[NYTr] Lamrani: Chavez, Zapatero and the King of Spain

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Z-Net - Jan 4, 2008
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=45&ItemID=14649


Hugo Chavez, Josi Luis Rodrmguez Zapatero and the King of Spain

by Salim Lamrani

Endlish translation by Dana Lubow

The XVII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State, held in Chile from
November 8-10, was the object of an intense debate setting Latin
America at odds with Europe and Spain in particular. An incident
occurred between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on one side, and
Spanish President Josi Luis Rodrmguez Zapatero and King Juan Carlos de
Borbsn on the other, which had a broad repercussion in the
international media. Nevertheless, the western press took care to
concentrate solely on the violent and discourteous reaction of the king
of Spain, without tackling the fundamental questions that surfaced in
the live exchange.

Several Latin American dignitaries such as Evo Morales of Bolivia,
Carlos Lage of Cuba, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Chavez called for
the establishment of a new economic model as an alternative to the
brutal neoliberalism that has ravaged the continent since the 1980s. The
privatization of natural resources and Latin American businesses brought
about the ruin of several economies and devastated populations with
unprecedented social consequences, only benefiting the local elite and
foreign multinationals. Basic services like potable water, sewer
systems, telephone or energy can not continue being a private
business," Morales declared.1

These words were not pleasing to Spanish President Zapatero, who replied
that nationalizations were not an "end" and used the occasion to point
out the "enormous responsibility" of Latin America for its current
backwardness, completely avoiding the reality of the bloody Spanish
conquest. Zaptero, above all, wished to protect the interests of the
Spanish multinationals present on the continent. In turn, Carlos Lage,
vice-president of the Cuban Council of State, underlined "the
contradiction between the need for change and the interests of the
multinationals."2

Answering Zapatero, President Chavez warned against the easy temptation
to minimize the "external factors" that explain the stagnation in which
Latin America finds itself. We look at our history, and not even the
history of 200 years ago, but the most recent history," referring to
the coup d'etat organized by the CIA against Salvador Allende in 1973.
"A president with a peaceful and democratic program" was overthrown and
one of the cruelest dictators of the continent was installed.3

The Venezuelan president also recalled that Josi Marma Aznar, former
Spanish president, supported the coup d'etat orchestrated against him
and now travels around the world carrying out a diabolical campaign
against him. Chavez described as "fascist" this heir of Francoist
ideology-his mentor was Manuel Fraga Iribarne, former minister of the
Franco dictatorship and member of the Spanish Falange-who openly
supported the ephemeral dictatorship of Pedro Carmona in 2002, and
participated in the bloody invasion of Iraq.4

Against all predictions, Zapatero defended Aznar, alleging that he had
been elected by the Spaniards and deserved a little respect. Returning
the ball, Chavez appropriately reminded the Spanish president that
Aznar had never been a model of courtesy towards him, without ever
causing any reaction on the part of Spain. "I have the right to defend
the dignity of Venezuela," he added.5

But it seems as if the entire truth can not be told. It was too much
for the king of Spain who, losing his legendary serenity, addressed the
Venezuelan President in a virulent and particularly offensive way.
"You! [.] Why don't you shut up?" he exclaimed pointing his finger in
an unfriendly manner, completely amazing the 22 participating
countries.6

Far from responding to the disrespectful attitude of the Spanish
monarch, Chavez contented himself with citing Josi Gervasio Artigas,
hero of the Latin American wars of independence against the Spanish
empire: "'With the truth, I don't offend or fear.' The Venezuelan
government reserves the right to answer any aggression in any place, at
any time and in any tone."7

The Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) supported the king. "Spain wants to
keep good relations with the Latin American countries, but it will not
tolerate lack of respect for its citizens, especially for someone as
prominent as Aznar," stated Diego Lspez Garrido, spokesman of the PSOE
in Parliament. For his part, the Spanish Minister of the Interior,
Alfredo Pirez Rubalcaba, warned that if Chavez wished to maintain good
relations with the Iberian Peninsula, he should "respect our king, our
president, and our former presidents." Even the Chilean foreign
minister lined up on the side of Spain, lamenting "the style" of
Chavez. Aznar's Popular Party (PP) invited the government to take
measures against the "serious accusations" that the Venezuelan
president delivered.8

