Eideard

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Drawing on 2006 remarks in which he compared former U.S. President George Bush to the devil, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, speaking at the United Nations, said, “It doesn’t smell like sulfur anymore.”

In a rambling speech at the U.N. General Assembly, Chavez spoke highly of current President Obama, saying he is an “intelligent man” and comparing him to President John F. Kennedy.

“I hope God will protect Obama from the bullets that killed Kennedy,” he said. “I hope Obama will be able to look and see, genuinely see, what has to be seen and bring about a change.”

Three years ago, Chavez spoke at the gathering the day after Bush spoke, and said the lectern “still smells of sulfur.”

But on Thursday he looked around the podium and said, “It doesn’t smell of sulfur. It’s gone. No, it smells of something else. It smells of hope.”

I have agreements – and disagreements – with Chavez. Must admit I appreciate his understanding of American humor.

Of course, most of what he said was playing to the Latin American audience and went straight over the TV talking heads.

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In a potentially significant step toward repairing their tattered relationship, the United States and Venezuela have formally agreed to resume full diplomatic relations, the State Department.

Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the two nations exchanged notes that in effect formalized pledges that President Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made at the Summit of the Americas in April to reinstall ambassadors who were expelled in September.

U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy and his Venezuelan counterpart, Bernardo Alvarez, soon will resume their former posts in Caracas and Washington, respectively, Kelly said. Each country’s embassy had remained open and formal relations were never fully cut.

Kelly said the move would “help advance U.S. interests” by improving communication with the Venezuelan government and citizens…

Analysts said the resumption of full diplomatic relations with Venezuela reflects the important commercial ties between the nations, the Obama administration’s desire for better Latin American relations and Chavez’s need to improve his image…

During the Bush administration, relations between the two nations were abysmal, with leaders on both sides routinely exchanging insults. But relations seemed to improve at the April summit, where Obama and Chavez exchanged friendly greetings and Chavez presented Obama with a book.

Since taking office, Obama has said he wants “a new beginning” with Latin countries and has pledged to alleviate suspicions and work cooperatively with nations in the region.

A significant chunk of my years of political [and other] activism supporting movements of national liberation took place in Latin America. I’ve long held that commerce is a better way to solve conflicts than trotting out the imperial army. Looks like a few folks in DC think so, too. Now.

Galeano at an interview in Mexico a few weeks ago
Daylife/AFP/Getty Images

Originally, I was just going to note that Hugo Chavez – treating Barack Obama like someone with a brain – gave him a book as a welcoming present to the Summit of the Americas. It’s been decades since I read “Open Veins of Latin America” by Eduardo Galeano. I planned on working up a note or two about it and recommending it to thoughtful readers.

I guess I’m not alone in that thought.

In just hours, the book rocketed to bestseller status on online book store Amazon.com.

The English version was at No. 14 on the site’s list of top sellers. Friday, it had been No. 60,280.

The book topped Amazon’s “Movers and Shakers” list on Saturday — with a reported 466,378-percent increase in popularity on the site…

After receiving the gift, Obama jokingly said he thought it was a book Chavez had written.

“I was going to give him one of mine,” he quipped…

Written in the early ’70s and reissued in several new editions since then, the book is an “analysis of the effects and causes of capitalist underdevelopment in Latin America,” according to one reviewer, who called it a “passionate account of 500 years of Latin American history, written with drama, humor, and compassion.”

The average American may not know that the Monroe Doctrine is considered a license for imperial theft throughout much of Latin America. Reading the book, they may learn why.

Hugo Chavez – and his wee grandson – celebrate
Daylife/AP Photo by Fernando Llano

Venezuelans have voted to lift limits on terms in office for elected officials, allowing President Hugo Chavez to stand for re-election. With 94% of votes counted, 54% backed an end to term limits, a National Electoral Council official said.

“The doors of the future are wide open,” Mr Chavez shouted from the balcony of the Miraflores presidential palace after the results were announced.

“In 2012 there will be presidential elections, and unless God decides otherwise, unless the people decide otherwise, this soldier is already a candidate.”

Crowds of the president’s supporters filled in the streets, letting off fireworks, waving red flags and honking car horns.

More than 11 million voters out of almost 17 million who were eligible took part in Sunday’s referendum, said the head of the electoral body. International observers said the ballot was free and fair, and opposition leaders were quoted as saying they would not contest the vote.

Term limits are one of my pet peeves. As pissed off as I get about reactionary politicians being re-elected, I have no right to demand that voters have no choice to vote for them, again. Right-wingers only bring up the question when there are popular left-wing or liberal candidates in office.

In fact, the archetype for this was the 2-term limit passed in the United States after World War 2 – passed by conservatives afraid there might be another liberal Democrat candidate in the mold of Franklin Roosevelt. They have the same fears over Barack Obama, nowadays.

“Isn’t it fun busting balls on American politicians?”

Russian and Venezuelan energy firms have agreed to work on an energy cooperation pact, at a meeting of their respective presidents. The two countries have been rapidly building closer military and economic ties, and have spoken of their opposition to US global dominance.

The latest deal calls for broader co-operation on oil and gas production.

Russia withdrew from Latin America when the Soviet Union collapsed but there are now signs of a new Russian assertiveness in the region. Venezuela is already one of the best customers of the Russian defence industry, with signed contracts promising to bring Russia more than $4 billion in weapons sales.

But…it is the political dimensions of the relationship that lead many analysts to ask whether Russia is now actively trying to create a counterbalance to American influence, starting in South America.

Americans, of course, think the Monroe Doctrine still works and the rest of the world cowers away from Latin America as the sole property of the United States.