By Jose Orozco

July 6 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has reached out to the U.S., saying he wants peace with the nation and to begin a dialogue with the next president.

Chavez spoke briefly yesterday with U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy after a military parade marking Venezuela's Independence Day, according to an e-mailed statement from the Information Ministry today.

``It doesn't matter who wins as long as we can sit down to talk,'' Chavez said.

Chavez has accused the U.S. of trying to undermine his government, calling the U.S. Navy's decision to re-establish its Fourth Fleet in the Caribbean an attempt to intimidate Venezuela and Latin America.

``We have to go back to that situation,'' Chavez said, recalling breakfast meetings with the first U.S. ambassador during his rule, ``to struggle against drug trafficking and international crime.''

Venezuela is the fourth-biggest supplier of oil to the U.S.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jose Orozco in Caracas at jorozco8@bloomberg.net