Chavez Says: “Go To Hell, Gringos!”

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez used three words that readers in emails have often aimed at yours truly:

President Hugo Chavez told U.S. officials to “Go to hell!” on his weekly radio and TV show Sunday for what he called unacceptable meddling after Washington raised concerns about a measure to grant Venezuela’s fiery leftist leader broad lawmaking powers.

Chavez is, in-effect, ascending to fill the role that Cuba’s dying and descending Fidel Castro once held. And with apparent gusto:

The National Assembly, which is controlled by the president’s political allies, is expected to give final approval this week to what it calls the “enabling law,” which would give Chavez the authority to pass a series of laws by decree during an 18-month period.

On Friday, U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said Chavez’s plans under the law “have caused us some concern.”

Chavez rejected Casey’s statement in his broadcast, saying: “Go to hell, gringos! Go home!”

Chavez, who was re-elected by a wide margin last month, has said he will enact sweeping reforms to remake Venezuela into a socialist state. Among his plans are nationalizing the main telecommunications company and the electricity and natural gas sectors.

The president’s opponents accuse him of using his political strength to expand his powers.

His statement underscores several realities. (1) The U.S. needs Venezuela (oil) more than it needed Cuba. (2) Chavez doesn’t feel seriously threatened by the U.S. and (3) Chavez will do what he wants to do and say what he wants to say (because the U.S. needs Venezuela to a certain extent and because he doesn’t feel seriously threatened by Washington).