An adviser told ABC News today that President Obama is more popular than Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD — In an interview with ABC News, Jeffrey Davidow — a senior adviser to President Obama on Latin American affairs and director of the Summit of the Americas — said that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez rushed a photograph of he and President Obama shaking hands onto his government’s website because Mr. Obama is more popular than Mr. Chavez in Venezuela.

“Every president and political leader in Latin America, and many in the rest of the world as well — maybe not every one of them — really sees political benefit in being seen to be associating with President Obama,” Davidow said. “And whether Chavez has problems with us or doesn’t, and he does, and there is this strained relationship, it is in his political interest, he thinks, to be seen with our president.”

And our president is happy to help.