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Globalization: Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is having a grand time cavorting around the world on his Axis Of Evil tour. But we notice he's disgusting as many countries as he's wooing. Vietnam is the most interesting. Chavez blew into Hanoi on Monday and right away began praising Vietnam's government in exactly the way it didn't want: by hailing communism. "Vietnam, with its valor, defeated imperialism not only on the battlefield, but also has maintained socialism in the ideological arena," the South American dictator intoned. Uh-huh. To Vietnam's officials, who've been trying diligently to integrate their nation into the world economy, that's...

WASHINGTON—While the world was focused on the tragic events taking place in Lebanon and northern Israel, something very disturbing happened in South America last week. The trading bloc known as Mercosur (the South American common market), at its summit meeting in the Argentine city of Cordoba, formally supported Venezuela's bid for one of the two Latin American seats on the United Nations Security Council. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had worked the summit to make sure he could defeat Guatemala, Washington's preferred candidate, and gain the coveted seat when Argentina's two-year term expires in October. Chavez wants to become a world...

Click on the link to see why so many people in Russia are smiling ! Good ol'Hugo just ordered some toys. http://insidestraight.typepad.com/the_inside_straight/2006/07/hugo_chavez_whe.html

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (R) greets Venezualan President Hugo Chavez in Tehran July 29, 2006. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN)

TEHRAN, Iran - The presidents of Iran and Venezuela, leading U.S. critics, pledged Saturday to support one another in disputes with Washington, with the Iranian calling Hugo Chavez "a brother and trench mate." As Chavez arrived for a two-day visit. Iran faced renewed international criticism for its nuclear program and for backing Hezbollah guerrillas in its war with Israel. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council on Friday reached a deal on a resolution that would give Iran until the end of August to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions. Iranian state...

AP) Anti-U.S. leaders Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad met in Tehran on Saturday, pledging mutual support for one another, state media reported. Chavez' two-day visit came as Iran faces renewed international criticism for its nuclear program and as a backer of Hezbollah guerrillas, engaged in fighting with Israel since they captured two Israeli soldiers July 12. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council on Friday reached a deal on a resolution that would give Iran until the end of August to suspend uranium enrichment or face the threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions. Following...

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez yesterday accused Israel of launching “crazy war” against the Lebanese and Palestinian people. He told reporters in Doha that the damage caused by the “Israeli aggression” was similar to the destruction that Hilter inflicted during the World War II. However, he condemned the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, saying it was a “mistake”, but blamed the United States as the mastermind of this war. “The American imperialism is the one which supplied Israel with the weapons. This military operation was planned in the Pentagon,” he believed. “Such a war requires a long time for planning and...

LONDON, July 28 (IranMania) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, heading a high-ranking delegation, is to arrive in Tehran Friday evening on a three-day official visit, IRNA reported. According to a report released by the presidential press bureau, President Chavez is to meet his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his stay in Tehran. The two presidents, in their upcoming meeting, will discuss bilateral cooperation and issues of mutual interest, as well as the latest regional and international developments. Several memoranda of understanding will be inked by the two countries officials, the report said adding that the two presidents will also attend...

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Russian energy company OAO Gazprom is studying whether to join a huge Venezuela-backed project to build a South American natural gas pipeline, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday. "Gazprom and its technicians are studying a project for the construction of a gas pipeline from Venezuela to Argentina," Chavez told Russia's state-run Rossiya television during a visit to Moscow, according to a translation of his remarks.

MOSCOW, July 27, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin today in Moscow for talks focusing on arms sales and energy cooperation. Putin received Chavez at the Kremlin on the last day of the Venezuelan leader's three-day visit to Russia. The two leaders, who have already met on four previous occasions, exchanged warm handshakes in front of the cameras.

CARACAS, Venezuela Telesur has expanded to 17 Latin American countries in its first year on the air. Now officials with the T-V network financed by Venezuela and four other nations is eyeing U-S markets.Telesur today marked its first anniversary.The operation is touted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as an upstart and alternative to what he calls the Washington-friendly coverage of media giants such as C-N-N.Telesur hopes to make inroads in Hispanic communities in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, New York, New Jersey and Florida.Telesur president and former Venezuelan Information Minister Andres Izarra says the process has been uphill because he calls...

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that Russia had helped his country break a U.S.-imposed "blockade" by agreeing to sell Caracas fighter planes and helicopters worth billions of dollars. Neither Chavez nor Russian leader Vladimir Putin gave details about any new deals signed Thursday, but Russia's defense minister said last week that Moscow had agreed to sell the oil-rich South American nation about 30 Su-30 fighter jets and some 30 military helicopters. Putin said Thursday that Moscow and Caracas would prove "reliable partners" and - in comments clearly aimed at Washington - said their cooperation should not be viewed as...

