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Chávez to Fox -- ‘Don’t mess with me’ or you’ll be ‘pricked’
President Hugo Chávez accused Mexican leader Vicente Fox on Sunday of disrespecting him and his close ally the Argentine president, warning Fox: “Don’t mess with me.�

Tensions between Fox and Chávez spilled over after this month’s Summit of the Americas in Argentina, where Fox sought to defend a U.S.-backed proposal for a free trade zone while Chávez proclaimed the idea dead.

“President Fox left bleeding from his wound,� Chávez said during his weekly radio and TV show, “Hello President,� echoing remarks days ago in which he accused Fox of being a “puppy� of the U.S. government for supporting its plans for the Free Trade Area of the Americas.
Chávez recalled a folk song from Venezuela’s cattle-raising plains about a thorn, saying it seems appropriate for Fox since “you’re a man of horses.�

After reciting the lyrics, Chávez said: “Don’t mess with me, sir, because you’ll come out pricked.�

Venezuela’s populist leader has proclaimed the recent summit a victory, noting Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay brought up opposition to the free trade pact.

Fox, apparently irked by the resistance of Chávez and Argentine President Néstor Kirchner, said after the summit that “there we have some presidents, fortunately a minority, who blame other countries for all their problems.�

Chávez accused Fox of “attacking� him and Kirchner, and of violating summit protocol in trying to press for an agreement on the free trade zone when that wasn’t on the agenda.

“The only very hard response I’ve given to any president was... to President Fox. He disrespected me,� Chávez said, adding that by responding he was simply defending his country.

Chávez’ stinging accusations against Fox on Wednesday sparked a diplomatic response, with Mexico demanding a “satisfactory explanation.�

Caracas has offered no apologies while top diplomats have held talks on the matter.

Chávez’ latest accusations showed he had no intention of backing down.

He said Fox and other leaders who sought to back the free trade plan “weren’t able to achieve their plan� at the summit.

The U.S.-proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which aims to create the world’s largest free trade zone, was first proposed in 1994 and was supposed to have been finalized in January, but has been stalled amid deep divisions in Latin America.

Chávez argues that the plan would help big U.S. companies at the expense of Latin America’s poor, and has instead proposed a “Bolivarian Alternative� pact which are based on socialist principles.

Chávez claimed U.S. President George W. Bush left the summit “with his tail between his legs.�

He also criticized the stances of Peru, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago in favoring the free-trade pact.

Chávez called for applause on his program as he replayed videos from the summit, praising Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay for opposing the U.S. plan.

He also said Venezuela, though a member of the Andean Community, “has nothing to look for� in that organization since its members aim to join the free trade zone.

Playful as usual, Chávez sang lyrics from folk songs and replayed a video of Bush tepidly applauding and looking on blankly, saying leaders’ expressions “speak a world� about what they wanted to say but didn’t.

As for Trinidadian Prime Minister Patrick Manning, “he has a world vision very different from ours,� Chávez said, noting that Trinidad hopes to host the FTAA headquarters.

Chávez says that he is leading Venezuela away from U.S.-style capitalism and toward socialism – a mission he says Jesus would have approved that he spoke for the poor. Chávez recalled telling Manning: “Remember Jesus.