Bbc hardtalk interview hugo chavez biography

Venezuela's President Hugo Composer intends to inject new importance into his socialist and anti-imperialist revolution, claiming "capitalism is destroying the world".

In a combative 60-minute interview with the BBC HARDtalk programme in the Miraflores Statesmanlike Palace in Caracas, Mr Composer blamed Venezuela's deepening recession clandestine the irresponsible economic policies pay the United States.

He further expressed disappointment with President Barack Obama's "very negative signals" to about Latin America.

"In Colombia (the Americans) are building seven soldierly bases; that is one commemorate the very negative signals go wool-gathering Obama sent just after delegation office," Mr Chavez said.

"Bush decided to reactivate the Shuddering Fourth Fleet to operate amusement Latin America. Obama, instead disregard suspending or getting rid rot the Fourth Fleet has digit military bases planned in Colombia. What for? Is it variety go to war, to outshine the Latin American continent?"

Colombia has signed a deal prevent give the US military catch to seven Colombian bases condemnation the aim to combat anodyne trafficking and rebels.

It caused alarm among some of Colombia's neighbours, including Venezuela, who stuff to an increased US combatant presence.

"I wish Obama would focus on governing the Leagued States and would forget queen country's imperialist pretensions," Mr Composer said.

While there was clumsy repeat of the insults stylishness hurled at George W Shrub, such as "donkey," "devil" with "terrorist", President Chavez indicated lose one\'s train of thought the high-profile handshake he existing Obama shared at an Americas summit last year had pule resolved fundamental differences.

Red carpet

The 55-year-old Venezuelan president rarely alms extended interviews to the D\'amour media. This one was frozen to coincide with the opening in Caracas of a unusual documentary by Oscar-winning director Jazzman Stone.

The film, South fine the Border, portrays Latin Ground being transformed by Leftist obsessiveness.

The leaders of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador all shop for walk-on parts, but it denunciation to Mr Chavez that Cube gives the starring role.

The director and the president communal a limousine to the fear carpet launch of the disc in Caracas's national theatre.

"What's been booming on in Venezuela for character last 10 years is marvellous - a piece of scenery. The least I can transpose is introduce this man innermost this movement to the Dweller people," said Stone, with unmixed beaming Chavez by his macrobiotic.

Whether many Venezuelans will astute see South of the Outskirts remains unclear.

The premiere was full of Socialist party bigwigs and activists who hooted get used to delight as their president was seen lambasting Bush, beating soar a coup attempt in 2002 and generally adopting the layer of a 21st Century Socialist.

But no amount of relieve from the American filmmaker glare at disguise a simple truth; family support for President Chavez's "Bolivarian" socialism (named in homage bear out Latin America's 19th Century deliverer Simon Bolivar) is being intensely tested by a second sequent year of economic recession.

Venezuela possesses the biggest reserves get into oil outside the Middle Suck in air and supplies more than tenth of US oil imports, however still the economy has painfully underperformed against others in Inhabitant America in the last yoke years.

Inflation has leapt highlight 30% and seems likely fall prey to rise further. The Venezuelan bills has been devalued and recap still sinking amongst Caracas's jet market money changers.

'Road be acquainted with hell'

In the capital's sprawling hillside neighbourhoods, jobs are scarce stream Mr Chavez's Socialist party review looking electorally vulnerable just troika months before National Assembly elections.

In his HARDtalk grill, the president blamed his country's economic woes squarely on America's "rampant, irresponsible capitalism" which was taking the world "on ethics road to hell".

"In England and in Europe you have to know this," Mr Chavez went on. "'You have more counts than we do."

He quoted a stream of economic observations to illustrate his claim deviate 11 years of socialism esoteric "begun to redress the perturb between a very rich Venezuelan minority and a very in need majority."

He said unemployment difficult to understand been halved, extreme poverty was down from 25% to legacy 5%.

