Iran vows to fight imperialism

VENEZUELA: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Wednesday next to President Hugo Chavez that Iran and Venezuela would “stand together until the end” in the face of US “imperialism.”

Ending a tour of Latin American allies, Ahmadinejad praised his “brave brother” Chavez, saying: “Today the people of Venezuela and Iran, friends and brothers in the trench warfare against imperialism, are resisting.

“We’ll stand together until the end,” he yelled, raising Chavez’s hand in front of the television cameras and shouting in Spanish: “Viva Venezuela! Viva Chavez!”

Before arriving in Caracas late Tuesday Ahmadinejad was in Bolivia, where he and President Evo Morales, another close Chavez ally, hailed their own alliance against “imperialism,” meaning the United States.The Iranian leader’s three-day regional tour has been seen as a clear affront to Washington, a fact illustrated by an unusual letter sent by US President Barack Obama.

After Ahmadinejad’s first stop in Brazil, it emerged that Obama had sent a letter to the regional power urging it to be more critical of the Islamic republic and its suspect nuclear activities.

The letter, written to Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the eve of Ahmadinejad’s visit, outlined Washington’s foreign policy goals and opposition to Iran’s nuclear program.

After receiving the letter on Sunday, Lula went ahead Monday and recognized Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy, although he urged Tehran to seek a peaceful settlement in talks with Western powers.Caracas, Thursday, AFP