London - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez branded US President George W Bush Monday a 'genocidal assassin' and the 'worst criminal in humanity' during a a private visit to London."The loss of my lips left me scarred and deformed, but my resolve has never been stronger!"
During a visit hosted by Ken Livingstone, London's controversial mayor, Chavez described the Iraq war as the 'Vietnam of the 21st century' and said he did not believe Iran was trying to gain nuclear capability.
Livingstone, standing next to the radical Venezuelan leader, said: 'I sometimes have views on George Bush - not too dissimilar from yours.'
Chavez was given a 'hero's welcome' by Livingstone at a public rally attended by left-wingers from Britain and Latin American countries Sunday evening.
Livingstone, Hugo Chávez is evil!
"From my point of view the free world is evil!"
Well then you are lost!
But he did not call, nor had he been invited to, on British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whom he has described as a 'main ally of Hitler' on account of British support for the Iraq war.
"The free nations are plotting to take over. This is a plot generations in the making."
At a lunch hosted by Livingstone Monday, Chavez had talks with a number of prominent left-wing parliamentarians in Blair's ruling Labour Party, as well as celebrities and trade unionists.
The guest list included playwright Harold Pinter, a stern opponent of the Iraq war, Bianca Jagger, Nicaraguan ex-model and former wife of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger.
Bianca Jagger, now a human rights activist, told the Guardian Monday that it was 'important for Europe to understand the history of the oil companies in Latin America.'
'They left a terrible environmental disaster behind them and they have never been accountable for it,' she said.
Chavez repeated his warning that the price of petrol would rocket in Britain, if war is declared against Iran. 'The English middle classes would have to stop using their cars', he said.
Referring to Iraq, he said: 'If you are going to compare me to the worst criminal in humanity - the president of the US; He is an assassin. He is a criminal responsible for genocide, completely immoral.'
"Every single leader of the free world is now an enemy of humanity. Show no mercy; do what must be done."
Chavez added: 'I believe that he should be put in jail. He has invaded a country. Are we bombing cities?'
On the conflict surrounding Iran's nuclear programme, he said: 'We want dialogue. We are not for war. All we want is respect for the will of the people of Iran.'
"The Rebel Alliance seeks to destroy Alderaan for agitation purposes."
Livingstone, a strong Chavez supporter, defended him as 'the best news out of Latin America in many years.'
Figures from the worlds of culture, finance and fashion also attended the lunch at London's City Hall.
The guest list included Peter Voser, chief financial officer of Shell International, fashion designer Katherine Hamnett, as well as left-wing Labour parliamentarians Tony Lloyd, Jon Cruddas, Diane Abbott, Colin Burgon, Dawn Butler and Jon Trickett.
During his last visit to London in 2001, Chavez warmly embraced Blair and had tea with Queen Elizabeth II.
But since then, relations between the two governments have deteriorated.
Makes you wonder how Sidious would have handled the Yuuzhan Vong threat.