Fatass Dictator Chavez Likens Himself to Jesus

November 14, 2007

Chavez Likens Self to Jesus

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Likening himself to Jesus Christ, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says that

if he stops talking -- as suggested at the weekend by an irate Spanish

monarch -- "the stones of Latin America will cry out."

Chavez was speaking on his return from an Ibero-American summit in Chile,

which took a sour turn when the outspoken Venezuelan leader repeatedly

called conservative former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar a

"fascist," prompting Spain's King Juan Carlos to tell Chavez to "shut up."

"When the king explodes because of the statements of an Indian, it is the

explosion of 500 years of imperial arrogance, 500 years of royalism, of

outrages, 500 years of feelings of superiority," Chavez said, in reference

to Spain's colonial legacy in Latin America.

"If I stopped talking, the stones of Latin America would cry out, because

the people are willing to be free of any kind of colonialism after 500

years," he added.

In case the allusion to Jesus was missed, the office of the presidency

issued a statement giving the biblical reference (Luke 19:38-40). Urged by

his critics to rebuke his disciples for praising him as one sent from God,

Jesus replied, "I tell you, if these keep silent, the stones would cry out."

The self-styled Bolivarian revolutionary has invoked Jesus before.

When he took an oath starting his new presidential term last January, he did

so in the name of "Christ, the greatest socialist in history."

He also told his critics, including Roman Catholic bishops, that they should

read the Bible (and Marx and Lenin). "Christ was an authentic communist,

anti-imperialist and enemy of the oligarchy," he said.

More recently, reacting this month to bishops' opposition to controversial

attempts to amend Venezuela's constitution, Chavez called them Pharisees,

and said "if Christ was alive, was here physically, he would drive them out

with a whip."

Among other things, the proposed changes will eliminate term limits for the

president. The country is deeply divided over the changes, which will be put

to a referendum on Dec. 2.

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