Nonetheless, the indignation of the Spanish government, the king, the
socialist party, the Popular Party and Chile at the Venezuelan
president's words is of a variable geometry and somewhat hypocritical.
In fact, Aznar repeatedly attacked Chavez and his government
successively calling him a "dictator," "populist leader", "tyrant" "new
totalitarian species," "authoritarian regime," "totalitarian regime,"
"return to Nazism," "greatest danger for democracy in America," "cheap
demigod," "effect of dangerous contagion," "racist indigenism," "an
adversary of freedom who now dresses up as a populist," and raises fear
of the "elimination of basic freedoms like expression" and concluded
that "bad ideas produced Hugo Chavez."9

These words have never provoked the disapproval of Juan Carlos,
Zapatero, Chile or the PSOE. Regarding the "serious accusations" that
the PP evoked, which tried to ignore Aznar's support of the coup in
2002, an unquestionable source-the statement of the current Spanish
Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who had access to the
classified archives of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Relations, threw
light on this question. During his appearance before the Commission on
Foreign Affairs of the Congress December 1, 2004, Moratinos clearly
stated: "My statements were: 1. There was a coup d'etat in Venezuela;
2. That the Spanish ambassador received instructions from the
government; 3.That the objective of these instructions, or rather, to
avoid misunderstandings, that the effect of carrying out those
instructions and other actions was to support the coup [.]. My words
must be understood in the sense that by supporting it, I wanted to say
and want to say that the government did not condemn the coup d'etat,
that it was endorsed and given international legitimacy."10 It couldn't
be clearer.

In reality, the Venezuelan President only replied to the innumerable
verbal attacks that emanated from the former Spanish president. The
irritation of Zapatero and the king of Spain caused great
incomprehension. Questioned by the press after the incident, Chavez
confessed that he had not been aware of the king's anger: I don't even
know what he said, I was defending the dignity of millions of people,"
adding that no head of State has the right to demand another to be
quiet." The truth, I say it straight and respectfully."11 He expressed
his surprise at the "anger of his majesty, a mature man." I was only
talking of universal history," he emphasized alluding to the Spanish
conquest.12

Venezuelan Vice-president Jorge Rodrmguez was not pleased with Juan
Carlos' invective against Chavez and recalled that his country had been
independent since the battle of Carabobo. "Mr. Juan Carlos can treat
his subjects like this if they allow it," he stated regretting the
insulting tone the monarch used.13 When the king exploded before the
expressions of an Indian, 500 years of imperial arrogance exploded[.],
500 years of a feeling of superiority," Chavez said.14

President Chavez also rejected Zapatero's words justifying his defense
of Aznar by the fact that Aznar had been elected by the Spanish people.
"Hitler was also elected, right? Therefore, you will not criticize
Hitler because he

was elected by the people. That is absurd." "When I say that, former
Spanish president Aznar is a fascist, it is an unequivocal truth,"
recalling that Aznar was responsible for the Iraqi genocide. He
announced a complete revision of "political, diplomatic and economic
relations" with Spain. 15

Chavez also wanted to emphasize the he was a head of state "like the
king, with the difference that I have been elected three times and he
has not."16 He recalled a reality that some in Spain prefer to forget:
it is important to remember how he became king. The caudillo of God, as
Franciso Franco was called, by the grace of God and the disgrace of
Spain, named him King." In fact, Juan Carlos did not even have
monarchist legitimacy, since the normal rule of succession was that his
father, Juan of Borbsn, the legal heir, should accede to the throne.
But Franco the dictator had decided otherwise.17

Why was it that remembering that Aznar had supported the coup d'etat
against Chavez caused the King of Spain to lose his temper? "Mr. King
answer: "Did you know about the coup d'etat against the Venezuelan
government, against the legitimate democratic government of Venezuela
in 2002?," Chavez asked.18 According to Title II of the Spanish
constitution of 1978, "the king is the head of state [.] [and] assumes
the highest representation of the Spanish state in international
relations."19

The Spanish Ambassador Manuel Viturro de la Torre had applauded the coup
d'etat against Chavez in 2002 and offered his political and diplomatic
support to dictator Pedro Carmona. Viturro informed Aznar in a telegram
dated April 13, 2002, that he had been received by Carmona.20 "It is
difficult to think that the ambassador is going to be supporting the
coup leaders, that he is going to go to the Palace [presidential]
without the authorization of His Majesty," Chavez emphasized. "Now I
understand the King's rage ... because of that he was infuriated when
I said that Aznar was a fascist.... It was the king himself who
directed foreign policy."21

His Majesty has the floor.


