Posted on 08/31/2005 7:37:51 PM PDT by Brian328i
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a vocal critic of the U.S. government, on Wednesday called President Bush a "cowboy" who had failed to manage the Hurricane Katrina disaster and evacuate victims.
"That government had no evacuation plan, it is incredible, the first power in the world that is so involved in Iraq ... and left its own population adrift," Chavez said in a cabinet meeting broadcast live on television.
His remarks came as U.S. authorities evacuated thousands of people from New Orleans and after Bush said it would take years to recover from flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina.
The death toll on Wednesday reached at least 200 in what Bush called the nation's worst natural disaster.
"That man, the king of vacations ... the king of vacations in his ranch said nothing but, you have to flee, and didn't say how ... that cowboy, the cowboy mentality," said Chavez, chuckling in a reference to Bush without naming him directly.
Chavez, an outspoken populist who calls Cuba's Fidel Castro an ally, often lambastes what he calls Washington's failed imperialist policies. He says the Bush administration is trying to assassinate him and calls the U.S. president "Mr. Danger."
The two governments frequently clash though the United States is the top oil client of Venezuela, the world's No. 5 crude exporter. Washington portrays Chavez as a menace who uses his nation's oil wealth to fund anti-democratic groups.
The Venezuelan president, applauded by supporters for his self-proclaimed socialist revolution to fight poverty, has offered to send cheap fuel, humanitarian aid and relief workers to the disaster area.
Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA has offered $1 million from its U.S.-based refinery unit Citgo for relief efforts.
He obviously doesn't understand how the STATES work.
Disgusting man. What was it that the preacher said that made so much sense.
If a storm like this hit Venezuela this cretin would be begging the US to help clean up the remains of the country.
Makes you wonder if ole Jesse didn't give Chavez the DNC talking points "hot off the FAX"!
Didn't someone say what we should do with this guy?
The self-admitted cuban bastard child should keep his mouth shut...or he'll get a come-uppence, ala Khadafi.
Vermin ... utter vermin.
Hugo ought not forget the natural disasters that have struck Venezuela not so long ago, and who came to their aid.
Time to call Orkin......
I imagine Dictator-for-Life Chavez has nothing to say about his fellow corrupt communist dictator (Clinton) who refused the Army Corps of Engineers' request for funding to upgrade the NO levees in 1992.
Make that 1993.
The man is a fool. Who cares what the idiot says.
So much for his judgment.
What a clueless fool.
Karma is one mean chica, Hugo.
I hope nobody ever tells these foreign dictators that being called a cowboy makes you sound pretty cool.
God, how the DUmmies just lap up everything this clown says. He knows how to play to his audience of leftist syhophants if nothing else. Naturad disasters don't do much harm in Venezuela. Most of the population is expendable and it's not to hard to re-build mud huts.
I've responded to other posts concerning Chavez and here I go again...verbatim. "Chavez can live for unlimited $10 a barrel crude."
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