Aides to Venezuela's mercurial leader Hugo Chávez will have made sure his presidential fountain pen was fully loaded before he left Caracas, given the number of arms deals he is set to sign in Moscow this week. Contracts for 30 Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, 30 military helicopters, 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, a licence to build a Kalashnikov factory in Venezuela, and perhaps two or three submarines are all on the agenda during Mr Chávez's fourth visit to Russia. Sergei Ivanov, Russia's defence minister and a possible successor to President Vladimir Putin, said last week the fighter and helicopter deal...

MOSCOW - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday that his oil-rich nation will sign major arms deals in Moscow to acquire Russian fighter jets and produce Kalashnikov assault rifles, and he slammed U.S. criticism of the weapons sales. Chavez said contracts to buy Su-30 jets and set up Kalashnikov rifle and ammunition plants in Venezuela would be signed Thursday in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported. "I want to thank President Putin for his firmness in cooperating with increasing Venezuela's defense and security," Chavez said at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. "We have thwarted the goal of the empire of the United...

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hailed Russia on Wednesday for defying a U.S. arms blockade by agreeing to sell fighter aircraft to his country. Chavez will sign a $1 billion deal to buy at least 24 Russian Sukhoi-30 jets to replace oil-rich Venezuela's U.S. F-16s. Russia has also said it is ready to sell a similar number of military helicopters to Venezuela. "I would like to thank Russia, the producer of armaments, because Russia has helped to sever the blockade that was tied by the United States around Venezuela," Chavez said in the city of Izhevsk in remarks...

You would never know it from our one party media, but the "disruptor" at Prime Minister al-Maliki's speech was not just a random protestor.She was none other than the professional anti-America agitator (and Hugo Chavez paid agent) Medea Benjamin.From a CodePink press release: Medea Benjamin is arrested on July 26 for interrupting a speech by the Prime Minister of Iraq.Medea Benjamin Arrested For Disrupting Iraqi Prime Minister’s Congressional AddressFasting co-founder of CODEPINK and Global Exchange says Iraqis want war to endCODEPINK and Global Exchange cofounder Medea Benjamin is arrested on July 26 for interrupting a speech by the Prime Minister...

Moscow's $1 billion sale of top-flight military aircraft to Venezuela's erratic dictator isn't just business. It's unfriendly to the U.S. and a sign of a revived Cold War. ... His latest recruit was Belarus, where he signed an "anti-U.S. pact" Monday with this Russian satellite, praising Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who admits to having a soft spot for Stalin. "Our countries must keep their hands at the ready on the sword," Chavez said. ... There isn't any doubt Russia's $1 billion contract to sell Venezuela 30 Sukhoi jet aircraft and 33 helicopters will be trouble. ... All are perfect for...

HUGO CHÁVEZ, the ardently anti-American President of Venezuela, arrives in Russia today to sign a billion-dollar arms deal that has infuriated and alarmed the US. The self-styled leftist revolutionary will sign an agreement with President Putin to buy 30 Sukhoi Su30 fighter jets and 30 military helicopters worth $1 billion (£540 million). The two leaders will also discuss plans to build two Kalashnikov factories in Venezuela — to add to the 100,000 Kalashnikov AK103 assault rifles that Venezuela has bought from Russia in the past year. The arms deals — and the visit by Señor Chávez — are the latest...

MINSK, Belarus. President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela began an international tour Sunday with a visit to the former Soviet nation of Belarus, whose authoritarian president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, has been dubbed "Europe's last dictator" by Washington. Chávez, a former army lieutenant colonel who has accused the United States of wanting to invade his oil-exporting South American nation, is also to go to Russia, a key weapons supplier, and to Qatar, Iran, Vietnam and Mali. Chávez flew into the Belarussian capital, Minsk, on Sunday evening. He was to meet with Lukashenko on Monday, the Foreign Ministry said. Chávez's older brother, Adan, visited...

Mr Chavez said he wanted to conclude "a unity pact" in Minsk Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has praised Belarus "as a model social state" like the one he and his government are building. During a visit to Belarus, he called for joint efforts to counter what he described as "hegemonic" capitalism. Mr Chavez later met Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, accused in the West of crushing fundamental rights. Mr Chavez is on a world tour, partly to win support for a Venezuelan seat on the UN Security Council. From Belarus, he will travel to Russia, Qatar, Iran, Vietnam and Mali....