Chavez visits Spain, criticizing "colonialist cliches" (1st Lead)

Sep 11, 2009, 9:45 GMT

Madrid - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived in Madrid Friday for talks with Spain's prime minister and king, declaring his country was now 'equal' to its former colonial masters.

On arriving at his hotel, Chavez told media he rejected the idea of Spain as Latin America's gate to Europe.

'We do not need these gates, we should not continue repeating colonialist cliches. We are equals,' said the president, who arrived in Madrid from Moscow.

Chavez also accused the Spanish and other Western governments of distorting facts according to right-wing interpretations in order to harm Latin America.

There was a 'big media campaign' to show 'the world upside down,' the president charged.

'Those of us who fight for real democracy are called tyrants, and tyrants are called democrats,' he said.

Chavez was due to meet Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, King Juan Carlos and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Friday.

A visit to Spain was not originally on the programme of Chavez' tour of the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

Spanish government sources said Chavez had requested the visit, while Zapatero was always interested in reinforcing ties with Latin America.

Chavez and Spanish leaders were expected to discuss subjects including the situation in the Middle East and the controversy over US military bases in Colombia.

Chavez accuses the United States of using the drug trade in Colombia as an excuse to seek military control over Latin America.

The relations between Spain and Venezuela cooled in November 2007, when King Juan Carlos told Chavez 'to shut up' after the Venezuelan leader slammed former Spanish premier Jose Maria Aznar as a 'fascist' at an Ibero-American summit in Chile.

Tension subsided when the king received Chavez in July 2008.

Chavez' tour has been marked by controversial moves, such as recognizing the Georgian breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia during a visit to Russia, announcing petrol exports to Iran, and accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinians.