Posted on 09/17/2005 6:01:33 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
NEW YORK - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez used his fiery oratory to blast his way into New York's limelight this week, jolting the U.N. General Assembly with a hard-hitting speech that blamed President Bush for many of the world's ills.
Chávez said a U.N. declaration finalizing a meeting of over 150 world leaders was ''illegitimate'' and asked the U.N. to be moved from New York because the United States did not respect its resolutions. At the end of his speech he was roundly applauded by the delegates.
On a rare trip to U.S. soil, Chávez made it clear that he had no plan to stray from his penchant to strongly criticize the Bush administration. In the past, Chávez has refused to travel to the United Nations because he said the CIA had a plot to kill him.
His visit to New York recalled that of Cuban leader Fidel Castro 10 years ago. So did the rest of his schedule.
Castro fascinated many New Yorkers and was wined and dined by the city's glitterati, but took a moment to visit the city's underprivileged in Harlem and the Bronx. Today, Chávez plans to tour a community center in the Bronx and then address the Latino Pastoral Action Center, a faith-based Hispanic group. The events were organized by Rep. José Serrano, D-N.Y., a Bronx native who also hosted Castro 10 years ago.
Serrano said Chávez is being unnecessarily attacked by the Bush administration because of his friendship with Castro and because he ``is quick not to accept a bullying tactic [by Bush].''
Chávez's public schedule proved to be a moving target in New York. He canceled an event to address investors at the Council of the Americas and a press conference. The Venezuelan embassy in Washington said Chávez got called to a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan at the last minute.
Chávez's speech on Thursday said the U.S. invasion of Iraq showed a lack of respect for U.N. resolutions.
''That's why we propose to this assembly that the United Nations leave this country, which is not respectful of the very resolutions of this assembly,'' he said.
He said Bush's economic policies that pushed free trade and market openness were ``an infinite tragedy.''
When a diplomat handed him a note telling him he had gone over the allotted time, Chávez tossed it away, saying that if Bush could speak for 20 minutes, he could too. He spoke for 22 minutes.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said Friday that ``a lot of discussion [with Venezuela] is characterized by outlandish rhetoric as opposed to sincere desire to engage on the issues of substance.''
The Venezuelan leader arrived early Thursday, and blamed a delay on the United States' delay in giving his security and medical staff detail visas. He said some members of his entourage were not let off the plane.
According to Venezuelanalysis.com, a pro-Chávez web site, Venezuelan government officials suspect the visas were deliberately delayed to ensure that Chávez and Bush's paths did not cross. Bush left the U.N. Wednesday.
President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela displays a note calling him to terminate his speech after his five-minute alotment expired, at the 2005 World Summit during the 60th session of the General Assembly at the United Nations. Chavez called the United States a 'terrorist state' and said the United Nations headquarters should be moved away from New York.(AFP/Jeff Haynes)
I think it says "Don't you need to use the restroom?"
I think that many Democrats would like to nominate Chavez as their next presidential candidate.
I agree with him on that. There's a certain stink about that place.
Chavez is nothing more than a Castro with petro-dollars burning a hole in his pocket.
Thanks.
I was trying to think of a way to tie-in the notes but you did it for me!!
You know, the best part of this whole thing is that those who are at the fete with Chavez are the first that he would round up and have murdered were he to come to power here in the US.
They seem to believe that their wealth would protect them from his machinations, but once he's taken their wealth, what does he need with them?
Mark
"The events were organized by Rep. José Serrano, D-N.Y"
Hey Chavez and Serrano, I have a special message for you two: Me cago en tu puta madre
asked the U.N. to be moved from New York because the United States did not respect its resolutions.
The U.N. doesn't even respect it's own resolutions. Violation of U.N. resolutions was the reason why we are in Iraq right now. And don't tell me there were no WMD because I know of a young female soldier who had to be medically discharged from the Army due to her exposure to Sarin in the early days of this war.
They love the idea of dictators.
They're useful fools.
And they'll swoon over anyone who will bash Bush.
They are owned solely by Hugo Chavez's goverment. Chavez gives petroleum products to Castro's Cuber for free!!!!!
Loonybird.
Enemy of the State. Lock and Load......
-Bush is responsible for most of the ills of the world.
-Everything we do as a country is 'illegitimate'.
-The UN should be moved off tyrant US soil.
-Rules mean nothing.
At the end of his speech he was roundly applauded by the delegates.
That about sums up the UN today. Dictators and those who wish they could be.
There's a problem when low class, illiterate, uneducated peasants assume "leadership" of a country.
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