This from Reuters:
Chavez, who called former conservative Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a fascist at the weekend meeting, has courted controversy at summits before, most notably last year by calling U.S. President George W. Bush the devil at the United Nations.
Political analysts say Chavez relishes such fights because he uses them to fire up his support base among the majority poor at home with blunt rhetoric that plays on their misgivings of rich countries' investments in Latin America.
On Tuesday, he said the king's "arrogance" exposed that colonial attitudes toward South America have not died out.
But the folksy president also showed he had a sense of humor over the flap.
When a reporter asked him a series of questions about the raft of constitutional changes expected to be passed in next month's plebiscite, he joked: "Why don't you shut up?
Ha ha ha ... but you know, what do you expect from a folksy president? I mean, sure he's seized private property, and paved the way for him to become leader for life ... but he's just so gosh-darn likable.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez demanded on Tuesday Spain's king apologize for telling him to shut up, warning that Spanish investments could suffer in its former colony because of the spat.
Chavez, who railed against imperialism and capitalism, named banks Santander and BBVA as possible targets, saying the OPEC nation did not need Spanish business.
"The king lost it," Chavez said at a late-night political rally. "He should say, '... I, the king, confess, I was beside myself, I made a mistake."
ALL HAIL CHAVEZ. You must kiss my ass, or I will seize the billions of dollars you have (foolishly) invested in Venezuela.
I don't think he's joking about that second part. How high, do you think, Spain will jump?
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