Hugo Chavez Interview - On 'American Imperialism' and The Iraq War (2006)

Hugo Chavez Interview - On 'American Imperialism' and The Iraq War (2006)

Nov 27, 2025

U.S. EMPIRE - FOLLOW THE MONEY

ITN Archive

"When I left, Venezuela was ready to collapse. We would have taken it over; we would have gotten to all that oil; it would have been right next door."

~Donald Trump, boasted at a rally, in 2019, about his attempt to overthrow the government of Venezuela

In May 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez visited London for meetings hosted by Mayor Ken Livingstone, engaging with trade unions, MPs and business leaders. The visit followed a European Union–Latin America summit in Vienna and a stop at the Vatican. Chávez did not meet Prime Minister Tony Blair, reflecting tensions over foreign policy, particularly Iraq.

By 2006, Chávez was a prominent and controversial figure. Since taking office in 1999, he had pursued "oil diplomacy", using Venezuela's vast reserves to strengthen regional alliances and assert greater control over the state oil company, PDVSA. His government pushed for higher prices and production quotas within OPEC, aiming to boost revenues for domestic social programmes. These policies, alongside his outspoken criticism of US foreign policy and opposition to interventions in Iraq and Iran, strained relations with Washington.

Despite political friction, the United States remained Venezuela's largest oil customer at the time, though Chávez sought to diversify exports towards China and other partners. His London trip highlighted efforts to build ties with European progressives and promote an alternative vision of global governance, amid growing ideological divides between his administration and European controlled nations' governments.

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