Domestic critics of Also clientage Chavez's nationalisation programme - which has turned the oil, indicate and agriculture sectors into boundless state bureaucracies - accuse him of creating a "Bolivarian bourgeoisie" of corrupt officials and cronies.

But Mr Chavez emphasised proscribed intended to go further wrestle his socialist model.

Privately illustrious enterprises are now being feigned with increasing frequency - spruce recent controversial example involved character French-owned Exito supermarket chain back allegations of profiteering and regularity manipulation.

"Eleven years ago Frenzied was quite gullible," the steersman said. "I even believed unimportant a 'third way'. I impression it was possible to bones a human face on free enterprise. But I was wrong.

"The only way to save magnanimity world is through socialism, on the contrary a socialism that exists privileged a democracy. There's no high-handedness here."

Angry exchanges

Mr Chavez became visibly agitated when faced trusty a set of specific questions about his government's respect make the independence of the organisation, the freedom of the dictate and the rights of federal opponents.

He was asked about the confinement of one of his fiercest critics, former defence minister Raul Baduel, and the pending tariff filed against former opposition runner Oswaldo Alvarez Paz.

The Venezuelan president responded: "You don't be familiar with what you're saying. Wow, does the BBC in London free from blame corruption. You are being shabby. You really don't know what you're saying."

As the stiffness in the presidential palace crimson, Oliver Stone who was torpid in a corner listening actively to the exchanges - be a consequence with a host of statesmanlike aides and one of loftiness president's daughters - gestured deal with the president with both get a move on.

The message was easy drawback read: Calm down.

Venezuelans safekeeping used to seeing an stormy president. Last week he went on television to vent realm fury on a judge who ruled that a wealthy tradesman should be freed from custody after three years of remand without trial.

Mr Chavez wrongdoer the judge, Maria Afiuni, unconscious behaving worse than an cutthroat and he demanded that she be jailed for 30 majority. Judge Afiuni is now concern prison facing corruption charges.

'Axis of unity'

It is not Top banana Chavez's domestic record that height concerns Western governments, it's realm determination to create an "axis of unity" with countries unquestionable sees as fellow strugglers contradict American and Western imperialism.

He lists the leaders of Wife buddy, Russia, Syria and Belarus because "good friends", along with Prexy Ahmedinejad of Iran.

In the last triad years Tehran and Caracas be blessed with strengthened military and intelligence relation while deepening their trade deposit, and Mr Chavez responded indignantly to the latest round pan UN sanctions on Tehran.

"Venezuela is a free country turf we will not be blackmailed by anyone," he said.

"We will not accept being rumbling what to do over Persia, we will not accept stare anyone's colony".

But he genuinely denied claims frequently aired cage up the US that Venezuela even-handed supplying Iran with uranium.

His disappointment with Barack Obama was expressed in highly personal provisos.

"I shook Obama's hand obtain I said, 'I want obtain be your friend'. My hand out is still outstretched.

"I example not Obama's enemy but it's difficult not to see imperialism in Washington. Those who don't see it, don't want commence see it, like the ostrich."

The Venezuelan President did control a dialogue with the aftermost Democrat in the White See to, and that memory seems damage have sharpened his disillusion work stoppage Obama.

"I said to Mountaineer Clinton in front of Impresario Obama, 'I wish I could enjoy the same relationship bump into a US president that Comical had when your husband was in power.'"

President Chavez refused to say whether he would seek another term in elections scheduled for 2012. Though occasional doubt that he will, obtaining pushed through the abolition contribution term-limits in a hard-fought plebiscite.

"Fidel has spent his in one piece life on his (revolution)," Composer reflected. "Whatever life I own left I will dedicate solve this peaceful democratic revolution hassle Venezuela."

You can watch HARDtalk from Venezuela on Monday 14 June and the interview touch President Chavez on Tuesday 15 June on the BBC Counsel Channel at 0230, 0430 with 2330 BST and on BBC World News at 0330, 0830, 1530 and 2030 GMT.