[progchat_action] "Mr. King, we are not going to shut up"
 
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:42:08 -0600 (CST)

Chavez Lashes Back at Spanish King

By Eduardo Gallardo
The Associated Press
November 11, 2007

Santiago, Chile      - President Hugo Chavez lashed back at Spain's king
Sunday for telling him to "shut up" during a summit, suggesting the monarch
knew in advance of a 2002 coup that briefly ousted the Venezuelan leader
from power.

Chavez claimed that Spain's ambassador had backed interim president Pedro
Carmona and appeared at Venezuela's presidential palace during the two-day
coup in 2002. He demanded to know how deeply King Juan Carlos had been
involved.

"Mr. King, did you know about the coup d'etat against Venezuela, against the
democratic, legitimate government of Venezuela in 2002?" Chavez said before
reporters in Santiago. "It's very hard to imagine the Spanish ambassador
would have been at the presidential palace supporting the coup plotters
without authorization from his majesty."

Chavez touched off the spat Sunday at the closing session of a summit of
Latin American nations, Spain and Portugal. Chavez accused former Spanish
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of backing the 2002 coup and repeatedly
calling him a "fascist" in an address to leaders gathered in the Chilean
capital.

Spain's current prime minister, socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero,
asked Chavez to be more diplomatic and show respect for other leaders
despite political differences.

Chavez continued to interrupt as Zapatero spoke, although his microphone was
off.

King Juan Carlos, seated next to Zapatero, then leaned toward Chavez and
loudly asked, "Por que no te callas?" - or "Why don't you shut up?"

The leftist Venezuelan leader has often grabbed attention with flamboyant
speeches at international gatherings, including calling President Bush the
"devil" on the floor of the United Nations last year.

Chavez regularly accuses Washington of helping orchestrate the 2002 coup
against him - a charge U.S. officials deny. U.S. and Spanish ambassadors did
meet with Carmona and his newly appointed foreign minister on April 13,
2002, hours before Chavez was restored to power following massive
demonstrations.

Officials at the Spanish Embassy in Venezuela and the royal palace in Madrid
could not be reached for comment Sunday.

In comments published by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Chavez recalled his
spat with the monarch. "He acted like an angry bull" as he stormed out,
Chavez said. "I'm no bullfighter - but ole!"

Chavez, who faces violent protests at home against proposed constitutional
reforms that would greatly boost his power, said the incident had been
exaggerated by the media.

"I hope this will not damage relations," Chavez said as he left his Santiago
hotel room Sunday morning. "But I think it's imprudent for a king to shout
at a president to shut up."

"Mr. King, we are not going to shut up," he said.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gaFu0-_1b2SMkcrpeb7SM4hzTBlAD8SRR1CO2

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