MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean president praises Chavez, rejects “leftist wave”

Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, whose term expires March 11, had kind words for controversial Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez at an economic forum in Santiago.

Dismissing fears expressed in Washington D.C. of a "leftist wave" sweeping Latin America as a "rather superficial analysis", he reproached critics for demonizing the Venezuelan leader.

"Hugo is a force of nature unleashed, he is a man of great charisma and I believe that his efforts to defeat poverty have led him to take a path of great participation?.I think he has had the good luck of very high oil prices, which has allowed him to do what he does", Lagos said.

He added: "But I think you have to know how to understand President Chavez and take him as he is?.When he came to Chile, at one point he said, 'Why don't we do a radio program?' So I said to him?the thing is that I'm more modest?I do radio programs that last an hour, and yours last seven' He laughed a lot at that. Hugo Chavez is like that, and I think it's an error to demonize him."

The comments are the latest act in a diplomatic drama of words between Chile, Venezuela and the United States. Relations between Chile and Venezuela soured in 2002 when, during the failed Venezuelan coup, the Chilean ambassador to Venezuela prematurely endorsed the briefly installed Pedro Carmona as president. Forty-seven hours after Carmona took office, popular demonstrations restored Chavez to power.

Chavez, in turn, has galled Chile by defending Bolivia's right to the coast it lost to Chile in the 1879-83 War of the Pacific. At a 2003 conference in La Paz, he was quoted by press as having professed a fantasy of swimming at a Bolivian beach.

Subsequently however, Chavez in 2005 helped engineer the election of Chile's former Interior Minister José Miguel Insulza to lead the Organization of American States ? much to the dismay of Washington.

Lagos' words, then, served to underscore the independence of Chile's foreign policy, and serve as an implicit rebuttal to statements made by Condoleezza Rice at a press conference earlier this month that the United States was undertaking "joint efforts" with countries like Chile and Brazil to limit the influence of Chavez in regional and international politics. At the time, Lagos told press that he was unaware of any such collaboration, and had no common policy front with the U.S. concerning Venezuela.

At Thursday's forum, held at the Santiago headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), he elaborated on his vision of current events in the region.

"(Some analysts) like to say ?a leftist wave is engulfing Latin America' without understanding the depth of what's happening. I would say that the citizenry are saying something else: ?work together, construct a society that has room for me too, where there is space for my hopes and dreams.'"

He added that the election of a labour leader like President Lula of Brazil, or an indigenous representative like Bolivia's Evo Morales, or a woman in Chile, marks "a very deep cultural change."

The departing Chilean president also sketched out challenges for the region: "Social politics must take into consideration the necessity of creating a network of social protections if we want to maintain cohesiveness and be competitive in the world.

Nations marked by conflict resulting from social tensions are not competitive. CEPAL Secretary General Jose Luis Manichea thanked Lagos for his leadership and the consistency of his economic policy, rare in the region.

"In a world where the absence of leadership is evident, that is something that should make Chileans proud".

Manichea also recognized the efforts of the Lagos administration in human rights: "The investigation and the publication in the Valech report of the acts of torture implemented by the dictatorship is a milestone in the international arena, a rescue of memory, truth and justice."

In related news, Chilean supporters of the Venezuelan leader cancelled a planned welcoming event set for March 10. There had been worries that the event ? the idea was to fill the palatial Diego Portales building ? would eclipse the inauguration ceremony of new president Michelle Bachelet.

Official sectors have also hinted at fears that the tension between Chavez and Condoleezza Rice, who will also be in town for the event, would take centre stage over the inauguration itself.

Sandy Mayson - The Santiago Times - News about Chile