Chavez: Don't mess with me

2005-11-14 10:25

Caracas - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused Mexican leader Vicente Fox on Sunday of disrespecting him and his close ally the Argentine president, warning Fox: "Don't mess with me."

Tensions between Fox and Chavez spilled over after this month's Summit of the Americas in Argentina, where Fox sought to defend a United States-backed proposal for a free trade zone while Chavez proclaimed the idea dead.

"President Fox left bleeding from his wound," Chavez said during his weekly radio and TV show, echoing remarks days ago in which he accused Fox of being a "puppy" of the US government for supporting its plans for the Free Trade Area of the Americas.

Chavez recalled a folk song from Venezuela's cattle-raising plains about a thorn, saying it seems appropriate for Fox since "you're a man of horses". After reciting the lyrics, Chavez said: "Don't mess with me, sir, because you'll come out pricked."

Chavez defending Venezuela

The Venezuelan leader has proclaimed the recent summit a victory, noting Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay brought up opposition to the free trade pact.

Fox, apparently irked by the resistance of Chavez and Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, said after the summit "there we have some presidents, fortunately a minority, who blame other countries for all their problems".

Chavez accused Fox of "attacking" him and Kirchner, and of violating summit protocol in trying to press for an agreement on the free trade zone when that wasn't on the agenda.

"The only very hard response I've given to any president was to President Fox. He disrespected me," Chavez said, adding that by responding he was simply defending his country.

Chavez's stinging accusations against Fox on Wednesday sparked a diplomatic response, with Mexico demanding a "satisfactory explanation".

Talking about the incident

Venezuela has offered no apologies while top diplomats have held talks on the matter. Chavez's latest accusations showed he had no intention of backing down.

He said Fox and other leaders who sought to back the free trade plan "weren't able to achieve their plan" at the summit.

The US-proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which aims to create the world's largest free trade zone, was first proposed in 1994 and was supposed to have been finalised in January but has been stalled amid deep divisions in Latin America.

Chavez argues the plan would help big US companies at the expense of Latin America's poor and has instead proposed a "Bolivarian Alternative" pact based on socialist principles.

The Venezuelan leader said US President George W Bush left the summit "with his tail between his legs". He called Bush "Mr Danger" and said he stands for "false democracy, democracy of the elites".

In a programme that lasted about six hours, Chavez also replayed videos of debates in the summit and criticised Peru, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago for favouring the free trade pact.

- AP