, saying that the U.S. is "concerned" about the Chavez regime's rights record and its links to Iran and Cuba. 

In an interview with the Venezuelan daily El Universal, Obama said that the U.S. government is concerned that Chavez's actions "have restricted the universal rights of the Venezuelan people, threatened basic democratic values, and failed to contribute to the security in the region."

Some have speculated that Obama, who in his 2008 campaign touted his willingness to meet with despotic leaders without preconditions, may be feeling pressure either from congressional Republicans that have focused on Chavez and his allies since taking control of key committee posts, or from the upcoming presidential election.

Obama has rarely criticized the anti-American autocrat even as a number of congressional hearings have underscored Chavez's sponsorship of terrorists in Venezuela and his regime's increasing involvement in narcotrafficking. 

A recent documentary by the Spanish-language channel Univision showed a Venezuelan diplomat conspiring with an Iranian and a Cuban at a Mexican university to conduct a cyber attack on U.S. nuclear sites.