[NYTr] AP: "Mr. King, we are not going to shut up"

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Steven L. Robinson - activ-l

AP via Google - Nov 11, 2007
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gaFu0-_1b2SMkcrpeb7SM4hzTBlAD8SRR1CO2

Chavez Lashes Back at Spanish King

By Eduardo Gallardo
The Associated Press

Santiago, Chile      - President Hugo Chavez lashed back at Spain's king
Sunday for telling him to "shut up" during a summit, suggesting the
monarch knew in advance of a 2002 coup that briefly ousted the
Venezuelan leader from power.

Chavez claimed that Spain's ambassador had backed interim president
Pedro Carmona and appeared at Venezuela's presidential palace during
the two-day coup in 2002. He demanded to know how deeply King Juan
Carlos had been involved.

"Mr. King, did you know about the coup d'etat against Venezuela,
against the democratic, legitimate government of Venezuela in 2002?"
Chavez said before reporters in Santiago. "It's very hard to imagine
the Spanish ambassador would have been at the presidential palace
supporting the coup plotters without authorization from his majesty."

Chavez touched off the spat Sunday at the closing session of a summit of
Latin American nations, Spain and Portugal. Chavez accused former
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of backing the 2002 coup and
repeatedly calling him a "fascist" in an address to leaders gathered in
the Chilean capital.

Spain's current prime minister, socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero,
asked Chavez to be more diplomatic and show respect for other leaders
despite political differences.

Chavez continued to interrupt as Zapatero spoke, although his
microphone was off.

King Juan Carlos, seated next to Zapatero, then leaned toward Chavez and
loudly asked, "Por que no te callas?" - or "Why don't you shut up?"

The leftist Venezuelan leader has often grabbed attention with
flamboyant speeches at international gatherings, including calling
President Bush the "devil" on the floor of the United Nations last year.

Chavez regularly accuses Washington of helping orchestrate the 2002 coup
against him - a charge U.S. officials deny. U.S. and Spanish
ambassadors did meet with Carmona and his newly appointed foreign
minister on April 13, 2002, hours before Chavez was restored to power
following massive demonstrations.

Officials at the Spanish Embassy in Venezuela and the royal palace in
Madrid could not be reached for comment Sunday.

In comments published by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Chavez
recalled his spat with the monarch. "He acted like an angry bull" as he
stormed out, Chavez said. "I'm no bullfighter - but ole!"

Chavez, who faces violent protests at home against proposed
constitutional reforms that would greatly boost his power, said the
incident had been exaggerated by the media.

"I hope this will not damage relations," Chavez said as he left his
Santiago hotel room Sunday morning. "But I think it's imprudent for a
king to shout at a president to shut up."

"Mr. King, we are not going to shut up," he said.