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Latin leaders discover a Chavez embrace can be toxic
Oooooops. Looks like not everybody loves Hugo...LA PAZ, Bolivia (Reuters) - Bolivia's President Evo Morales calls him "my brother" but elsewhere in Latin America, political leaders are finding out that being seen as a close ally of Hugo Chavez can be harmful for their careers. As a tripartite alliance between Bolivia, Venezuela and Cuba began taking shape after Morales took office in January, there have been signs of irritation in the rest of the continent with the way the Venezuelan leader is trying to convert Latin America to his populist, anti-U.S. agenda. Two key elections -- Peru on Sunday, Mexico on July 2 -- could well hinge on the extent to which voters identify candidates with Chavez, according to analysts in the two countries. In Peru, polls showed a sharp drop in support for a former army officer, Ollanta Humala, after Chavez backed him in what some saw as undue interference in Peruvian affairs. That did not faze Chavez. In a live television broadcast from Bolivia, during a visit here, he branded Humala's rival, Alan Garcia, a criminal and a thief. Posted by: tu3031 2006-06-02 |
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