For the full report in the Guardian click on this link
Three cheers for Chávez - by George Galloway
" I happened to be in Syria this week on the day Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez visited Damascus on the last leg of his world tour. Tehran was among the previous capitals he'd visited, and his presence in the Middle East was a physical symbol of the deeper connection being forged between the resurgent radical left in Latin America and the renewed popular spirit of resistance in the Arab and Muslim worlds. Mention of the name Chávez elicited thunderous cheers and applause at the huge demonstration against Israel's invasion of Lebanon in London last month. In taking a stand by withdrawing his ambassador to Israel in protest at the assault, Chávez won the hearts of millions of Arabs and, in equal measure, exposed the craven capitulation of the vast majority of Arab leaders. His government has followed that up with a campaign to raise money through public donation to fund the reconstruction of Lebanon.
Alarm bells are already ringing in Washington. The US government accountability office recently warned the Senate foreign relations committee of the devastating consequences of Venezuela cutting oil exports to America. It estimated it would hit US GDP by $23bn. And Chávez is very much looking to diversify Venezuela's trading arrangements. China has just agreed $5bn of investments in Venezuela's oil industry (having already cut a similar deal with Iran). In return, Chávez is re-equipping the Venezuelan armed forces with largely Chinese materiel.
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