Hugo Chávez Criticizes Europe & the U.S. for Bombing Trípoli

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, during a speech delivered this Sunday at a Mass in the Presidential Palace in Caracas, condemned the governments of Europe and the United States for “demolishing Trípoli with their bombs.”

Chávez, ally of the Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, declared: “Today (Sunday), we are seeing images of how the democratic governments of some of Europe’s nation and the supposedly democratic government of the United States are demolishing Trípoli with their bombs just because they can.”

“The bombs are being dropped in the most shameless and open ways over schools, hospitals, homes, places of work, farms. We all should pray for the Libyan people,” added the Venezuelan representative.

Chávez, who since the beginning of February’s revolution in Libya has manifested his support for Gadhafi’s regime, affirmed that the foreign powers are conducting a massacre there under the pretext of saving lives.

“We see the shamelessness, and the cynicism. It’s an excuse to interfere with and take the riches from a country,” insisted Chávez, referring to the African nation’s petroleum reserves.

Venezuela and Libya are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

This Sunday night, the Libyan rebels entered the center of Trípoli in the midst of commemorations and after having launched an offensive to overthrow Gadhafi’s bastion, which tried to resist. According to the regime, a rebel offensive left 1,300 dead in 24 hours, although this amount has not yet been confirmed.