Chavez Extends Olive Branch To Poor New Yorkers In Harlem

NY1
Sep. 22, 2006

A day after calling President George W. Bush "a devil" at the United Nations, no less, Venezuela's controversial president comes calling in Harlem, bearing gifts. NY1's Gary Anthony Ramsay was there to hear what he had to say and to get reaction.

In Midtown Hugo Chavez used words as weapons, but Uptown he used oil as an olive branch.

"We are not the enemy of the United States,” Chavez said Thursday. “That is a lie."

The fiery leftist leader used his appearance at the Mount Olivet Church in Harlem to announce his re-commitment to send millions of barrels of discounted home heating oil from his oil-rich country to poor neighborhoods across the United States to communities he says are bearing the brunt of a problem created by the rich and powerful.

"The United States has five percent of the world's population, but it consumes almost 25 percent of the energy that is produced on the planet,” said Chavez.

Chavez started the program last year and through the Venezuelan-based CITGO oil company sent 40 million barrels to Florida, Texas, Connecticut, and New York.

It's part of the reason New Yorker Jayson Gardner waited on line to hear the controversial leader.

"Poor people are the people who are really suffering in this country and abroad, so if he’s going to come here and sort of give them a voice or lend his voice to poor people, then I want to listen," said Gardner.

But some who came here call Chavez's gesture propaganda, including a native of Venezuela, who accused him of misplaced charity while neglecting problems back home.

"We need money and food for our people,” said the woman. “We don't need the money to come out to other poor nations. This is a rich country. This country should be taking care of its poor."

And Harlem Congressman Charles Rangel, who was not there for the visit, said Chavez was out of line calling the president a devil on the floor of the UN.

"Venezuela's generosity to the poor should not be interpreted as license to attack President Bush,” said Rangel. Any demeaning public attack against him is viewed by Republicans and Democrats, and all Americans, as an attack on all of us."

Nevertheless Chavez vowed to send twice as much discounted oil to the U.S. this year as last.

– Gary Anthony Ramsey