Posted on 07/02/2006 5:32:39 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
BANJUL (Reuters) - Europe and the United States should apologize to Africa for the cruelties of slavery, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday, calling on African states to resist modern day U.S. colonialism.
Attending a summit of African leaders in Gambia, Chavez said both Africa and Latin America had been blighted by slavery and colonialism for centuries, to the benefit of Europe and North America.
"Africa is still weeping ... and Europe does not recognize it. Europe should apologize, get on its knees and apologize," Chavez, invited to attend the summit as a guest, told reporters.
"They should lower their European arrogance and say sorry, as, one day, North America should apologize."
The leftist firebrand, whose attacks on U.S. policy have raised hackles in Washington, urged the leaders of the 53-nation African Union to forge closer ties with Latin America to combat U.S. imperialism.
"The powerful nations will continue to dictate to us via multinational companies and neo-liberal economic policy, and if we cannot resist this neo-colonialism, we will be crushed," said the former paratrooper, praising the African socialism of former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere.
Chavez reacted angrily to U.S. opposition to Venezuela's bid for one of the rotating seats on the U.N. Security Council.
"The United States said again yesterday that Venezuela does not qualify for a seat. With what authority does the imperialist government of the United States decide who should sit on the U.N. Security Council?"
"If there was real democracy in the world, the U.S. government would be placed under administration because it is a government of the United States that ignores the democracy of its people and ignores democracy in the world: it invades countries, murders and bombs cities," he said.
Chavez said Venezuela, the world's fifth largest oil exporter, could rely on Africa's support in its bid to win a Security Council seat.
His proposals for a joint bank to finance projects in developing countries, dubbed Banco del Sur (Bank of the South), and for a media company to combat the influence of "fascist" global networks were warmly received by African delegates.
But Chavez denied he was using the African Union summit to make a bid for the leadership of the developing world.
"I am just a foot soldier in this process of integration. Peoples should lead, and we men should do what we can."
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez (L) meets to sign an agreement with Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh (R) during the African Union summit in Gambia's capital Banjul July 2, 2006. Chavez called on Africa to forge closer ties with Latin America to combat what he called a threat of U.S. hegemony. (Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters)
A Bolivian woman stands next to electoral posters and pictures, of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Cuban President Fidel Castro and Bolivian President Evo Morales, on election day in the town Villa 14 de Setiembre, in the coca-growing region of Chapare, Bolivia July 2, 2006. The posters read 'United for the greater nation.' REUTERS/Mariana Bazo (BOLIVIA)
Sure Sluggo, we'll get right on that m'kay?
First off, to what end? Secondly, who the hell asked him for advice on internal relations?
Africa invites top anti-Americans to summit
http://reuters.myway.com/article/20060702/2006-07-02T180445Z_01_L02516572_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-AFRICA-OUTSIDERS-DC.html
Jul 2, 2:04 PM (ET)
By Barry Moody
BANJUL (Reuters) - Two of the world's most anti-American leaders, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, attended this weekend's Africa summit in Gambia to the consternation of Western diplomats.
Both lived up to their billing with Chavez railing against U.S. "hegemony" and Ahmadinejad blaming Western greed for "poverty, backwardness, regional conflicts, corruption, illicit drugs."
The role of West-baiting once fell at AU summits to Libya's colourful leader Muammar Gaddafi but he has now been welcomed into the Western fold and Libya is soon to be taken off the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
So why were outsiders Chavez and Ahmadinejad invited?
The striking presence of such anti-Western figures, particularly the Iranian leader, raised eyebrows among the large number of foreign envoys observing the summit, diplomats said.
One non-aligned ambassador who asked not to be identified said the invitation to Chavez was more understandable than that to Ahmadinejad since Venezuela has AU observer status.
He said the Ahmadinejad invitation was apparently extended unilaterally by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, and provoked criticism from some countries in the 53-member AU.
But Western diplomats suggested the two invitations may also have been intended to underline Africa's breakaway from the influence of former colonial powers in Europe.
"At one time the links with Europe were still strong. But in the 21st century Africa wants to show that these links have finally been broken," one European ambassador said.
AFRICA NOT ANTI-WESTERN
Professor Shadrack Gutto, director of African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa, said the presence of Chavez and Ahmadinejad should not be seen as anti-Western.
"The AU is not suddenly turning against the West. These visits were not ideologically decided and there isn't necessarily an anti-Western aspect to it," he said.
But he added that it was easier for Africa to assert its independence from the West when meeting in the AU than as individual countries, many dependent on Western funding.
"It does indicate that collectively, as the 53 members of the AU, when they come together the West will not choose for them who they invite or who their friends are," he said.
"They are saying Africa can have a position that differs with that of the West."
Gutto suggested that whereas there were strong and logical reasons to invite Venezuela, Ahmadinejad had probably pushed for an invitation to lobby for African support in Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West.
He said African countries were eager to hear about Chavez's policies toward Western oil companies.
"Chavez has taken quite a radical line with regard to claiming national sovereignty over natural resources and that resonates with a lot of African countries emerging as substantial producers," Gutto said.
He said African producers were anxious to ensure they maximised the benefits of their resources and were not being short-changed in contracts with Western oil companies.
In his speech to the summit on Saturday, Chavez urged Africa to seize greater control of its energy resources, describing the low royalties paid by some oil giants as robbery. Chavez has hiked taxes on U.S. oil companies, which he dubbed "Count Dracula."
Don't hold your breath,Pedro.
I suppose unionized workers built the pyramids.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives for a session of the African Union summit in Gambia's capital Banjul, July 1, 2006. A two-day Africa summit opened in Gambia on Saturday with a call for urgent action to damp down conflicts in Somalia and Sudan's Darfur region, but diplomats said there was little chance of much progress on either issue. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly
Looks like a 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis for Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh.
Chavez looks pretty much like the typical crewman on a North African slave ship circa 1700.
And who did the catching and selling of slaves to the white buyers in Africa?
And Mr. Baboon Chavez can apologize for actively working to enslave the people of South America.
It's a good thing I'm not president. I'd want to slap him down with a team of assassins just to make an example of him.
hugo chavez - another idiot in a long line of idiots.
Someone should ask Castro's puta exactly who captured and sold the slaves in the first place.
Let's just have a big global hug.
Potus X 42's apology does not count.. they want a white Potus to apologize, 42 was the first black Potusa..
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