"Latin American countries don't like lists of who's naughty and who's nice," said Daniel P. Erikson of the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington. "They've watched the U.S. government developing lists for years; they don't go down well."
Many Latin American countries are also unwilling to support the proposal if it means taking sides with the United States in its growing confrontation with Chavez.
The populist Venezuelan leader has been steadily stepping up his denunciation of the United States, which he accuses of seeking to dominate the region. He has recently threatened to break off relations with the United States -- a key customer for Venezuelan oil -- over its unwillingness to extradite a Cuban exile wanted in Venezuela for the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner.
Possibly to provoke Washington, Chavez last month declared an interest in collaborating with Iran to develop a nuclear capability for Venezuela.
U.S. officials have said they are concerned about what they see as Chavez's actions to curb the media and limit the power of the opposition and the judiciary in Venezuela. They assert that he has dangerous ties to Cuba and could destabilize his region with support of rebel groups and arms sales. Chavez has denied such ambitions.
OAS diplomats say they expect most South American countries, including Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, to oppose the U.S. proposal. Many of these countries have already made it clear that they don't intend to get in the middle of a U.S.Venezuelan dispute, though they may have reservations about Chavez.
In addition, it may be difficult for Caribbean countries, which receive subsidized oil from Venezuela, to oppose Caracas on the issue, OAS diplomats said.
The OAS meeting in Fort Lauderdale could become the latest venue for the escalating U.S.-Venezuelan dispute. A committee of Venezuelan legislators, and the country's foreign minister, are expected to try to enlist the OAS in pressuring the U.S. to extradite Luis Posada Carriles, 77.
Posada, a longtime foe of Cuban President Fidel Castro, is accused in the 1973 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people. He was arrested last month in Florida and charged with entering the country illegally.
Many OAS diplomats and other observers believe that opposition to the U.S. proposal may force it to be rewritten in a weaker form when the participating countries issue a joint declaration next week. That statement could simply declare that the OAS will offer technical assistance and advice on governance to countries whose democratic institutions are in trouble.
