Hugo {Hearts} Hamas

Never to miss an opportunity to blame the USA while at the same time siding against Israel, Hugo Chavez has issued a statement condemming Israel's attack against Hamas. The official statement issued by the Venezuelan government's Ministry of the Exterior, dated Saturday, December 27, reads (my translation):

The United States government is the only government in the world that is complicit in this attack, and it's befuddling to hear its spokesman, Gordon Jhondroe, call for an end to attacks on Israel as a means to end violence in the region. This action could well be the "golden finishing touch" of the criminal administration that is ending its term, an agonizing order, filled with violence and known throughout the world for its repeated lack of respect towards human rights.

The inflammatory language of the statement comes as no surprise to anyone, considering how Chavez has referred to President Bush in the past, but also because Chavez has repeatedly fostered ties to enemies of Israel.

Just last November Chavez and Iran's Ahmadinejad (who has sworn the destruction of Israel) "boasted that they would defeat U. S. imperialism together".

Earlier this year the US Treasury Department designated a Venezuelan diplomat as a Hezbollah supporter and froze his assets in the US. According to the Jerusalem Post Venezuelan diplomat Ghazi Nasr al Din, former Charge d’ Affaires at the Venezuelan Embassy in Damascus and Director of Political Aspects at the Venezuelan Embassy in Lebanon, who is also president of a Caracas-based Shi’a Islamic Center, used his position to give financial assistance to Hezbollah. Along with Nasr al Din, the Treasury Department also designated Fawzi Kan'an as a Hezbollah supporter and stated that the Venezuelan government was "employing and providing safe harbor to Hizballah facilitators and fundraisers." Earlier in June, Venezuelan journalist Patricia Puleo had reported that Venezuelans of Arab ancestry are being recruited under the auspices of Tarek el Ayssami, Venezuela’s vice-Minister of the Interior, for combat training in Hezbollah camps in South Lebanon.

Back in 2006 Hezbollah posters in Beirut were thanking Chavez for his petition asking that Israel be "taken to court" for war crimes allegedly committed during the 34-day war with Lebanon.

In Hugo's mind, the enemies - Hamas, Hezbollah, or anyone else who serves his purpose - of his enemy are his friends.

Fausta Wertz also blogs at faustasblog.com.