Chavez to Bush! A Farewell Message:

Chavez hopes Gaza situation improves under Obama

President Hugo Chavez criticized the U.S. government for not stopping Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip and expressed hope the conflict will ease under the incoming administration.

Chavez, who a day earlier expelled the Israeli ambassador to protest the Gaza offensive, said Venezuela hopes the situation will change once President-elect Barack Obama takes office.

"We are going to wait until Mr. Obama arrives, to see if he uses all the empire's power to stop the aggression," he said, using the term he often employs to describe the U.S.

Israel launched air and ground strikes on Gaza on Dec. 27 to stop the Palestinian militant group Hamas from firing rockets into southern Israel.

After Venezuela announced it was kicking out Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Cohen and part of the embassy's personnel, Israel said it was considering expelling Venezuela's diplomats in response.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Cohen was informed in writing that he and his diplomatic staff must leave Venezuela within 72 hours. He said the letter did not refer to any severing of diplomatic relations.

David Scott Palmer, a Boston University international relations professor, said Chavez sees the action as having little or no downside.

It serves to show Chavez's "solidarity with the Palestinians, with the Muslim world, and with most of his fellow members of OPEC," Palmer said. "The decision is unlikely to ruffle the feathers of the U.S. any more than usual."

The long-tense relations between Venezuela and the U.S. reached a low in September, when Chavez withdrew his ambassador from Washington and expelled the U.S. envoy in a show of support for Bolivia, which had accused the U.S. of meddling in domestic affairs. U.S. officials denied the allegations.

The socialist leader has since expressed hope relations will improve under Obama, but said Wednesday the new U.S. president will have to confront the situation in Gaza.

"This is Obama's first test - along with the war in Iraq, and respect for the people of Latin America," he said.

"We're not very optimistic," he added.

Daniel Hellinger, a political scientist at Webster University in St. Louis, said Chavez's move "will only add another obstacle to restoring normal relations between the U.S. and Venezuela."

But he added it is "not insurmountable."

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[kanthasingh54]

true......chavez's cool.....long live venezuela....

[SoLdiEr786x]

viva venezuela

[lunafringe10]

to say Bush is a donkey, is a huge insult; TO THE DONKEYS.

[toohnooch]

@lunafringe10 tha's true george stupid bush absofuckinglutly becoming a joke in his last days :)

[parissmiling1]

Brave Hugo Chavez does not support Iraqi people, but he stands for whatever is right. And in this case, right is indeed very obvious. When Mr. 'Donkey' Bush kills thousand of people and rape families from stability by destroying whole cities and civilizations to get his hand on oil, what do you call it? All of the terms he amusingly just mentioned.

[zoeyounis]

I was a very big fan of Chavez until he insulted the donkeys, murders, alcoholist, mentally ill people, assasins etc... Bush is something else , he personofies The Devil. He IS Satan.

[Bilderbergz]

Why do they call him a dictator? because he actually SPEAKS against the US Imperialist policies and its negative drawbacks on third world countires. Why do they call him dictator? Because he is not a puppet unlike many Latin American presidents, who only care about US interests and not what the people want. Dictator means something else now a days, it means STANDING UP AGAINST THE UNITED STATES xD

[latiFooh]

presiden mr hugo chavez. I have all the respect of the world for you. STRONG LEADER. VERY SMART

[FcukIsrael]

We love you mr.chavez, but don't you think you were a little tough on the donkeys? Surely they must feel insulted when you call bush one of them.

[rickbar123]

lolololo

[riacatan]

venezolanos de mierda hijos de puta se los va cargar la vergototota

[sedraopamp]

the problem isn't USA, it's international zionism. USA is manipulated by zionism terribly. Moreover, USA is the footman of world elite concentrated in Bielderbeg group.