Despite new hopes, U.S. treads cautiously after death of Venezuela's Chavez

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - While the death of Venezuela's stridently anti-American President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday raised hopes in Washington for better U.S.-Venezuela relations, the Obama administration reacted cautiously as it weighed the prospects for a diplomatic thaw.

President Barack Obama quickly reached out to Venezuelans, expressing an interest in a "constructive relationship" in the post-Chavez era. But analysts said it would be hard to make tangible progress when deep political uncertainty risks destabilizing the South American oil-producing nation.