Unfortunately, the man’s own words, taken straight up, undercut every bullshit thing that’s ever been said about him (usually by people mistranslating him or taking him out of context, or just plain old making shit up). So here he is in his own words. You be the judge as to whether the president of Venezuela hates the US:
“I don’t talk to the candidates, the candidates are out looking for votes,” emphasized President Chávez upon being questioned about his position with regard to the latest declarations of Barack Obama and the use of his image in the campaign ads of Republican John McCain, and in response to the comments made about his government by the US presidential candidates.
“I want to repeat something, this time from Beijing–we have nothing, nothing, nothing against the United States as a people. I’m not anti-US, no, I’m anti-imperialist,” said Chávez. “Whoever tries to manipulate anything to get votes is another matter. But I don’t respond to candidates. If McCain wins, if Obama wins, fine, I’ll be ready [to talk with him], and not just me but all of us in South America, all of us in Latin America and the Caribbean. The only thing we ask of the new president of the United States is that he respect our peoples, nothing else.”
Translation mine. Linkage added.
BTW, I learned Spanish expressly so I could get him right. The nice side effect of this is that it helps me also get Evo right, and El Ecuadorable, and the presidents of Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, and…well, you get the picture. Right?
PS: Check out the AP’s lame-ass version of this same quote. See what I mean? If you don’t know Spanish, the corporate media will shut you totally out of any true understanding. And leave a bunch of skanky-ho right-wing blogs to fill in the gaps with bullshit spackle. Ugh.
Hear! Hear! Well said, as usual. The distortions and outright lies in the ‘translations’ used in the MSM is appalling.