Venezuela’s Chavez Does Not Recognize Lybia Government
2 November 2011 President Chavez and Lybia's Gadhafi hold hands during a public meeting. President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela said he does not recognize the new government in Lybia after the fall of Moammar Gadhafi . Chavez’s 26 October statement condemned the killing of Gadhafi and also criticized NATO ’s involvement in the country stating, “It’s [NATO] installed a government through bombs in Lybia.” During the conflict in Lybia, Chavez demanded peace negotiations and denounced the rebels as “terrorists.” Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/venezuelas-chavez-libya/.html Reliability: 8.5 Comment: President Chavez sustained close relations with the Gadhafi regime, visiting Lybia five times. In a television address in September 2009, Chavez compared Gadhafi to Latin America ’s liberator, Simon Bolivar . Gadhafi’s death is the latest chapter in the so-called “Arab Spring,” following the exit from power of Tunisia ’s President Zine El AbidineBen Ali on...