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This is a topic from the Current Politics and Religious Topics forum on inthe00s.
Subject: Venezuelan President Clashes with the King of Spain at Latin American Summit
Written By: laffytaffy on 11/12/07 at 9:52 pm
From: TOKJCT
Published on venezuelanalysis.com (http://www.venezuelanalysis.com)
Venezuelan President Clashes with the King of Spain at Latin American Summit
Author:
Chris Carlson - Venezuelanalysis.com
Caracas, November 12, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com )- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez clashed verbally with King of Spain Juan Carlos at the Latin American Summit in Chile on Saturday. The Spanish King told the Venezuelan president to "shut up" after losing his patience with Chavez' interventions at the Summit, causing a sharp response from the Venezuelan leader.
The conflict began after Chavez labeled former president of Spain, Jose Maria Aznar, a "fascist" for his continued criticisms of Chavez and the political process in Venezuela. The comment offended the Spanish delegation led by current Spanish President José Luis RodrÃguez Zapatero.
"You all know that Jose Maria Aznar, I said it yesterday and I'll repeat it today, that man is a fascist," said the Venezuela President at the closing session of the Summit. Chavez accused Aznar of knowing about, and supporting the 2002 coup d'etat in Venezuela that temporarily overthrew the Chavez government.
President Chavez' statements provoked a response from Zapatero, who demanded "respect" for all political leaders, regardless of their ideology.
"You can be against a certain ideological position, and I am not very close to the ideas of Aznar, but he was elected by the Spanish people, and I demand respect," said Zapatero to Chavez.
But it was when Chavez attempted to answer Zapatero, explaining that the ex-president Aznar continues to criticize Venezuela in public, that King Juan Carlos lost his patience, and said to Chavez "Why don't you shut up?" while angrily pointing a finger at Chavez.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, Bolivian President Evo Morales, and Cuban Vice-President Carlos Lage all came to the defense of the Venezuelan President, while President of Peru Alan Garcia expressed his support for the Spanish King, as did the government of Chile.
It wasn't until the following day that Chavez responded to the King's statements, saying that he hadn't heard what he said.
"People have asked me why I didn't respond to him, but I didn't hear what the King said," said Chavez to journalists outside his hotel in Chile. "There was noise. I didn't even see the king, or hear him."
The Venezuelan president stated that he would never shut up, and accused the Spanish king of also supporting the 2002 coup d'état in Venezuela.
"I'm not going to shup up, and they won't shut me up because I'm not speaking for myself, I am speaking for millions, the millions who are the children of Bolivar, the millions who are children of Guaicaipuro and Manuela (Saenz), Jose Leonardo Chirinos, and all of those who the Spanish murdered, ambushed, and slaughtered here," he said.
Chavez directed a question directly at the Spanish King, demanding to know if he was involved in the Venezuelan coup.
"Now the debate has begun Mr. King. Answer this: Did you know about the coup d'état against Venezuela, against the democratic, legitimate government of Venezuela in 2002?"
Chavez asked if perhaps the King is angry about his comments against Aznar because he was also involved in the Venezuelan coup. Chavez explained that the Spanish government at that time openly supported the coup, and that the Spanish ambassador to Venezuela, along with the US ambassador, both went to the presidential palace in Venezuela to greet the coup leaders.
"The Spanish ambassador, with the US ambassador, went to applaud (the coup) while I was in jail," said Chavez. "It's very difficult to think that the Spanish ambassador is going to be in the presidential palace supporting the coup leaders without the authorization of His Majesty."
Although Chavez expressed concern about future relations between the two countries, and stated that he hopes they will not be affected, he assured that he would not change his posture.
"We've been here for 500 years and we'll never shut up, much less at the demands of a monarch," he said. "If I shut up, the people of Latin America would scream. They are ready to be free of all colonialism after 500 years."
Image Description:
King of Spain Juan Carlos, sitting next to Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, tells the Venezuelan president to shut up (YVKE Mundial)
Source URL: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/2827
Links:
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/
Subject: Re: Venezuelan President Clashes with the King of Spain at Latin American Summit
Written By: MaxwellSmart on 11/12/07 at 10:35 pm
Aznar's father and grandfather both supported Franco in the Spanish Civil War and were propagandists for his fascist regime. Aznar himself has a record of favoring privitizing public resources, restrictions on social welfare benefits, tax cuts favoring the wealthy, and so forth. He's a right-winger, but not technically a "fascist."
Chavez better be careful what he says because people might get mad at him!
:P
Subject: Re: Venezuelan President Clashes with the King of Spain at Latin American Summit
Written By: Macphisto on 11/12/07 at 11:43 pm
Well, it's no big secret that most Spanish-speaking countries are known for their poverty and corruption. Good old Catholicism....
Despite Spain's history of fascism, it fares better than any other Spanish country in terms of quality of life -- considerably better than Venezuela as well.
I found it rather amusing to hear the king tell Chavez to shut up, but I suppose monarchs are most known for their attempts to silence dissent. Chavez seems to be best known for rallying people with rhetoric.