Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, left, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez held a joint news conference on Friday near Caracas. (Jorge Silva -- Reuters)
Posted on 03/15/2005 3:55:12 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez has recently accused President Bush of plotting to assassinate him, made suggestive comments about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, visited Fidel Castro in Cuba, bashed the United States on the al-Jazeera television network and traveled to Libya to receive an award from Moammar Gaddafi.
Such bluster and anti-American showmanship are nothing new from the fiery former paratrooper. But concern in Washington has been rising as Chavez has worked feverishly in recent months to match his words with deeds.
Since threatening to cut off oil shipments to the United States, which buys 1.5 million barrels a day from Venezuela, Chavez has been traveling the globe looking for new markets and allies to unite against "the imperialist power." He recently signed energy deals with France, India and China, which is searching for new sources of oil to power its industrial expansion. Chavez also has made a series of arms purchases, including one for military helicopters from Russia.
And on Friday, Chavez hosted President Mohammad Khatami of Iran, a nation that has a secretive nuclear program and has been labeled by Bush as part of an "axis of evil."
.... "All over the world, there is a clamor for equality . . . and profound rejection of the imperialist desires of the U.S. government. Faced with the threat of the U.S. government against our brother people in Iran, count on us for all our support."
Gerver Torres, a former Venezuelan government minister..... said such statements illustrate one of Chavez's key goals. "His main motivation now is to do everything he possibly can to negatively affect the United States, Bush in particular," Torres said. "He is trying to bring together all the enemies of the United States. He believes the United States is the devil."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Sounds like we have a frontrunner for the Dems in '08.
Paging Dr. Howard Dean...Paging Dr. Howard Dean...potential "winning" candidate to your South...FAR to your South!
Chavez is too DUMB to exist.
Now, now, that's not fair. Venezuela is allowed to have its own Al Gore.
Given his lack of meaningful achievements, I'd say Chavez is type-casting himself.
"All over the world, there is a clamor for equality
Naturally, as a communist "pig" Chavez would expect to be more equal than the rest of us.
They must have smoked the same stuff when they were young. Permanent brain damage.
So, Brickell Ave. prices back up with a new wave of the Dame-Dos's escaping Chavey land? Or do they just go straight to Orlando now?
"...recently accused President Bush of plotting to assassinate him..."
Good idea. I'll mull this one over.
Don't bet money.
He's been moving toward his goal since the 80s.
"Sounds like we have a frontrunner for the Dems in '08."
Hehehe.
Well, he makes a lot of money from 'big oil'. If not for that, perhaps he'd have stood a chance.
The Washington Post engaged in a loving lip-lock with its communist buddy Hugo Chavez.
Wonder if the editors still have Mao's Little Red Book on their desks.
Good to hear from you, Nicollo! Hope all is well!
As I hear it from a buddy who's wife is Venezuelan, the whole family is over here. "Extended" family. They are quite well-to-do and could manage the "escape". They are trying to get everyone out while they still can.
Chavez is a nut, and has the support of the Latino Red Triangle. I don't think they have much of a chance without Northern intervention. I'm worried for Colombia and their people, they are also targetted by these slime.
Prayers for our family, friend and loved ones down South...
That's the heart of the matter. These anti-US rantings and attempts to knife us in the back mask and obscure the domestic terror campaign about to be unleashed on Venezuela. This guy is no different than saddam, his self opinion is the same, his international diplomacy is the same, and his domestic hold on power will be the same. If left in power, Chavez will go mad with power and arrogance, just like saddam.
Why Venezuela? That's easy. It has oil, which means it has wealth that requires little work or skill to spend.
This guy is a spanish speaking saddam, take him out now, before 30 years of progress in Venezuela is destroyed.
It was a big mistake not to intervene when Chavez was temporarily overthrown in that coup. The longer he stays in office, the more trouble he will make.
Bush was VERY badly advised by the CIA on Chavez, or he would have acted long since. Now it's going to be a lot harder.
Chalk up another stupid blunder by the CIA.
Let's see what Sec. Rice and President Bush have in store for Dictator Chavez.
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