by Mark Silva
Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, says he likes one of the President Barack Obamas whom he sees.
"We have an Obama that talked about peace,'' Chavez said, in an interview aired tonight on CNN's Larry King Live conducted at Venezuela's mission to the United Nations in New York. Speaking of the American president's call for peace at the U.N. General Assembly this week, Chavez said: "We accept that.''
"However, there is another Obama,'' Chavez said, "the Obama sponsoring war, using the presence of military officers and'' and bases in South America.
So why buy tanks and rockets from Russia, as Venezuela is doing?
"All countries have a defense system,'' Chavez said, suggesting that, for a long time, Venezuela purchased F-16s from the United States, but then the U.S. would not sell Venezuela parts. "Now we have (gone) to other options.''
What is the threat?
Seven U.S. bases in Colombia, Chavez said.
"Venezuela has the largest oil reserve, and Venezuela has to defend itself,'' Chavez told King. Asked about Venezuela triggering a regional arms race, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned, Chavez said: "I think she is totally lost.''
"I think the United States and the secretary of state should be concerned about the poverty in this country, the people without health insurance,'' Chavez said. "In Venezuela, our defense budget is one of the lowest of the whole hemisphere.. Colombia has ten times more expenditures in military defenses as Venezuela. Venezuela is half that amount.''
"The secretary of state is totally lost in her analysis,'' he said.
What does he like about the U.S., he was asked.
"Baseball,'' he said -- the music, and the movies. "I love the movies... I love the movies of this guy Charles Bronson, an excellent actor... Baseball, the Yankee Stadium, Walt Whitman, I love them.''
When he met Obama at Port of Spain earlier this year, Chavez said, "I told him, 'Obama, why shouldn't we do something for Colombia? Let's open a peace commission.' Now Obama is installing bases in Colombia to install death and war.''
The U.S., Chavez said, should scrap its trade embargo against Cuba. Calling Cuba's Fidel Castro his "father'' politically, a visionary mentor.
Chavez defended his relations with Iran, suggesting that they have much they can share and maintaining that Iran's "internal'' issues are not his to judge. He noted that the U.S. has many allies, including the "war-mongering'' Israel. But he stopped short of endorsing the Iranian leader's most alarming own personally stated belief.
"I do not deny the Holocaust, and I condemn it,''Chavez said, but in South America, too, there was a Holocaust - millions of indigenous people killed by the Europeans, he said.
Chavez called the notion that Venezuela is interested in developing nuclear weaponry "crazy.'' It's nuclear energy that Venezuela wants, he said. "One day we will run out of oil... We need to invest in technology to generate alternatives.''
"I want to be friends'' of everybody, Chavez said. "We need to learn to be respectful, we need to live in this world regardless of the differences.''
"We want peace,'' Chavez said. "We want to have good relations with the U.S.''
Comments
Every couple has a lover's spat now and then.
Since Silva hasn't reported on the G-20 yet, let's look at what a protest by the left looks like. 19 arrests - doesn't sound like a tea bag party. Don't forget to look at 30 pictures.
http://www.star-telegram.com/190/story/1634691.html
Posted by: Terry | September 24, 2009 10:14 PM
I think this the part where the Wingnuts tell everyone that Obama and the Dems love Chavez and Putin and Castro and Lex Luthor and Dr. Evil and Freddy Krueger...
5...4..3..2..1....Ding Ding Ding!
Posted by: former Republican | September 24, 2009 10:47 PM
Who cares what this thug thinks? I know the Left does. It is enthralled with Hugo Chavez. He is their hero. Sean Penn loves him. So does Charlie Sheen. Jimmy Carter too.
Funny that he doesn't mention the strife and problems he is causing in South and Central America.
Also funny that he is another member of the Barack Obama fan club. Scary, really.
Posted by: John D | September 25, 2009 12:39 AM
"I want to be friends'' of everybody, Chavez said. "We need to learn to be respectful, we need to live in this world regardless of the differences.''
"We want peace,'' Chavez said. "We want to have good relations with the U.S.''
Ahhh...where have I heard that before...Oh yeah. We are the world, you are the racists, you are the ones that want to starve children you Republican SOBs.
Hee, hee, haw, haw. Chavez sounds just like the rest of you leftists.
Posted by: Gary | September 25, 2009 3:57 AM
When Hugo starts "praising" Obama, does anyone believe something might be amiss? Chavez must get a 'tingle" now that we have that Obama "diversity czar" Loydud, who spoke eloquently of Hugo's takeover and government control of radio and TV in that Venezuelan democracy, advising the Prez. on improving fairness and the diversity of information in our country. Time for "Mr.Diversity" to visit Beck's wood shredder before he "redistributes" the truth!
Posted by: bubba Porter | September 25, 2009 8:10 AM
Birds of a feather stick together.
Posted by: Inky | September 25, 2009 9:40 AM
Like the Swamp and many of its contributors, Chavez also dislikes Fox News. Fidel Castro has expressed the same feeling as does Obama who stiffed FN in his interview circus last weekend. How nice to be in the same company as Chavez and Castro.
Posted by: Wilson | September 25, 2009 12:05 PM
I despise Hugo Chavez! I reject him as he is a thug and anti-democratic! That being said he did give heating oil to poor people in the rural South of the United States. Why didn't the Compassionate RNC step up and provide this assistance instead? Why don't Republicans step up and help out their shivering countrymen?
Posted by: Seperation of Powers Steve | September 25, 2009 12:12 PM
I despise Hugo Chavez! I reject him as he is a thug and anti-democratic! That being said he did give heating oil to poor people in the rural South of the United States. Why didn't the Compassionate RNC step up and provide this assistance instead? Why don't Republicans step up and help out their shivering countrymen?
Posted by: Seperation of Powers Steve | September 25, 2009 12:12 PM
I'm sorry to hear of your plight, might be the seperation of powers is being stuck in the fifth grade at 23 years old?
Steve? where was the DNC in this story of yours? did they drive the trucks that delivered the free heating oil to you and your neighbors? That oil by the way? are you sure it came from Hugo or was it delivered by a Hugo?
Talk to your teachers for a better anti-republican story. This one is a bit rediculous.
Posted by: springfield | September 25, 2009 3:59 PM
Separation of Powers, sorry, but facts show that conservatives give oodles upon oodles more to charity and to help those in need than do liberals, who always cry about it but do nothing. Also, Chavez giving oil to those who need it is just a ploy, propaganda.
I have a great idea, though. Rather than the U.S, giving Brazil $400 million to help that country develop its offshore oil drilling program, how about if we spent that money on developing our own drilling program? It will put people to work in high-paying jobs AND we can use some of that oil to help those in need right here in the good ole US of A.
Posted by: John D | September 26, 2009 11:24 AM