End Notes

1 Cuba Informacisn, + Quiin fue el responsable del incidente entre
Chavez y el Rey de Espaqa ;, 12 de noviembre de  2007.
http://www.cubainformacion.tv/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2625&Itemid=86  
(sitio consultado el 13 de noviembre de 2007).

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.; Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, + Juzgar la verdad del pasado
no tiene por qui ofender a los espaqoles ;, 10 de noviembre de 2007;
Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, + No puede minimizarse influencia de
factores externos en situacisn latinoamericana ;, 10 de noviembre de
2007.

5 Cuba Informacisn, + Quiin fue el responsable del incidente entre
Chavez y el Rey de Espaqa ;, 12 de noviembre de 2007, op. cit.

6 Ibid.

7 Federico Quilodran, + El rey de Espaqa manda a callar a Chavez en la
Cumbre ;, Associated Press, 11 de noviembre de 2007.

8 Daniel Woolls, + Espaqa: socialistas respaldan al rey en disputa con
Chavez ;, Associated Press, 12 de noviembre de 2007 ; Associated Press,
+ Canciller chileno se solidariza con Espaqa en pugna con Chavez ;, 12
de noviembre de 2007.

9 Javier Alder, + Aznar respetando a Chavez ;, Kaos en la red, 11 de
noviembre de 2007.

10 Miguel Angel Moratinos, + Los fax que envis la embajada espaqola en
Caracas que muestran el papel del gobierno Aznar en el golpe de
Venezuela ;, Rebelisn, 14 de noviembre de 2007.

11 El Nacional, + Rey de Espaqa manda a callar a Chavez ;, 11 de
noviembre de 2007.

12 El Nacional, + Hugo Chavez responde: ?Por qui no se calla usted,
rey? ;, 11 de noviembre de 2007.

13 JMS, + Vicepresidente Rodrmguez : El seqor Juan Carlos puede tratar
asm a sus szbditos, si ellos lo permiten ;, Globovisisn, 11 de
noviembre de 2007.

14 Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, + Si yo me callara gritarman las
piedras de los pueblos de Amirica ;, 12 de noviembre de 2007.

15 Federico Quilodran, + El rey de Espaqa manda a callar a Chavez en la
Cumbre ;, op. cit.; Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, + Chavez seqals que
revisa con profundidad las relaciones con Espaqa ;, 14 de noviembre de
2007.

16 Federico Quilodran, + El rey de Espaqa manda a callar a Chavez en la
Cumbre ;, op. cit.

17 El Nuevo Herald, + Chavez acusa al rey de prepotente ;, 14 de
noviembre de 2007.

18 JMS, + Presidente Chavez: ?Serma que el Rey sabma del golpe contra
mm? ;, Globovisisn, 11 de noviembre de 2007.

19 Constitucisn espaqola de 1978, Tmtulo II.

20 Miguel Angel Moratinos, + Los fax que envis la embajada espaqola en
Caracas que muestran el papel del gobierno Aznar en el golpe de
Venezuela ;, op. cit.

21 Paulina Abramovich, + Chavez vincula al rey con golpe del 2002 ;,
Associated Press, 12 de noviembre de 2007; El Pams, + Chavez acusa al
Rey de pasividad en la intentona golpista de 2002 ;, 11 de noviembre de
2007; Jorge Marirrodriga, + Chavez reta al Rey a revelar si conocma el
golpe de Estado de Caracas en 2002 ;, El Pams, 12 de noviembre de 2002.
Salim Lamrani is a French professor, writer, and journlist,
specializing in U.S.-Cuba relations. He has published titles
including : Washington contre Cuba (Pantin: Le Temps des Cerises,
2005), Cuba face ` l'Empire (Genhve: Timeli, 2006) y Fidel Castro, Cuba
et les Etats-Unis (Pantin: Le Temps des Cerises, 2006).