Chavez refutes US Hezbollah charges

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez reacts during a meeting with Paraguay's President-elect Fernando Lugo, unseen, in Caracas, Thursday, June 19, 2008. Lugo is on a three-day visit to Venezuela. (AP Photo/Howard Yanes)

CARACAS, Venezuela—President Hugo Chavez says the United States is trying to bring him before an international court.

Chavez says the United States is using accusations that the Venezuelan government is supporting the Lebanese group Hezbollah to "see if the world will make a move" against him.

The U.S. has charged a Venezuelan official and others with helping Hezbollah. Washington considers the armed group and political party in Lebanon a terrorist organization.

The U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday that it has frozen the accounts of two Venezuelans: Diplomat Nasr al Din and Lebanese-born businessman Fazwi Kan'an.

Kan'an, who owns a travel agency in Caracas, called the accusations "pure lies."

Chavez spoke out against the accusations on Friday.