Chavez: Peruvian a 'lap dog' of the U.S.

By KATHIA MARTINEZ, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 1 minute ago

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reignited a war of words with Peruvian President-elect Alan Garcia on Friday, calling him a "lap dog" of the United States.

Chavez's comments during a two-day visit to Panama came after verbal sparring between the two leaders had calmed, and as Venezuela lobbies for a seat on the U.N. Security Council — a bid Garcia earlier this month suggested he might support.

"His owner is in Washington, he's a lap dog, a tool of the empire," said Chavez, who frequently refers to the United States as "the empire."

In comments to reporters, Chavez accused Garcia of trying to turn other Latin American leaders against him, mentioning Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Argentine President Nestor Kirchner and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.

"If he thinks he's going to turn Lula against Chavez, or set Chavez to fighting with Kirchner or with Bachelet, he's going to crash and burn," Chavez said.

Garcia appeared to have called for a truce with Chavez earlier this month.

"We will not turn South America into a combat ground with Chavez," Garcia said on June 9. "If he declares war, I declare peace."

Garcia also said Peru could back Venezuela's bid to win the non-permanent Latin American seat on the U.N. Security Council in October, if Venezuela maintains a "balanced" position in the region.

Chavez has called Garcia "a thief for real, a demagogue, a liar," and openly supported Garcia's rival in Peru's June 4 presidential election. Garcia accused Chavez of meddling in domestic politics.

Chavez appeared to write off the possibility of making peace with Peru, saying Friday that their relations "can't be fixed."
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