Chavez Casts Himself as the Anti-Bush

Washington Post ^ | March 15, 2005 | Kevin Sullivan

[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."

[JasonC]

I've seen the economic stats. Venezula's economy is back at 1950s levels. He has already destroyed not 30 years of progress there, but 50. No joke.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Something good will happen from this.

Perhaps Hugo Chavez will be Latin America's Saddam and they'll learn how democracy is supposed to be - with laws, not dictators posing as Jimmy Carter sanctioned presidents.

[He Rides A White Horse]

Okay, so he wants to join the "who do we beat the crap out of list".....get in line Chavez, we get to you.