NEW YORK -- Of one thing you can be sure with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: You won't be bored listening to him. Chavez's recent criticism of George W. Bush at the United Nations is only the latest in a war of words with the U.S. president. Chavez has accused the Bush administration of trying to assassinate him, a charge U.S. officials have denied. For the Bush administration, Chavez represents indeed the biggest threat in the region, although not necessarily for the reasons U.S. officials state.
Who is Chavez, and what explains the current antagonism between him and the Bush administration?
Chavez is essentially a product of the failure of Venezuelan traditional parties to bring progress with economic justice to Venezuelans. He is as disliked by the elites in Venezuela as by members of the Bush administration -- many of whom have been special targets of Chavez's scorn.