Hugo Chavez's aspirations

Hugo Chavez's aspirations

The tour by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez through OPEC countries which finished last week has taken the president to visit the Iran of Mohammad Khatami, the Iraq of Saddam Hussein, the Libya of Moammar Gadhafi and the Algeria of Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Chavez also traveled to Indonesia, Suadi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Nigeria.

The declared motive of the tour was to invite the heads of state of OPEC countries to a summit which will be held in Venezuela in September. But the undeniable importance of the function of this trip is to gauge the possibility of strengthening political relations between countries that have political weight and are united in clear-cut opposition to Washington.

Can Chavez use his foreign policy to form a coherent alliance between many countries that have very little in common, only united against what they hate? Can oil serve this cause? The fair winner of democratic elections, his popular internal triumph may make him think that he can assume the role of international leader. It seems impossible, but one must assume that that is Chavez's dream.

-- El Pais, Madrid