Venezuela
President Hugo Chávez and Filmmaker Oliver Stone
at premiere of Stone's film about Chavez' life, South
of the Border,
at the Venice Film Festival, September 7.
Adnkronos, Italy
Chavez Arrives in Italy; Lauds Oliver Stone; Wants to 'Help' Obama
"One can talk
to him, we are nearly of the same generation, and he is a man of instinct, an
intelligent man. I think he is genuinely a man with an idea, a man willing to join
with other nations to change and save the world."
Translated By Enrico Del Sero
September 7, 2009
Italy - Adnkronos - Original Article (Italian)
Venice: The desire to "help" Barack Obama, meet
the Pope, plaudits for Oliver Stone's new film that "shows the renaissance
of Latin America," as well as a statement in defense of gay rights. Hugo
Chavez addressed a wide-range of issues as he arrived at the Lido for a screening
of South of the Border, which is being shown as part of the competition
at the Venice Film festival. [CLICK
HERE TO WATCH TRAILER]
The documentary film received a five minute ovation at the Lido's
Great Hall [Sala Grande]. And according
to the Venezuelan president, it was fully deserved: "The film shows part
of the truth of the ongoing renaissance taking place in South America - in
Latin America." It's a "good thing that Oliver has shot this film,"
he said, "to show the world the truth about what I'm really doing: a
renaissance, a democracy, a democratic revolution.''
Chavez immediately expressed his desire to meet Pope
Benedict XVI. "Relations with the Church," said the Venezuela
president, "are good: a few bishops criticize me, it's true, but I'd like
to meet the Pope … We want to live the message of Christ," Chavez said, adding,
"I'm a Christian and I believe that we must all be big brothers. We come
from a great civilization. Before New York even existed, there were the Mayan
and Aztec calendars. Then Spanish and Portuguese colonization reduced the population
of South America 90 million to 4 million in 200 years. And this is what provoked
the slave trade, so we are children of both peoples."
When he left the Great Hall, Chavez spoke at length about U.S.
President Barack Obama: ''I think Obama has good intentions and I want to help
him. One can talk to him, we are nearly of the same generation, and he is a man
of instinct, an intelligent man. I think he is genuinely a man with an idea, a
man willing to join with other nations to change and save the world from the complete
disaster we are living."
Chavez then defended himself from what he called the false accusations
coming from the United States: "I'm not a devil as I am portrayed, but just
a human being who doesn't promote drugs trafficking or terrorism, as they say
in the United States."
Hugo
Chavez' favorite Italian actresses: Sofia
Loren, Claudia Cardinale and Gina
Lollobrigida.
The Venezuela president also confessed a love for Italian cinema,
particularly its great actresses. "I am very familiar with Sofia Loren and
Claudia Cardinale, although I must admit that I fell
in love with Gina Lollobrigida."
Finally, Chavez spoke about gay rights.
"No one should be persecuted because for his or her
sexual orientation." As for gay marriage, according to Chavez, in
Venezuela they ''wouldn't be popular, but that's just an opinion, which doesn't
imply that I'm against them'.'
Upon his arrival on the catwalk, Chavez said he was "very
happy to be in Venice with Oliver Stone, who is a great worker.'' Then he added:
''I have Italy in my heart. Viva Italia!"
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
The Venezuelan president performed a veritable show on the red
carpet. Arriving in Venice a little behind schedule, he spent time talking to
reporters and joking with photographers, "stealing" the camera from one
of them and taking a photo himself. He signed autographs for over 15 minutes to
an audience made up of curious people and militants from the Italian Left.
On
the 'catwalk,' Hugo Chavez 'embraces' the press at the Venice
Film Festival, swiping a journalist's camera
to take a few shots
himself, Sept. 7. [CLICK
HERE OR CLICK PHOTO TO WATCH]
Then, accompanied by Oliver Stone, he entered the Palazzo del Cinema [Palace of Cinema] and stopped again to talk to reporters.
"I've always loved Italy," he repeated. In answer to a foreign reporter
about Israel, the president said: "I don't love Israel, I love the Israeli
people. But I don't like the policies of the Israeli government."
He then has a triumphal welcome at the Great Hall of the
Palace of Cinema, where he was bestowed a standing ovation. Young Venezuelans unraveled
a flag of their country and sang the opening verses of their national anthem, "Glory to the Brave
People [Gloria al bravo pueblo]."
SEE ALSO ON THIS:
El Universal, Venezuela:
Obama is No 'Black in Chavez' Pocket'
Tal Cual, Venezuala:
Crimes of Hugo Chavez Worse than Richard Nixon's
El Universal, Venezuela:
Chavez to Obama: 'Go Wipe Your Ass'!
El Tiempo, Colombia:
'Obama Will Regret Legitimizing Chavez'
Gazeta, Russia:
Latin Americans Will Sooner or Later Come 'Crawling' to the U.S.
Tal Cual, Venezuela:
Vicente Fox Calls Chavez an 'Ass'; Offers Advice to Obama
The President was moved and thanked the emotional young man
who led the choir. "Gracias muchacho (Thank
you young man)," he said, putting his hand to this heart and raising a clenched
fist. Accompanying Chavez, who arrived a bit late at 4pm, was a large delegation
led by Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro comprised of senior
military officers and a large security contingent. Inside the Hall were the "hosts,"
Marco Muller and Paolo Baratta, who had earlier welcomed
the president in front of the Palace, along with Italian journalist Gianni Minŕ, with whom he chatted, and Paolo Ferrero,
secretary of the Communist Refoundation Party [Partito di rifondazione comunista].
CLICK HERE FOR ITALIAN
VERSION
[Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US September 8, 1:45pm]
