[progchat_action] Cheney in Geography 101: Hugo Chavez of Peru?
 
Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 09:29:02 -0500 (CDT)

Cheney in Geography 101: Hugo Chavez of Peru?

by Matthew Hay Brown
The Swamp

Quick: Of which major South American country is Hugo Chavez president?

If you answered "Venezuela," the score is now You 1, Dick Cheney 0.

Asked today how concerned he was about the influence of the Bush-baiting
Bolivarian, the vice president appeared to install Chavez as the leader of
Peru.

Or perhaps he was trying to show how little he cared.

"We have refrained from making public pronouncements about Mr. Chavez - I
think, for good and legitimate reasons," Cheney said today during an
appearance before the World Affairs Council of Dallas. "He's a - obviously,
an individual with his own agenda. And he spends a great deal of his time
worrying about us and criticizing the United States.

"My own personal view is that he does not represent the future of Latin
America. And the people of Peru, I think, deserve better in their
leadership. But that's obviously a matter they've got to resolve for
themselves."

For the record, the people of Peru have resolved that they deserve Alan
Garcma in their leadership. They elected Garcma president last year in part
out of fear that rival Ollanta Humala, the choice backed by Chavez, would
turn the country into a Venezuelan satellite. Chavez has been president of
Venezuela since 1999.

Earlier, the vice president had allowed the Dallas audience a glimpse of his
map of the world. Asked why the United States calls China and Russia allies
when they oppose U.S. efforts in Iran and Iraq, he said he would reserve the
word for such traditional friends as NATO partners Britain, Germany, Italy
and Poland.

"I define those as allies," he said. "We're committed to come to one
another's cause in the event any of us should be attacked.

"And when I look at the situation with respect to China and Russia, I would
use a different term, in terms of describing those relationships. I don't
believe they're allies in the traditional sense. I also don't believe
they're enemies in the traditional sense."

"We're at a state with respect to both nations where we have very important
relationships, where it's important those relationships be well managed,
going forward."

The challenge ahead, he said, is that the United States does "everything we
can to see to it that those relationships work out to our national interest.

"And part of that test, obviously, is whether or not they're willing to step
up and be counted in the effort to get Iran to give up its aspirations to be
able to enrich uranium to produce nuclear weapons."

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/11/cheney_in_geograp
hy_101_hugo_c.html

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