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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.

6. 'The Devil's Recipe'

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez makes a gesture of prayer as he speaks of President Bush, whom he referred to as 'the devil' during his address to the UN General Assembly in September 2006.

In another insult to Mr. Bush, Chávez called him “the devil” during a UN General Assembly meeting in September 2006.

“Yesterday the devil came here,” he said, referring to Bush’s speech the previous day.

“Right here. Right here,” he said as he crossed himself. “And it smells of sulfur still today.”

Bush’s speech included criticism of Iran’s nuclear program and his broader plan for the Middle East, which Chávez said was further evidence of Bush believing that he was “owner of the world.”

“I think we could call a psychiatrist to analyze yesterday’s statement by the president of the United States,” Chávez said. “As the spokesman of imperialism, he came to share his nostrums to try to preserve the current pattern of domination, exploitation, and pillage of the peoples of the world. An Alfred Hitchcock movie could use it as a scenario. I would even propose a title: ‘The Devil’s Recipe.’ ”

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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