How about that Hugo!

"And the devil came here yesterday. Yesterday the devil came here. Right here." [crosses himself]"And it smells of sulfur still today."

Hugo Chavez, in an address to the General Assembly at the United Nations Building, New York City, September 20, 2006



And with that, the Venezuelan President began his one day stand at the United Nations, a performance guaranteed to give the comedy crews at the diaspora of American late night comedy a day off.

Jon, Jay , David, Conan et al, have never had as easy a day, as this one is going to be.

Sometimes the material just writes itself, eh Hugo.

It was only Monday that everyone was waiting for the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to go all Khrushchev and bang a shoe or threaten to bury us all.

Instead, compared to Chavez’s rhetorical rant of today, the Iranian was the master of sensibilities (go figure the odds on that). Leaving the laying to waste of the American agenda to his tag team partner, Hugo who brought out the big stick, to counter the by comaprison Iranian flowers of yesterday.

Chavez took to the stage, began his remarks and brought a prop or two to entertain, enthrall and worry the 61st gathering of the World's body.

Chavez did some book selling to get things under way, holding up a copy of Noam Chomsky’s 2003 tome; 'Hegemony or Survival: The Imperialist Strategy of the United States.. Temporarily threatening to read chapters of it, he eventually just recommended that everyone go out and buy it. This made for a Chavez as Oprah moment, offering up a kind of book club selection for leftist leaders. (Mr. Chomsky look at what you’ve unleashed, they say any endorsement is a good endorsement, but….)

Taking the torch from the failing hands of Fidel Castro, Chavez has taken his nation on a very different path of late and seems to have anointed himself the main spokesperson for the third world, with a particular discipline in Central and South American studies it seems.

One part Fidel and one part Che Guevera, Chavez today railed on about Imperialism and the devil for 23 minutes, before brining his comments to a close on the main stage of the UN’s assembly.

Wednesday at the UN Improv featured Chavez’s concern over the spread of American world dominance, a rebuke for wasteful consumerism in the West, nods to Hitchcock movies, numerous mentions of President Bush as a devil and a call for a psychiatrist to be provided for Bush (perhaps the requested doctor might have some spare time for Hugo as well eh).

A dramatic crossing of himself after the devil comments, might cause him a few problems with his new Islamic friends, considering the recent travails of the Pope (though Chavez is rather dismissive of the Church in his own country).

During the course of his speech he frequently reached out to build a form of union of the dispossessed with them. Having taken up the cause of Iran and Middle Eastern nations in international forums, it seems that Chavez wishes to portray himself as the spokeseman for all nations ready to take to his brand of revolution.

He also did some politicking for Venezuela’s bid for inclusion in the 10 member rotation of non permanent nations on the UN’s Security Council. For which they apparently are in competition with Guatemala, for a non voting seat with the big boys in New York. Chavez of late has been busy chasing down supporters around the world for the bid.

While he wants to be at the table in New York he also has suggested that the UN might wish to move out of America and relocate in his very own Caracas. A notion that which may win him votes back home, probably won't find much cache with the UN types As nice as Caracas may be, somehow we can't see them living the life of entitlement that they have now in New York in any relocation to Venezuela.

It was as wild a speech as the UN has seen in a long time, providing great theatre for a Wednesday afternoon. Following on the heels of other world leaders taking to the stage to work their agendas. Which in itself is part of the UN problem these days, Chavez’s diatribe only went to actually highlight what many say is the great failing of the UN of late.

It’s great on theatre, apparently incapable of decision and short on delivery.

And today it was quite short on serious topics.

Any sensible message that the President of Venezuela might wish to get across, got lost in his theatrical call of proclaiming Satan and his steady dose of Bush bashing. One thing that Chavez mentioned that might find some resonance in Washington, was his declaration that the UN doesn’t really work very well anymore.

After today’s rage at the machine, he may be on to something there.

For a transcript of today’s address, click here.

View it from the UN's broadcast archives of the assembly events.