Continuing a back-and-forth series of actions between the U.S. and leftist Latin American regimes, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez sought out President Obama at a joint meeting Saturday morning to give him a book attacking capitalism and American intervention in the Western Hemisphere.
"Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina," or "The Open Veins of Latin America," by Eduardo Galeano, describes centuries of invasions and other attempts to influence Latin American affairs by outside powers, including the U.S.
| Because if only the Latinos had been left alone it would have been a paradise ... |
Mr. Chavez handed the book to Mr. Obama after the U.S. president spoke at a meeting of leaders from the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), which was taking place on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad.
"I thought it was one of Chavez's books," Mr. Obama told reporters afterward. "I was going to give him one of mine."
| At least he didn't bow ... |
A senior administration official later said the exchange appeared to be a publicity ploy by Mr. Chavez.
"Anybody who's been at international conferences with Chavez knows that if there's a camera around, he's going to find a way to get in it," said the official, who attended Mr. Obama's meetings and the White House had asked to brief reporters on the condition of anonymity.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that since the book was in Spanish, he doubted Mr. Obama would be reading it.
| Maybe he can re-gift it when Gordon Brown comes back to Washington ... |
Wait - Obama can't speak Spanish? I'm so ashamed!!!
Or does that only apply to French? |
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