Memorable Chavez quotes

2013-03-06 09:23

Caracas - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who died on Tuesday at the age of 58, was a garrulous public speaker whose words enchanted followers and angered foes. Here are some memorable phrases:

- "Comrades, regrettably, for now the goals we set were not achieved."

On 4 February 1992 when the then paratrooper lieutenant colonel took responsibility for the failure of a coup against Venezuelan president Carlos Andres Perez.

- "Marisabel, tonight I will give you what is yours."

On 14 February 2000 to his wife Marisabel Rodriguez, whom he later divorced.

- "Cuba is the sea of happiness. That's where Venezuela is going."

On 8 March 2000 as he received Cuban volunteer workers. Cuba's retired leader Fidel Castro was a key political ally of Chavez, who regarded him as "a father".

- "ALCA, ALCA... al carajo [Go to hell]!"

On 4 November 2005 on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas in the Argentina as he opposed the creation of the US-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas, known by the Spanish acronym ALCA.

- "You are a donkey, Mr Danger."

On 19 March 2006 in his weekly television show Hello President, referring to then US president George W Bush, whom he also described as "a coward", "a killer", "a [perpetrator of] genocide" and "a drunk".

- "Yesterday, the devil was here. Right here, and it still smells of sulfur."

On 20 September 2006 in a speech to the UN General Assembly again referring to Bush, who had addressed the assembly a day earlier.

- "Don't mess with me, Condoleezza. Don't mess with me, girl."

On 19 February 2006, responding to then US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, who days earlier had slammed Venezuela as a threat to regional democracy and a "sidekick" of Iran.

- "Go to hell, shitty Yankees!"

On 11 September 2008, during a fiery speech as he expelled the US ambassador in Caracas in solidarity with Bolivia, which had taken a similar action days earlier.

- "I want to be your friend."

On 18 April 2009 to US President Barack Obama during the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

- "We will live and will win!"

On 30 June 2011 after he was diagnosed with cancer, dropping his gloomier slogan: "Socialist fatherland or death."

- "You have a pig's tail, a pig's ears, and you snort like a pig. You are a pig."

On 16 February 2012 to opposition rival Henrique Capriles ahead of the October presidential election.

- "Give me your crown of thorns, Christ, give it to me, so that I bleed; Give me your cross, 100 crosses, and I will carry them for you. But give me life, because I still have things to do for my people and my country. Don't take me yet."

On 5 April 2012 during a mass for his health during cancer treatment.

- "Choose Maduro as president of the republic. I am asking you this from all my heart."

On 8 December 2012 urging countrymen to vote for Vice President Nicolas Maduro in the next election should he become incapacitated as he revealed that he needed more cancer surgery.

- "We have arrived again to the Venezuelan motherland... Thank you, God. Thank you, my beloved people... I am holding on to Jesus Christ and trust my doctors and nurses... As always, see you in victory. We will live and we will win."

On 18 February breaking a weeks-long period of silence to announce his return to Venezuela after a final trip to Cuba for treatment.

- SAPA