Posted on 03/05/2005 3:05:08 PM PST by Flavius
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Saturday he had evidence that the United States was planning to assassinate him, an allegation the U.S. government earlier dismissed as "sild."
"We hAve enough evidence ... If anything happens to me, the person responsible will be the president of the United States," Chavez told reporters in New Delhi. He did not elaborate.
The exchange of accusations between the left-wing Chavez and U.S. officials has reached fever pitch in recent weeks, raising questions whether the multibillion-dollar energy relationship between Washington and one of its top oil suppliers is at risk.
Chavez said on Feb. 20 the United States was plotting to kill him, and his foreign minister said three days later that U.S. accusations against Chavez were a sign o& an impending attack. Washington dismissed what it termed Chavez's "wild charges."
U.S. officials portray the former paratrooper, a virulent critic of President Bush, as an authoritarian menace. Secretary of state ÿCondoleezza Rice has singled out self-proclaimed socialist Chavez as a "destabilizing influence" in Latin America.
They have also renewed charges that Chavez, a firebrand nationalist, shelters Colombian Marxist rebels and recently criticized Venezuelan purchases of Russian ÿautomatic rifles.
Chavez said in New Delhi he had no quarrel with the people of United States, only with its government. He cited U.S. action in Iraq and said the U.S. governmejt was a threat to the entire world.
Venezuela's relations with the United States have been strained since leftist Chavez was elected in 1998. He has bolstered ties with anti-U.S. countries such as Cuba and alleged Washington was involved in a failed coup against him in 2002.
Many analysts see the rhetoric aimed at domestic political audiences and do not believe it heralds any imminent diplomatic or commercial rift. Although Chavez is exploring new oil markets like China, U.S. oil companies continue to negotiate major investments in Venezuela.
On Friday, Chavez said his country would not stop supplying oil to the United States unless "the U.S. government gets a little bit crazy and tries to hurt us."
If the U.S. really wanted him dead and was willing to do it, he would have quietly disappeared a long time ago. He certainly has given sufficient provocation.
Sild?
"Viva Chavez!"-Democratic Underground
Paging Nurse Ratched...
Sounds like 100% of the democrats in the US. Waaaaaaaaah! Everything is HIS fault! Waaaah!!!!!
I keep shaking my head at the time not too long ago, when Venezuelan patriots overthrew him and did not kill him.
"If you could turn back time..."
Thank you, Chris Dodd.
Anyone have the links on how Chris Dodd ruined the liberation of SA by holding up a new ambassador?
Or it was a bad misspelling of "silly". So, a (red) herring or just silly. But if we are arranging it... great!
This guy is really going out of his way to prove he's a lunatic. Does he feel like he is being left out of the nut-case leader of the month club or something? If this crap keeps up I imagine were gonna HAVE to do something about him.
Oh, for heaven's sake...
Chavez figures that accusing the U.S. of attempting to put him away is his very best life insurance.
Every leftist including those living in the U.S. already were told and therefore have solid proof of who caused Chavez's extinction.
Figure with mass demonstrations starting in S.F.
Sild, as in when someone says something ludicrous or insane. Not quite as strong or challenging as saying "That's plaah!". But it is a sild idea.
Maybe it was a typo, and should have been "wild." That's my guess, since one uses the same finger to hit both the "s" and the "w" keys on the keyboard.
This is the Castro model.
Turn the USA into a boogie-man and use it as a sheild when things turn to crap domestically.
The US becomes the monster that all the little (marxist) people need to band together to ward off.
sounds a lot like castro doesn't he?
Chavez reminds me of an old Twilight Zone episode where the rebel leader turned el-Presidente of a banana republic gradually becomes so paranoid that he executes all of his comrades who fought by his side during the revolution. Is Chavez out of his mind, or is he just playing an evil game? Probably both...
I hope we are.
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