Cuba 50 Year Celebration Tour
Spanish King Tells Chavez to “Shut Up”
At this point one might feel sorry for the Venezuelan people.
To have such an undiplomatic man as their President. Is he an
embarrassing example of Castroism? Will he isolate Venezuela the same
way Castro isolated Cuba? The arrogance seems unlimited. Does he think
the world stage is for childish name calling fits? Is he the Sadaam of
Latin America? Just like his mentor what positive effect has he had for
Latin America other than being a pimple on Americas ass. Is that what
Chavez strives for? What has that gotten Cuba? Or has Castro filled
Chavez’s head with the delusion that he can lead a coalition of
countries against the West. Maybe he should not mistake the Wests
tolerance for weakness. He knows the minute any serious threat comes
from Venezuela his oil fields may not be there the morning after.
Anyway he has his hands full with unhappy students, maybe he should
take them on before he takes on the rest of the world.
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - The king of Spain told Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to “shut up” Saturday during a heated exchange at a summit of leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Chavez, who called President Bush the “devil” on the floor of the United Nations last year, triggered the exchange by repeatedly referring to former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar as a “fascist.”
Aznar, a conservative who was an ally of Bush as prime minister, “is a fascist,” Chavez said in a speech at the Ibero-American summit in Santiago, Chile. “Fascists are not human. A snake is more human.”
Spain’s current socialist prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, responded during his own allotted time by urging Chavez to be more diplomatic in his words and respect other leaders despite political differences.
“Former President Aznar was democratically elected by the Spanish people and was a legitimate representative of the Spanish people,” he said, eliciting applause from the gathered heads of state.
Chavez repeatedly tried to interrupt, but his microphone was off.
Spanish King Juan Carlos, seated next to Zapatero, angrily turned to Chavez and said, “Why don’t you shut up?”
The Venezuelan leader did not immediately respond, but later used time ceded to him by his close ally Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to answer Zapatero’s speech.
“I do not offend by telling the truth,” he said. “The Venezuelan government reserves the right to respond to any aggression, anywhere, in any space and in any manner.”
One might have strong political views and be so deeply against the other side of the political table as to feel even disgusted about it.
But constantly insulting foreign leaders -specially the democratically elected ones- in summits such as this one is quite worse than just being “undiplomatic” and it’s not justified by opposed political views. It’s an aggression.
Someone who so airily talks about freedom of speech should first learn two things:
1.-Insulting is not expressing an opinion.
2.-If you act like a spoilt child and keep interrupting adults in their speaking turn, someone is probably going to tell you to shut up and you’ll deserve it.
So, before Chávez uses again his self defined “freedom” to call everyone else a fascist or insult the next head of state, he should first get acquainted with education and real freedom; or if he doesn’t, I hope he also doesn’t expect to be trated with the respect and education he does not show himself.
Indeed, sometimes his words and actions reminds one of Castro’s.
I certanly pity the Venezolanos for their President.