Do birds of a feather flock together?

Or is Venezuela's Hugo Chavez simply willing to embrace any repressive, authoritarian, and/or murderous regime as long as it happens to be anti-American?





















Well, as the BBC reported on November 21:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has defended jailed killer "Carlos the Jackal" and several world leaders he says are wrongly considered "bad guys".

In a speech to international socialist politicians, Mr Chavez said "Carlos", a Venezuelan, was not a terrorist but a key "revolutionary fighter". [....]

In his speech, Mr Chavez also described Presidents Mugabe and Ahmadinejad - who like Mr Chavez are strong critics of the US - as brothers.

About former Ugandan President Idi Amin, Mr Chavez said: "We thought he was a cannibal... I don't know, maybe he was a great nationalist, a patriot."

Idi Amin seized power in 1971. About 300,000 people were killed during his eight-year rule.

Now here's a headline and some content from a Reuters article datelined Wednesday:

Venezuela blames U.S. for "destabilizing" Iran
30 Dec 2009 15:33:55 GMT
Source: Reuters

* Chavez government shows solidarity with Ahmadinejad
* Venezuela-Iran ties have strengthened this year

CARACAS, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government accused the United States on Wednesday of fomenting violence to undermine the Iranian administration. [....]

Venezuela's statement expressed "solidarity" with Iran and praise for "its tireless struggle for the consolidation of the Islamic Revolution." [....]

Etc. You can draw your own conclusions.

--Jeff Weintraub