Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks to US Vice-President

(Vatican Radio) Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is demanding that the United States show respect and understand the diversity of differing political systems. The opportunity for this came at the Inauguration of President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil.

Listen to the report by correspondent James Blears:

President Nicolas Maduro was able to shake hands with US Vice President Joe Biden in a rare exchange. The two nations have had no ambassadors since 2010.  The legacy stretches back into the era of President Hugo Chavez . President Maduro commented that during the brief encounter he demanded a relationship that's based on mutual respect. He stressed: "There's room for everyone in Latin America, and the US must realise this."

 President Barack Obama is due to sign sanctions into law against senior Venezuelan officials as a result of last year's  unrest throughout Venezuela, and the harsh response of authorities to it. Both houses of the US Congress have passed the legislation.