U.S. role in Egypt crisis "shameful" - Chavez

[Zorro]

<snip>

Venezuela's firebrand leader Hugo Chavez accused the United States Sunday of a "shameful" role in the Egyptian crisis and of hypocrisy for supporting, then abandoning strongmen round the world.

Chavez, Washington's leading critic in the Americas, said he had spoken to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad for a briefing on the protests in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world.

"In Egypt, the situation is complicated, Chavez said.

"Now you are seeing comments from Washington and some European nations. As President Gaddafi said to me, it's shameful, it makes you kind of sick to see the meddling of the U.S., wanting to take control."

<snip>

More at: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20110130/tpl-uk-egypt-usa-chavez-81f3b62.html

Hugo "had spoken to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad for a briefing..." and then criticizes the US of hypocrisy for "urging an orderly transition to democracy in Egypt"?

How amusing.

[Bacchus39]

1. worried he's next maybe??? n/t

s

[social_critic]

4. The autocrats and tyrants' club is worried.

Chavez has made a pretty unsavory set of friends abroad - from Kaddafi to Lukashenko, they are all thugs. Yet he basks in their company, signs deals with them, and throws them kisses and hugs. So I guess he's worried the movement towards democracy in the Arab world is headed in what he considers the wrong direction.

People like Chavez treat democracy like a train - they get on it to get elected, use it as long as its useful, and get off at the right station once they got a strong hold on power. Let's hope the Egyptians do avoid this trap, kick Mubarak out, but don't put in place another group which eventually becomes an arrogant oligarchy peddling whatever they think is convenient to deceive the people.

[EFerrari]

5. "You can fault Chavez for a lot of things but no democracy." -- Lula

[naaman fletcher]

7. Really?

What can you fault him for?

[social_critic]

11. Being a thug?

I would say he's definitely a thug. But if we want to count the pennies, I think the dumbest thing he has done is give all that oil away. Digging up Bolivar's corpse to perform voodoo rites with it was also pretty bad.

[Bacchus39]

8. yes, rule by decree = no democracy n/t

s

[social_critic]

10. This is Lula's biggest flaw

Lula has been so keen on getting business for brazilian companies in Venezuela, he made a pact with the devil. The Brazilians have done quite well - Chavez would rather give them government business because he wants to destroy local capabilities. But it sure is a shame to see how Lula smeared his good name with this line.

[EFerrari]

12. Absurd on its face. n/t

[social_critic]

13. Really?

Lula was interested in getting business for Brazilian CORPORATIONS in Venezuela. Chavez is played like a fiddle, like the chump he is, doesn't even bother to ask for bids. Signs "deals with Lula", then Lula flips the deals to Odebretch, a large Brazilian multinational. Privately owned.

Reality bites, doesn't it?

[EFerrari]

2. At least he didn't meantion our torturer is now Vice President. n/t

[dipsydoodle]

3. Which is unlikely to have gone unnoticed

with the Egyptian population.

I think you'd already picked up on this but just incase : http://www.google.com/search?q=%23Jan25+site:twitter.com&tbs=mbl:1&tbo=1&num=100&hl=en&sa=G&biw=1280&bih=705&ei=_MdATZzzH8KVcYGg_Y0C&ved=0CF0QsQcwBQ

[naaman fletcher]

6. While I agree with him,

I don't see how it is any worse than supporting murderous thugs in Belarus and Iran, like Chavez does.

[bemildred]

9. This is one time I think he should butt out, or stick to supporting the end of the Mubarak regime.

Dragging his argument with the USA into everything is wrong.