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发帖数: 29846 | 1 Venezuela could become a haven for the Libyan leader
Sarah ChildressAugust 22, 2011 11:12
It’s always nice to see dictators sticking up for each other.
Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, has come out in support of
embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
To be fair, they both have a lot in common. They share a protracted hatred
of western powers generally, and the United States specifically. Both
countries are awash in oil. Chavez set up a program to distribute heating
oil to poor Americans. Gaddafi has shared his largess with African nations,
building mosques and investing in other projects. Both men are infamous for
their painfully long public speeches.
They’ve also built up cults of personality: Chavez calls his style of
governance chavismo, named for himself, and likes to appear in public
wearing his signature crimson beret. He has a penchant for dancing on his
personal television show, a largely unscripted affair. Gaddafi, meanwhile,
refers to himself as the King of Kings, sleeps in tents when he travels and
has a bevy of female bodyguards who are almost as famous as he is.
Over the weekend, Chavez, who is battling cancer and preparing for a
reelection battle next year, took time to appear on national television to
vent about what he saw as NATO’s interference in Libya.
“Today they dropped I don’t know how many bombs, and they’re falling
in a shameless and open way... on schools, hospitals, homes, work places,
factories, farm fields at this very moment,” Chavez said, according to the
Associated Press. “It’s the excuse to intervene and seize a country and
its riches."
As of Monday morning, it was unclear where Gaddafi may be hiding—or heading
—amid the rebel’s assault on Tripoli. But Venezuela is on the list of
possible havens. If the King of Kings comes knocking, it seems like he can
expect a red-carpet welcome. |
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