Chavez calls Obama 'ignoramus'
2009-03-22 22:03
Caracas - Venezuela's President Hugo
Chavez said on Sunday his US counterpart, Barack Obama, was at
best an "ignoramus" for saying the socialist leader exported
terrorism and obstructed progress in Latin America.
"He goes and accuses me of exporting terrorism: the least I
can say is that he's a poor ignoramus; he should read and study
a little to understand reality," said Chavez, who heads a group
of left-wing Latin American leaders opposed to the US
influence in the region.
Chavez said Obama's comments had made him change his mind
about sending a new ambassador to Washington, after he withdrew
the previous envoy in a dispute last year with the Bush
administration in which he also expelled the US ambassador to
Venezuela.
"When I saw Obama saying what he said, I put the decision
back in the drawer; let's wait and see," Chavez said on his
weekly television show, adding he had wanted to send a new
ambassador to improve relations with the United States after
the departure of George W Bush as president.
'What ignorance'
In a January interview with Spanish-language US network
Univision, Obama said Chavez had hindered progress in Latin
America, accusing him of exporting terrorist activities and
supporting Colombian guerrillas.
"My, what ignorance; the real obstacle to development in
Latin America has been the empire that you today preside over,"
said Chavez, who is a fierce critic of US foreign policy.
In the 20th century the United States supported several
armed movements and coups in Latin America. Chavez says
Washington had a hand in a short-lived putsch against him in
2002, which was initially welcomed by US officials.
Chavez and Obama will both attend the Summit of the
Americas in Trinidad and Tobago next month. It is not known
whether they will meet.
Most of OPEC nation Venezuela's export income comes from
oil it sells to the United States, but Chavez has built
stronger ties with countries like China in an attempt to reduce
dependence on his northern neighbour.
Chavez expelled its US ambassador in September in a
dispute over US activities in his ally Bolivia, which also
expelled its US ambassador.
Ecuador's left-wing President
Rafael Correa this year kicked out a mid-ranking US
diplomat.
