Hugo Chavez's and Juan Carlos' family feud

The outburst at last week's Ibero-American summit in Chile between Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Spain's King Juan Carlos had all the hallmarks of a family feud. When Chavez accused the former Spanish prime minister José María Aznar of being a fascist, Spain's current prime minister, José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero insisted that respect be shown to his predecessor — even though, the leftist Zapatero stated, he had little political affinity with the right-wing Aznar. When Chavez continued speaking, the king wagged a finger and demanded, "Why don't you shut up?"

To the contrary, in the days since the incident, Chavez has been speaking out even more, suggesting that the king's rebuke echoed the former Spanish empire's haughtiness and abuse of its onetime Latin American colonies and comparing Latin America's people to the persecuted Christ. It was as if George W. Bush had reproached Queen Elizabeth II for the British army's torching of the White House in the War of 1812.

But Latin America's relationship with the Spanish motherland is considerably more complex and conflicted than the "special relationship" between Britain and the United States. Relations between Spain and its progeny have improved greatly in recent decades, as Spain's governments, banks and businesses have invested heavily, from Cuba to Patagonia. But even after 500 years, resentments remain toward the former colonizer.

It's also worth remembering that during the Spanish Civil War, droves of Republican exiles took refuge in Latin America from Gen. Franco — a man entirely deserving of the "fascist" label. What's more, just imagine the uproar if Britain's opinionated Prince Charles were to tell George Bush (or Hillary Clinton or Rudy Giuliani, for that matter) to shut his yap.

Still, historical aggrievement might not be the only explanation for Chavez's righteous indignation and nationalistic rhetoric about Venezuelan sovereignty. Chavez has been facing mounting opposition at home over his plans to make changes to Venezuela's constitution, including ending presidential term limits, which could extend his reign for years to come. The country's pro-Chavez National Assembly already has approved the proposed changes, and student demonstrators have taken to the streets.

So should President Chavez heed the King's advice? La Plaza reports, you decide.

Posted by Reed Johnson in Mexico City

Photo: Spain's King Juan Carlos, left, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez engage in a verbal sparring match at the Ibero-American summit in Chile. Credit: HO/AFP/Getty Images

Comments

[Toy Leroy]

Economics are a simple law that Chavez, as Bush, seem to not understand. The fact is that Chavez rules because of latin american people ignorance, which grows and prospers in poverty. One way to expel poverty is with the instalation of international free trade treaties, which seem finally widely accepted between the US politicians, assuming the last votation in favor of the Peru FTA. Cheers for that! That will help Latin America more than any financial AID.

[Juan Molina]

It is not a matter if Mr. Chavez outsmarts Bush and the king of spain. It is a matter of teaching this venezuelan donkey to respect others opinions.

Mr Chavez loves to shout to the top of his lungs his dischencantment about the current US administration and even though I strongly dislike this administration; it is of a high remark to see how Mr. Bush has refused to answer the constant negative and even vulgar rethoric of this newly installed dictator.

The fact is Mr. Chavez has been popularly elected and needs to be respected as the leader of Venezuela but that does not give him powers to impose his agenda on the rest of America. He needs to work hard to build a stronger Venezuela for a future in which he will be punished.

Laws of Economics are so simple that we know in a time to come; Oil will be placed in second place in favor of other alternative technologies and Mr. Chavez' angry even stupid rethoric will be quietly forgotten.

[José Ma. Villalobos]

Mr. Hugo Chavez has outsmarted not just His Majesty (?) of Spain but also Mr. George Bush and a good part of UE leaders. His main skill is to take advantage of the ignorance and anger of poorly educated Latin American masses as an effective weapon against local monopolistic business elite.
His success shows that south of the rio Grande something is deeply misunderstood regarding global economics,free competition,free press, democracy and transparency. Mr. Chavez may prevail 50 or 70 yrs ruling Venzuela as Fidel Castro has ruled Cuba mainly because both of them suceed by keeping away civic basic freedoms from the people they are supposed to obey, but also the local elite has to be blamed as their abuses set the field for this type of "saivors".