Hugo Chavez: 10 outrageous things he said about the US

Hugo Chavez, whose death was announced Tuesday, will be remembered worldwide as much for what he said as for what he did during his 14-year rule of Venezuela. From the vitriolic to bizarre, here is a list of 10 outrageous comments he made about the “Yankee empire” and its leaders.

7. Comrade Bush

Rodrigo Abd/AP/File
Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez talks during a press conference at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, in October 2012. During his 14-year rule, Chávez frequently insulted President George W. Bush.

Chávez’s disdain for the US went hand in hand with his vexation about capitalism. So when the “Yankee empire” bailed out banks in 2008, the Venezuelan president was quick to call Bush a socialist.

“I nationalize strategic companies and get criticized, but when Bush does it, it's OK,” Chávez said in September 2008. “Bush is turning socialist. How are you, Comrade Bush?”

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