Chávez makes a monkey of Bush

In the lexicon of political insults, it will take some beating. Already known for his somewhat colorful use of language, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has probably written himself into the history books for a new sideswipe at his US counterpart, President Bush. In the latest salvo in the war of words between the two countries, Chávez described Bush as "evil," a "criminal" but then added that he was "more dangerous than a monkey with a razor blade." The comment came during a news conference in Caracas in which Chávez responded to accusations made earlier this week by Bush that he was "undermining... democratic institutions" by the recent passage of a controversial enabling law to allow for government by decree. Referring to the war in Iraq, Chávez said that both Bush and John Negroponte, the US director of national intelligence, should be tried for "war crimes... the two of them are criminals. They should be tried and thrown in prison for the rest of their days." He added: "I pray to God for the people of the United States. I hope they're capable of liberating themselves from the tyranny they have. Who would be the greater fascist–Hitler or Bush? They might end up in a draw." Insults have been fired between US politicians and Venezuela for some months now. Nancy Pelosi, the new speaker of the house and a Democrat, said of Chávez's earlier remarks at the UN that "he fancies himself as a modern day Simón Bolívar, but all he is an everyday thug."