Vzla: The first refuge of a tin-pot dictator

Blame the U.S. The Arabs do it. Aristide did it. And now Chavez.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told the United States on Friday to "get its hands off Venezuela" as he accused Washington of backing a wave of opposition protests seeking a recall vote against him.

Chavez, who sent troops onto the streets to control a week of protests in which at least eight people were killed, appealed to the international community to condemn what he said was the second U.S. attempt in two years to topple him.

"In the name of the truth, I have to ask the Washington government to get its hands off Venezuela," the left-wing leader told foreign ambassadors whom he summoned to the presidential palace.

That's almost like that Iraqi joke from one of the Iraqi blogs. Is Chavez going to do something to force the U.S. to act against him so Venezuela can become a democracy? One never knows.