Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez talks to the media during
a conference at Miraflores Palace in Caracas,
January 25, 2008. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
Posted on 01/26/2008 11:41:46 AM PST by NormsRevenge
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez switched from coffee to another stimulant during a speech on Saturday -- he popped a coca leaf into his mouth and chewed it while defending the use of the plant.
Bolivian President Evo Morales, an advocate of the Andean nation's indigenous coca growers, brought Chavez coca leaves while in Caracas for a summit of Latin American leaders allied with Chavez.
"I knew you wouldn't let me down, my friend, I was running out," Chavez said as he received the leaves from Morales during the televised summit. He broke one in half and chewed it, drawing applause.
"Capitalism and international mafias have converted (it) into cocaine, but coca is not cocaine," he said.
Opposition leaders this week said the leftist Chavez, famous for speaking for hours on end, should take a drug test after he told legislators he chews coca to keep his energy level up.
The anti-U.S. leader said this month that every morning he chews "coca paste", a highly addictive substance made from coca leaves that serves as a base for cocaine and is sometimes smoked -- not chewed -- by drug users.
Chavez appeared to have misspoken, meaning instead to say he chews coca leaves.
Indigenous groups in the Andean highlands have for centuries chewed coca leaves to boost energy and ward off hunger.
Before winning the presidency in 2005, Morales helped organize Bolivia's coca farmers and openly opposed U.S.-backed coca eradication efforts.
The U.S. drug czar last week accused Chavez of turning Venezuela into a haven for drugs trafficked from neighbouring Colombia, the world's top producer of cocaine.
Chavez said the charge was a politically motivated smear campaign against him.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez talks to the media during
a conference at Miraflores Palace in Caracas,
January 25, 2008. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
We need to wax that fat f’in dopehead and yesterday would not have been too soon.
That’s the end for you my friend. Once you are implicated with coke as a SA leader you are at the very least an imprisoned man. Ask Noriega. Very interesting development. I am happy to know this is coming out
Simón Bolívar wouldn’t have let that fool muck his stables.
What a moron, bragging about his stupidity, I hope his days are numbered. Oaf.
Good. The more he shows that he is mentally unbalanced, the more SANE world leaders will reject him.
I’ve noticed that the American left completely supports him.
Prediction: when hillary gets into power, you will see an open alliance of this nut and her royal highness.
I can respect why the indigenous locals chew the leafs in the higher altitudes of the Andes. It helps the body cope with the thinner air. However, if you’re chewing them for recreational uses then you have a serious problem. You may as well be doing lines on a glass table. Ive never know anyone who got involved in coke on a regular basis whose life wasn’t destroyed. I say chew it up Huggy Baby. There always more where that came from.
Notice how many Hollyood types love to visit him.. Ever wonder why. Wonder no more.
"Guerra a Muerte, (War to Death) proclaimed that all Spanish people in South America who didn't actively participate in favor of its independence would be killed, and all South Americans would be spared, even if they cooperated (passively) with the Spanish."
In other words, he was a typical racist identity-politics mass murderer, before his time. And no cause excuses that.
“Chavez appeared to have misspoken, meaning instead to say he chews coca leaves.”
He probably has no clue what he does or says 905% of the time.
If the nutjob gives Chavez nukes, it’s only a matter time before Cuba gets them. Just the thought of it scares the heck out of me!
Nuts on coke.
Does anyone know the other countries that attended this commiefest?
Also helps explain his paranoia.
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