President Chavez calls Bush the Devil

This morning during the UN general Assembly Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called President Bush the devil risking the survival of all humans. It's about time some one said it!

"The hegemonic pretensions of the American empire are placing at risk the very survival of the human species. We continue to warn you about this danger and we appeal to the people of the United States and the world to halt this threat, which is like a sword hanging over our heads.
...
And the devil came here yesterday. Yesterday the devil came here. Right here."

[crosses himself]

"And it smells of sulfur still today.
Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the president of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world. Truly. As the owner of the world.
I think we could call a psychiatrist to analyze yesterday's statement made by the president of the United States. As the spokesman of imperialism, he came to share his nostrums, to try to preserve the current pattern of domination, exploitation and pillage of the peoples of the world.
...
They say they want to impose a democratic model. But that's their democratic model. It's the false democracy of elites, and, I would say, a very original democracy that's imposed by weapons and bombs and firing weapons.
What a strange democracy. Aristotle might not recognize it or others who are at the root of democracy.
What type of democracy do you impose with marines and bombs?
The president of the United States, yesterday, said to us, right here, in this room, and I'm quoting, "Anywhere you look, you hear extremists telling you can escape from poverty and recover your dignity through violence, terror and martyrdom.
Wherever he looks, he sees extremists.
...
The imperialists see extremists everywhere. It's not that we are extremists. It's that the world is waking up. It's waking up all over. And people are standing up.
I have the feeling, dear world dictator, that you are going to live the rest of your days as a nightmare because the rest of us are standing up, all those who are rising up against American imperialism, who are shouting for equality, for respect, for the sovereignty of nations."


Read the full transcript at Drudge Report. The transcript is not yet available on the UN's GA 61 site. However, you can watch the webcast in English or Spanish.

This is not the first time Chavez has spoken his mind about the current US administration. In this CCN article from May, 15 2006 he accused Bush of committing genocide and states that he should be tried in an international court and imprisoned. This is just one example of Chavez's very vocal opposition to Bush.

I find it interesting that the administration is dismissing Chavez out of hand.

John Bolton, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations: "We're not going to address that kind of comic strip approach to international affairs."

Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State: "I am not going to dignify a comment by the Venezuelan president to the president of the United States. I think it is not becoming for a head of state."

Imagine, if you will that he is saying essentially the same thing, with the same passion, about fighting terrorism and defeating Al-Qaeda. I'm pretty sure that instead they'd be praising him up and down for his dedication to the cause of freedom and peace for all people. Or at least, President Bush's version of it.


As a couple of side notes:

Here is President Bush's speech to the UN from Tuesday.

Here is the UN GA 61 main page, for those of you who want to keep up with what is going on.

And a clip from The Dec 7, 2005 Colbert Report. The Word is Hell, yes!, and it talks a bit about Chavez discounting oil for poor American families.