海角大神

Ahmadinejad's visit with Ch谩vez likely to sour US-Venezuela relations

Hugo Ch谩vez and his Iranian counterpart share a history of anti-US vitriol. This visit, Ahmadinejad's first since the US sanctioned Venezuela over trade with Iran, will likely add fuel to the fire.

Venezuelan President Hugo Ch谩vez is set Saturday to host his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a state visit likely to further sour relations between Venezuela and the United States.

President Ahmadinejad's visit is his first since the US slapped sanctions on Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, due to its ongoing trade with Iran. And the trip comes immediately after he sparked a walk-out at New York鈥檚 UN General Assembly meeting on Thursday when he called the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks "mysterious" and a pretext for the US to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mr. Ch谩vez himself is no stranger to controversy in the UN's New York auditorium. In his 2006 speech at the Assembly, Ch谩vez stood at the lectern the day after former US President George W. Bush had, and said, 鈥淭he devil came here yesterday,鈥� while theatrically sniffing the air. 鈥淚t smells of sulfur still.鈥� Ch谩vez then made the sign of the cross before clasping his hands in prayer and looking to the roof of the auditorium. The Venezuelan leader went on to describe Bush鈥檚 鈥渄omination, exploitation, and pillage of the peoples of the world.鈥�

Recent leaks of cables by whistle-blowing organization WikiLeaks reveal growing frustration in Washington with Ch谩vez鈥檚 anti-US rhetoric in recent years. One cable describes Ch谩vez鈥檚 repeated 鈥渧itriol鈥� against President Barack Obama, in one instance cursing at him on national television.

Ch谩vez was unable to attend this week's General Assembly meeting, as he underwent his fourth round of chemotherapy in Cuba. He arrived back in Caracas just before midnight on Thursday. 鈥淪uccessful results, satisfactory results, all the vital signals,鈥� he said, speaking to cameras on the tarmac of Caracas鈥� main airport. 鈥淲e have finished the chemotherapy cycle.鈥� He can now begin preparation for presidential elections due on Oct. 7, 2012.

Venezuelan authorities have been keen to at least show a fa莽ade of willing friendship to the US, though always with a dig. Authorities in Caracas announced on Thursday that Ch谩vez had played a key role in the release of two US hostages held in Iran, having been caught hiking on the border in 2009 and accused by Iran of spying. Speaking to Reuters, Deputy Foreign Minister Temir Porras said that Ch谩vez had persuaded his Iranian counterpart to release the men in a 鈥渞espectful, diplomatic, discreet move,鈥� which he compared to the 鈥渁rrogant鈥� demands of US authorities. The two hikers flew out of Iran this week.

Relations are not warm, however. The US hit Venezuela with oil sanctions in May, in response to its continued trade with Iran. This prompted further vitriol from the Venezuelan government. 鈥淲e鈥檒l sell oil to whoever we want to. We don鈥檛 need money from gringos,鈥� said Venezuelan oil minister Rafael Ram铆rez.

The sanctions, however, were largely seen as toothless, as they had no sway over Venezuela鈥檚 oil sales to the US, which account for 45 percent of the Latin American country鈥檚 total. Boris Segura, an economist at investment bank Nomura in New York, described the sanctions as 鈥渇airly inconsequential.鈥� Ch谩vez has, on a number of occasions, threatened to cut oil supplies to the US.

Ch谩vez has also spoken against US involvement in events in Libya, praising Muammar Qaddafi as 鈥渢he liberator of Libya,鈥� and denouncing the rebels as 鈥渢errorists.鈥� He has also said that NATO鈥檚 sole aim in bombing the country is to seize the country鈥檚 oil wealth. 鈥淚t's the excuse to intervene and seize a country and its riches,鈥� Ch谩vez said.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro last week admitted that his government was still in touch with, and providing support to, Venezuelan-born Ilich Ram铆rez S谩nchez, more famously known as Carlos the Jackal.

Mr. Ram铆rez is currently languishing in a French jail and achieved notoriety primarily for his hold-up of a 1975 OPEC meeting in which more than 60 people were taken hostage and three killed. He continued to mastermind killings and dramatic hostage-seizures against Western targets.

Mr. Maduro told state television that authorities remain in contact with the 61-year-old, who faces 鈥渧ery difficult circumstances in France.鈥�

Ch谩vez has corresponded repeatedly with with Ram铆rez, calling him a 鈥渞evolutionary fighter.鈥