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Chavez: challenging US

Venezuelan President gets warm welcome by UK Left

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was warmly greeted in London last week, as he paid a visit to London mayor Ken Livingstone.

At the end of his visit however, the US government imposed a full arms ban on Venezuela, claiming Chavez had failed to co-operate in the fight against terrorism.

Chavez has been both hailed and despised for his left-wing policies, and has consistently warned that the US government was plotting to oust him from power.

On his visit to London’s City Hall on May 15, he took a number of swipes at the George Bush-led US government and dismissed suggestions that his government was in any way similar. “Venezuela is accused of being an imperialist country; of monopolising South America,” he said. “But we don’t use weapons of mass destruction.

“We respect the sovereignty of nations. Our policies are based on solidarity, co-operation. That is not recognised in Washington.”

He added: “We have no plans to monopolise oil or gas [in the Caribbean and South American region]. The same way that Europe started with coal, we are starting with oil.”

He also warned that if the US took aggressive action against Iran, he would pull the thousands of barrels of oil that are presently sent there daily.

Livingstone emphasised that the visit was to strengthen ties with the Venezuelan capital Caracas, and promised a cultural exchange later this year. The pair also outlined plans to tackle environmental concerns, with Chavez praising the London mayor’s congestion charge scheme and the environmentally friendly City Hall building.

“The American way of living is simply not sustainable. If we continue like this, our planet simply cannot survive,” he said.

Media speculation abounded as to why Chavez failed to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair on his visit, however he said that it was “a private visit” to thank Mayor Livingstone and trade unions that had long supported his reformist policies.

Chavez had denounced Blair as a “pawn of imperialism” earlier this year.

His visit was marred by protests from Venezuelan dissidents supported by Conservative members of the London Assembly. Conservative leader Bob Neill said: “I am appalled that Londoners are paying to entertain this dictator.

“I believe this man should be shunned by every moderate regime in the world, not wined and dined like a legitimate leader.”

At a previous meeting in central London, Chavez called for a Socialist new world order. He derided countries that did not stand up to the “American empire” as cowards.

On the final leg of his visit, he was welcomed to Parliament by Diane Abbott MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

At the meeting, he addressed Labour MPs, and criticised US foreign policy telling his audience that: “The world is under threat from capitalism because it is spreading like an empire.

“Washington is trying to impose its consensus on the world. This model is unsustainable and is threatening the planet.”

Diane Abbott said: “Hugo Chavez is one of our time’s most articulate and passionate defenders of Socialism and is very brave in standing up to America. However, he is not just talk. As Venezuela’s President, Mr Chavez has introduced an impressive raft of social reforms, including a drive to eradicate illiteracy and the improvement of healthcare for the poor.

“That is why he is such a well-respected man within Socialist circles and we were delighted to get the opportunity to hear him expose his vision of Socialism.”

Published: 24 May 2006
Issue: 1219

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