CARACAS, Venezuela, March 23, 2009
Venezuela's Chavez Calls Obama "Ignorant"
Chavez Claims Obama Is Uneducated About Latin America And Preventing Progress
-
Fast Facts Venezuela Learn about the people, economy and history.
The socialist leader said he had been ready to name a new ambassador in Washington when Mr. Obama took office, but put that on hold after the new U.S. president accused him of "exporting terrorism" and being an obstacle to progress in the region.
"At least one could say, 'poor ignorant person,"' Chavez said on his weekly television and radio program, adding that Obama "should read a little bit so that he learns about ... the reality of Latin America."
U.S. National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer declined to comment on Chavez's statements.
Chavez's relations with Washington grew increasingly strained under former President George W. Bush. The Venezuelan president expelled the U.S. ambassador and withdrew his envoy from Washington in September. Top diplomats have yet to be restored at either embassy.
Chavez and Obama plan to attend a summit of leaders from across the Americas next month in Trinidad and Tobago. There, Chavez said he will make a case for Cuba to be included in regional talks, saying "we can no longer continue to accept the impositions of the U.S. empire."
"We ask only for respect for Venezuela, nothing else," Chavez said.
Chavez said he showed some of the U.S. administration's critical remarks about him to U.S. Rep. William Delahunt when the Massachusetts Democrat visited Caracas last week.
"They keep pointing to me as the bad boy, as the one who attacks," Chavez said. "Who started the attack first? Obama."
Chavez recalled that shortly before Mr. Obama took office, the new president had accused Chavez of acting as a "destructive force" in the region.
"Obama said Chavez has been an obstacle to Latin America's development. What ignorance," Chavez said. "The real obstacle to the development of Latin America, Mr. Obama, has been the empire you now preside over."
The U.S. remains the top buyer of Venezuelan oil despite long-standing political tensions.
Chavez has at times expressed hope for a better relationship under Mr. Obama.
"They're very bad signals from the new government," Chavez said. "We'll keep waiting, but we aren't desperate."
© MMIX, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
- "We ask only for respect for Venezuela, nothing else," Chavez said.
------------------------------------
..... and this respect will be earned by name calling.... Do we really care what this person has to say? - Reply to this comment
- Even the small time Chavez and the Chinese ships are mocking Obama because of Obama's military and economic incompetence. These, following the earlier mockings by Al-Qaeda's Zawahri calling Obama a house negro, Russia Ignoring Obama's request for help in persuading Iran to stop uranim enrichment and Iran giving Obama lessons about his naivete when he said talking with terrorists and rogue nations without preconditions,instead Iran is giving Obama preconditions before starting negotiations . We are going back to the Jimmy Carter era and pre-9/11 mentality.
- Reply to this comment
- We need to remember that Chavez is famous for spilling words before actual thinking takes place in his primitive head. Most educated people in Latin America consider him an uneducated buffon, who will have to swallow in the near future many of the vulgar statements he has uttered in the last ten years.
- Reply to this comment
- LOL @ Chavez....
What's he going to do? Stop selling us his oil?
The more he opens up his mouth, the louder pro-drill crowd will want to exploit the US oil shale reserves. - Reply to this comment
- Hugo Chevez has said and done many stupid things in his time. Saying that Obama is "Ignorant of International Politics" isn't one of them.
-------
aziridine, did you have some ulterior motive for altering the quotation from Chavez? When you put something in quotation marks, it really should be verbatim, you know. Now one is inclined to wonder about more than just Obama's ignorance. - Reply to this comment
- Im not a great Chavez fan, but Obama has NOTHING on Chavez. Obama has run his once prosperous country into the ground. And when the masses down there finally wake up and find they are poorer and starving like never before, it will be TOO LATE AND THEY WILL BE TOO WEAK FROM STARVATION TO FIGHT HIM. All because of a lack of education of the masses.
Wow! it works BOTH way!! - Reply to this comment
- Who is negotiating with Mahmood on behalf of the US? Posted by gravyboat63
__________________________________________________________
Don't worry, Obama PROMISED that he'd TALK to Mahmoud AssholMiniBod. Obama will offer magic words and all will be miraculously solved! He's a Magic Man, He's a Magic Man!!! - Reply to this comment
- -why should Ameerican or its leader learn anything about a wanna-be leftist government?
Posted by tj217-2009
____________________________________________________________________________
Well, that's simple tj217......because America's "leader" IS a leftist! - Reply to this comment
- Hugo Chevez has said and done many stupid things in his time. Saying that Obama is "Ignorant of International Politics" isn't one of them. Obama has virtually no experience on the international scene (except for his meddling in Kenyan politics on behalf of fellow Luo tribesman Raili Odinga).
On this score, rare as it is....Chavez is correct. - Reply to this comment
- Why does anybody listen to what this #%^$% idiot says? It's like saying britney spears, lindsey lohan and paris hilton have something important to say.
Posted by rjdeb
Interesting now...it's 'why try?' But Bush was an idiot...an embarrassment...holding America down in the 'eyes of the world'. So what's the excuse now? Why...the leaders are the idiots of course...can't be Obama! Liberals never run out of excuses why THEY might be wrong. - Reply to this comment
- hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....funniest story of the day. Hey, Obama....invite him to tea!!! He just needs to be VALIDATED! Hahahahhaaaaaaaaaaaa....
- Reply to this comment
- Who is negotiating with Mahmood on behalf of the US?
by gravyboat63
while attempting to negotiate - Reply to this comment
- So to those that think Chavez is such a nice guy..............Fish On!!!!
Posted by Questionews at 12:20 PM : Mar 23, 2009
well said. - Reply to this comment
- You can't negotiate with crazy people
by msay3 at 9:18 AM
The United States probably should keep that in mind while attempting to negotiate with Ahmadinejad. - Reply to this comment
- Chavez is just like the Taliban, Al quaeda, and orther militants. He wants the USA to leave him alone and let him do with his continent as he wishes. (No, I didn't make a mistatement, he thinks South America is his apple to eat and they think the world is theirs)
- Reply to this comment
- Hasn't anyone assassinated this idiot yet? What's taking so long? Venezuela deserves a decent leader - not a complete moron with 'size' issues! LOL
- Reply to this comment
- how can ignorance recognize 'ignorance'? It can't.
- Reply to this comment
- Why does anybody listen to what this #%^$% idiot says? It's like saying britney spears, lindsey lohan and paris hilton have something important to say.
- Reply to this comment
- Is so sad to know that people from Venezuela vote for such a ignorant person to be their president and now they are paying their consecuences , he wants to be like Fidel Castro from Cuba make all that people be hangry and control their food and money is sad we are in the 21 century and we keep seeing this, next time you guys elect a president please be more carefull and think what you guys will do, don't do it and then think ....
- Reply to this comment
- Nothing like an angry wannabee dictator.
- Reply to this comment



The road ahead in Afghanistan, and the crucial decision Obama faces.



