Chavez says US occupying Haiti in name of aid
CARACAS – Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Sunday accused the United States of using Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti as a pretext to occupy the devastated Caribbean country.
"I read that 3,000 soldiers are arriving, Marines armed as if they were going to war. There is not a shortage of guns there, my God. Doctors, medicine, fuel, field hospitals, that's what the United States should send," Chavez said on his weekly television show. "They are occupying Haiti undercover."
"On top of that, you don't see them in the streets. Are they picking up bodies? ... Are they looking for the injured? You don't see them. I haven't seen them. Where are they?"
A perennial foe of US "imperialism," Chavez said he did not wish to diminish the humanitarian effort made by the United States and was only questioning the need for so many troops.
The United States is sending more than 5,000 Marines and soldiers to Haiti, and a hospital ship is due to arrive later this week.
On Sunday the country's president said US troops would help keep order on Haiti's increasingly lawless streets.
Venezuela has sent several planes to Haiti with doctors, aid and some soldiers. A Russia-Venezuela mission was set to leave Venezuela on Monday carrying aid on Russian planes.
Chavez said Venezuela's planes were the first to land in Haiti after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which wrecked the capital Port-Au-Prince and killed as many as 200,000 people.
Printer-friendly version
Send to friend
Share your views
Lol Hugo!
Why bother with Haiti, when we can invade Venezuela in a day. Why must he tarnish the good will of the USoA without regards to understanding and respect for those who are in need? He really doesn't have any real power but to amuse his own egotistical image. And thank goodness for that, we have enough of these lunatics screaming the top of their lungs just to be noticed. Perhaps one day, someone will decide to put him on a cross hair, lol.
why not send the marine to chavez instead
Power may have taken over the brain of Pres. Chavez, but his hatred for America will someday bite him on the rear end. Canada also sending armed soldiers, 1500 strong to help the Haitians, the People of Governor General Michaelle Jean, herself a Haitian origin and also very generous donations of money and volunteers and we also encourage Pres. Chavez to help his fellow Americas.
IDIOTS TALKING NONSENSE!!!
What is the problem of this idiot Chavez. Why don't you set aside your anguish to the US first and instead help the dire need of Haiti.
You don't even realize that bringing US troops will help restore order to this shattered country which has now a widespread looting and brandishing machetes to scramble for food AID.
You shut your mouth for a while, ok!!!
What is he talking about???
Chavez should be worried what HE has been doing the last years, no infrastructure, no heavy moving equipment, where has all the money gone???? I assume to his oversea bank accounts. The idiot should be worried how his people are, he should be ashame that he cant do anything without foreign help. Without foreign help. Haiti would be a vacant island within a couple of weeks.
For the sake of his his people, he should have been INSIDE his GRAND PALACE when it collapsed and died in honour.