Venezuela's Chavez gives lukewarm backing to Gaddafi

Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:09pm GMT


CARACAS Feb 26 (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said he supports the government of fellow OPEC member Libya but shied away from defending his friend Muammar Gaddafi, whose troops diplomats and Libyans say have shot protesters.

Chavez said he had not been able to talk with Gaddafi and could only rely on media reports he suspected of being biased for information about events in the North African country.

"I can't say that I support, or am in favor, or applaud all the decisions taken by any friend of mine in any part of the world, no, one is at a distance. But we do support the government of Libya," Chavez said late on Friday during a cabinet meeting.

Poor neighborhoods of the Libyan capital Tripoli openly defied Gaddafi on Saturday as his grip on power after 41 years of rule looked increasingly tenuous in the face of the nationwide revolt.

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http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFN2616789920110226

People saying he's not backing, people saying he is, people saying that he supports the "government" but that doesn't mean he supports Gaddafi, etc.

That ought to get some shit stirred up for you :-)

I don't have a problem with people liking Chavez. I do find it curious that some people here seem to idolize him- and I don't say that lightly- and defend him no matter what.

but it's too early in what looks to be a pretty day to get started on that.
surely you can understand.

He is,IMO, the emancipator of the poor in his country and has created a nation to emulate.
I do not know the context of these statements. Actions speak much louder than words and his actions have impressed me.
I must be a pinko...

If Chavez continues to support Khaddafi then he (Chavez) has some kind of blind-spot- which some other people I've read have -
that Khaddafi was at some point anti-imperialist and therefore he must be defended, and therefore the opposition to him is catalyzed by imperialists.

That is nonsense.

If K once was or still is anti-imperialist is not the point. The point is he is killing people. And that is not some western-capitalist propaganda. Since I get my information from Presstv (Iran) not exactly a propaganda tool of the west, and since Al- Jazeera and every other newsource has been reporting the same thing.

so there is no gray area here, and if in truth Chavez is making allowances for Khaddafi then that is a real disappointment.