World

Chavez offers to hug Spain's king

by flight737 | July 21, 2008 at 12:12 pm | 129 views | 2 comments | 0 recommendations

For Hugo Chavez Spain's King Juan Carlos's "Shut up" comment during a row in a meeting last year has heal and it is time to offer a hug to King Juan Carlos.

The left-wing president, who will visit Spain later this week, said he had already "turned the page" on the spat.
"I'd like to give the king a hug, but you know, Juan Carlos, that I am not going to shut up," Mr Chavez said.
The incident made global headlines last November - inspiring jokes, songs and even mobile phone ringtones.
The king was provoked after Mr Chavez had called former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a "fascist" at the Ibero-American summit in Chile.
Mr Chavez went on to interrupt a speech by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, prompting the king to shout: "Why don't you shut up?"
But the Venezuelan leader - famous for his lengthy speeches - referred to King Juan Carlos as an "old friend" during his weekly TV address.
He said the king had invited him to his summer house on the island of Mallorca on 25 July.