CARACAS, Venezuela, June 3 (UPI) -- The office of Venezuela's attorney general announced it has summoned opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to a preliminary hearing on conspiracy charges.
Machado is being charged with conspiracy for accepting money last year for her opposition group Sumate from the U.S. federally funded National Endowment for Democracy, Venezuela's El Universal reported Friday.
Earlier this week President Bush met with Machado in Washington.
Machado told Bush she is "very worried" about rights violations in Venezuela and the leadership of President Hugo Chavez.
In recent months friction between The United States and Venezuela has increased amid accusations by both sides.
The Bush administration says Chavez is steering Venezuela toward becoming a Cuba-style state while the Venezuelan leader accuses Bush of meddling in the South American country's affairs and supporting a coup attempt in 2003.
