President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela stunned the UN last Wednesday when he called President Bush �the devil�. At the beginning of his speech he also displayed a copy of Noam Chomsky’s “Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance”, and recommended American�s read it. The next day the book was the third bestseller on Amazon.com (which may be even higher than Bush�s endorsement of �My Pet Goat� during 9/11).

By Friday, Chavez continued his attack during a visit to a Harlem church. He told the audience who came to see him at the church that “Bush is an alcoholic, a sick man with a lot of hang-ups.� Chavez went on to say that, “Every day I ask God, and the sooner the better, for the American people to elect a president who you can talk with, who you can work with, who you can talk with face-to-face as a brother and see each other as equals. Not this gentleman who walks like John Wayne.” Chavez also said Bush “doesn’t know anything about politics. He got there because of Daddy.” Charles Rangel, a Democrat who represents Harlem, condemned Chavez�s anti-Bush remarks. “If there’s any criticism of President Bush, it should be restricted to Americans whether they voted for him or not,” said Rangel.

However, Chavez�s speech was not confined to Bush-bashing. He also announced that Citgo, the US subsidiary of Venezuela�s state-run PDVSA oil company, would more than double the amount of heating oil to poor American families to 100 million gallons this winter. Chavez said the oil would be distributed in 18 states, including a Native American group in Alaska. Last year Citgo sold oil to poor communities at 40 percent below the market price, angering many in Washington. Chavez has been known for his readiness to assist poor Americans where the American government has failed. One such notable action was a donation to Hurricane Katrina victims of 5 million dollars, medicine, water, and power plants, which the American government turned down.
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