Chavez praises Fox after insult

December 22 2005 at 09:34AM

Caracas - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday praised his Mexican counterpart Vicente Fox, backing out of a war of words that led both nations to withdraw their ambassadors last month.

Chavez, a left-winger and Washington's foe, applauded Fox's public statements last week where he denounced as "disgraceful and shameful" a proposal to build a wall on the United States-Mexico border to stop illegal immigrants.

"The stance of the Mexican president seemed dignified to me, worthy of the dignity of the people of Pancho Villa, of Emiliano Zapata, of the Aztecs," Chavez said.

"I saw him objecting firmly and I applaud him," Chavez told a meeting of Venezuelan diplomatic corps members.

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