Venezuela's Hugo Chavez lashes out at Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel

By: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lashed out at Germany's chancellor on Sunday, suggesting her party shares the political ideals of Adolf Hitler.

Chavez criticized Angela Merkel for belonging to the conservative Christian Democratic Union, calling the movement "the same right wing that supported Hitler and fascism."

"Ms. Chancellor, you can go to ..." he said during his weekly television and radio program, before pausing. Then he added: "Because you are a lady, I won't say any more."

Chavez said that Merkel recently urged some Latin American leaders to avoid forging ties with Venezuela's government. Her original comments could not immediately be confirmed.

He said a confrontation with Merkel could come at a meeting of Latin American and European leaders this week in Peru, and joked that she might respond by telling him to "shut up" - as Spanish King Juan Carlos did during a summit last year.

Chavez has ridiculed numerous world leaders in recent years, including U.S. President George W. Bush, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Mexican President Vicente Fox. He seized the world's attention in 2006 by calling Bush "the devil" in a speech before the U.N. General Assembly.