in the heat of the last weeks Iranian election, in which Ahmadinejad's re-election has been widely disputed by the Iranian people and much of the world, one leader is following the old mantra "stand by your man," this case "man" meaning friend, and that man is Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela.
Chavez has interesting company in not only failing to recognize the problems, but is actually supporting Ahmadinejad and ignoring the mass fraud, intimidation, and shenanigans the theocracy has wrought.
The Venezuelan government, "in the name of the people," hailed the "extraordinary democratic development" that resulted in Ahmadinejad's victory Friday, according to a foreign ministry statement.
"The Bolivarian government of Venezuela expresses its firm rejection of the ferocious and unfounded campaign to discredit, from abroad, that has been unleashed against Iran , with the objective of muddying the political climate of this brother country," said the statement issued late Tuesday. "We demand the immediate end to maneuvers to intimidate and destabilize the Islamic Revolution."
Chavez's support for Iran's beleaguered leader is no surprise. The two leaders have developed warm ties in recent years, based on their mutual antipathy for the U.S. Other than the fact they're both major oil producers and oppose U.S. foreign policy, the countries have little in common.
Lets hear what Hugo's friend has to say:
" Iran and Venezuela ties have introduced a common revolutionary front . . . in the world," Ahmadinejad said then. He vowed that the two countries would "continue to stand by each other."
Now for all who doubted that Chavez could do any wrong, or that he wasn't an authoriarian or sympathizer for them, this is the time to see Hugo's true colors. He not only has been accused of stifling democracy in his country, he is now actively doing it in others. Shame on you, Hugo Chavez.