Chavez: "You are a devil, you smell like sulfur, you are a drunk, you are the demon, you are a dictator, you are an assassin Mr. Devil, you are..."
Bush: "YEAH, Yeah, yeah, WHATever... just fill'er up MonkeyBoy!!!"
Posted on 12/18/2007 6:30:00 PM PST by NormsRevenge
MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and two Latin American allies accused the United States on Tuesday of conspiring to undermine the region's leftist governments.
The charge followed a diplomatic firestorm set off by claims from a U.S. prosecutor that Venezuela attempted to smuggle $800,000 in a suitcase to the election campaign of Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Chavez, Fernandez and Bolivian President Evo Morales rebuked the United States in separate public comments at a meeting of the South American trade bloc Mercosur in Uruguay's capital Montevideo.
Chavez accused Washington of meddling in Bolivian politics and seeking to destabilize the Morales' leftist government, which faces calls for autonomy by several opposition-controlled provinces amid a dispute over constitutional reforms.
"I have to blame the empire. They are trying to sabotage a legitimate democratic process," Chavez said, referring to the United States. "We have to warn the empire that if they try to topple that legitimate government ... it will cause an earthquake that will shake the Americas."
Washington has repeatedly denied allegations it seeks to influence politics in Bolivia. Morales has also made similar charges, prompting President George W. Bush's administration to publicly tell Bolivia last month to "knock it off."
On Tuesday, Morales reiterated accusations that the U.S. ambassador in La Paz was involved in a conspiracy to damage his government. "It would be good if the United States would advise its ambassador to practice diplomacy, not politics," he said.
'DIRTY OPERATIONS'
Argentina's Fernandez, who took office on December 10, did not name the United States directly but suggested it was looking to influence the region through "dirty operations and dirty politics."
"Let's not be naive ... there are going to be many more 'interferences' like those we're experiencing now," she said.
It was the second public criticism of the U.S. government in less than a week by Fernandez, a center-left former senator and first lady who succeeded her husband, Nestor Kirchner.
The sparring began after U.S. prosecutors in Miami said a Venezuelan-American businessman who tried to enter Argentina with $800,000 in cash in August had been part of a Venezuelan plan to secretly funnel money to Fernandez's campaign.
Argentine customs agents seized the undeclared money and let the businessman carrying it, Guido Antonini Wilson, leave the country. Argentina later sought his extradition from the United States.
With Antonini's collaboration, U.S. authorities last week arrested four men accused of acting illegally as Venezuelan agents on charges they pressured Antonini to conceal Caracas' role in the scandal.
Argentina's foreign minister met with the U.S. ambassador in Buenos Aires late on Tuesday to express the country's "displeasure and annoyance" at Washington's attitude toward the case, a foreign ministry spokesman said.
Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana also asked that the United States extradite Antonini, as part of an Argentine judicial investigation into possible contraband and money laundering.
U.S. Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne said in a statement he told Taiana "I would pass his message to Washington through official channels and (I) shared with him the U.S. perspective on these events. I also conveyed ... the belief that our bilateral relationship is important to both of our governments and peoples."
Former President Kirchner said in a fiery speech earlier on Tuesday: "The U.S. ambassador said relations with Argentina are good. But what they're doing in Miami is shameful ... so relations are not good. Argentina isn't a colony and you must respect us and the Argentine courts."
Fernandez probably wrote the book on “dirty operations and dirty politics.”
Why do we allow Citgo, Chavez’s oil company, to do business in the US? Do we enjoy getting bitten on the ankles by this louse? We are his main customer. It’s time we take our business elsewhere.
Bush: "YEAH, Yeah, yeah, WHATever... just fill'er up MonkeyBoy!!!"
Bring it on, Hugo...
how much US monetary aid goes to these countries?? If any, it should be removed, maybe placed in an escrow account until they shape up.
Yankee dollars everyone understands.
Chubby’s time is running short. I suspect Venezuela is growing tired of him quickly.
A video of a Gucci- and Louis Vuitton-clad politician attacking capitalism then struggling to explain how his luxurious clothes square with his socialist beliefs has become an instant YouTube hit in Venezuela.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Pedro Carreno was momentarily at a loss for words when a journalist interrupted his speech and asked if it was not contradictory to criticize capitalism while wearing Gucci shoes and a tie made by Parisian luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071214/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_venezuela_luxury
Even if they may want to honor the deal...can they ?
Their production is down and dropping due to limited spare parts and few knowledgeable oil workers.
The crude for these refineries was the lowest value available but Citgo always got top dollar in the US because it was a very useful product for paving and roofing asphalt. Venz asphalt historically commanded the highest price in the roofing industry (to make shingles & built up roofing) vs. any other product. It is painful for me to see Hugo dump this crude oil into a blended product and take it to China (thru the Panama Canal) and take a $10-$15 bbl hickey (less than he could get in the port of Houston or Mobile,) because of the additional freight. The Venz people don’t understand this.
The big foot of Socialism / Communism.
Now THAT is funny! That article you linked to said 15,000 views. It's now up to 116,000 views!
Thanks.
Big hit in Venezuela and every where else.
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