Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's leftwing president, on Friday sought to stoke anti-American sentiment in Latin America with a broadside against the US that was likely to heighten Washington's concern at his rising influence in the region.

Addressing at least 10,000 demonstrators gathered in the small seaside resort to protest against the visit of George W. Bush to this weekend's Summit of the Americas, Mr Chávez insisted: “We [Latin America] will never be North American colonies.”