Friends and foes ... Hugo Chavez lined up with some internationally questionable leaders.
Friends and foes ... Hugo Chavez lined up with some internationally questionable leaders. Photo: AP
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez may have started a new term, but it was the old, anti-imperialist, anti-US drive that characterised his first press conference since winning re-election for six more years.
Lambasting Washington – though he said he would vote for Barack Obama if he could – backing Syria's President, Bashar al-Assad, and accusing Europe of cashing in on the death of Muammar Gaddafi, Mr Chavez came out swinging after his comfortable victory on Sunday.
On ebullient and provocative form, the president accused the US of fomenting unrest in the Middle East, particularly in Syria. "This is a crisis that has been planned and provoked . . . Syria is a sovereign nation. This crisis has a single cause: the world has entered into a new era of imperialism. It's madness. The US government has been among the most irresponsible. I hope Obama rethinks this," he said.
Venezuela has supported the Syrian government by shipping oil to make up for shortfalls caused by US-initiated embargoes.
"How can I not support Assad. He's the legitimate leader . . . We will continue in our support and advocate peace," Mr Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace in Miraflores.
He also lamented the death of his friend, the former Libyan leader Gaddafi. "The way he died was a barbarity. Gaddafi was assassinated almost on TV." He said the former Libyan leader had sent him a last message, in which he compared himself to Che Guevara: "I shall die like Che – I will be a martyr."
Europe, he said, had frozen billions in Libyan assets, which was "convenient" at a time when it was facing its own financial crisis.
Some foreign forces were quick to congratulate Mr Chavez on his victory. Other leftwing leaders in Latin America gave celebration calls. Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, reportedly told him the election news was the "best present I could have for my 60th birthday".
Mr Chavez castigated the foreign media's coverage of the election, which he won with 54.4 per cent of the vote against 44.9 per cent for Capriles.
"I've read that Venezuela is divided. But the US is also divided. Every country is divided," Mr Chavez said. "I won by 10 points and the foreign media call the victory slim. How much did Hollande win by in France? How much will Obama win by? You know Obama is my candidate? . . . I would vote for him if I could."
Mr Chavez accused outside forces of trying to oust him in the presidential election.
"We didn't just defeat [his rival, Henrique] Capriles. We also defeated an international coalition. This wasn't just a domestic battle."
He said voters had been inundated with 500,000 automated messages from the US and Europe urging them to back Mr Capriles.
"How much did this cost? Who has the capacity to do such a thing?", he asked. "The great transnational phone companies were supporting Capriles. It was electoral harassment."
With six more years in power, the Venezuelan president said he would ask the opposition for proposals and look for possible areas of collaboration, though he emphasised that past efforts had come to nothing.
"The opposition has a catastrophic vision for the country," he said. "They deny everything the government achieves."
Guardian News & Media