Obama, Chavez Shake Hands At Summit (PHOTO)

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad - Presidents Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez have met for the first time, shaking hands as the Summit of the Americas gets under way in Trinidad and Tobago.

Photos released by the Venezuelan government show the two smiling and Obama touching Chavez on the shoulder.

The Venezuelan presidency says Obama initiated the handshake. It quotes Chavez as telling Obama he hopes for better relations between their nations.

Chavez also reportedly said Friday: "With this same hand I greeted Bush eight years ago. I want to be your friend."

As recently as last week, Chavez expressed a desire to "reset" relations with Washington.

Comments

[JohnLloydScharf]

01:59 PM on 04/25/2009

You dredged up every photo of any of Bush's minions who ever shook hands with the National Socialist Saddam Hussein and took it as a political opportunity to attack Bush. Now Obama himself shakes hands with the National Socialist Chavez and you endorse that? In the end this is not jouralism. It is political propaganda of Huffington. Wrong if Republican and damned right if Democrat. "Wrong if Republican" seems to be the editorial position with Huffington.

[IJD]

04:09 PM on 04/23/2009

Ref: Obama, Chavez Shake Hands: Although it must have pained Obama to touch the man, at least he did shake hands instead of slobbering all over and kissing him like Pres. Bush did with the Saudi prince, ole" what's him name.

[JohnLloydScharf]

02:07 PM on 04/25/2009

President Bush appropriately responded in Arab terms to an ally of the US. The Arabs may have noticed the overhand nature of the grasp as they held hands walking through the ranch, but Bush knew where they were going. Chavez is a declared enemy of capitalism, democracy, and the US.

To suggest that it "pained Obama to touch the man," is to ignore the pictures of them smiling and even a "home boy" handshake. He even accepted a propaganda book endorced by Chavez for Obama to read.

[Brian Deuel]

08:48 PM on 04/21/2009

Shaking hands with a dictator?

How soon some things are forgotten...

http://tallteacher.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/rumsfeld-hussein.jpg

[Nonamnesiac]

08:59 AM on 04/21/2009

When Obama faces Latin America he faces legitimately elected governments in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Venezuela that oppose many of the historical gunboat diplomacy practices the US has employed in Latin America in support of US corporations and the Monroe Doctrine. These countries do not see Cuba as an enemy or as a role model -- just another legtimate country they neither extol nor condemn. Many of those elected in those countries led armed struggles against violent oligarchs supported by the United States.

Obama can talk all he wants about "hitting the reset button" on US relations with Latin America generally and each of those countries specifically. Its a nice, meaningless sound bite unless it's backed up by action. For the pundits and Republican pols to condemn Obama for shaking hand with a legitimately elected leader and call Chavez a "dictator" and a "despot" show their stupidity, inability to lead or even comment on the new realities in Latin America. The US can be a popular force for good in Latin America, but not by defending longstanding, barbaric policies based on gunboat diplomacy.

[OleLadySquawking]

08:13 PM on 04/20/2009

Obama silently attacks his enemies with that killer smile and his politeness. They never know what hit them until after he's gone. By the time they figure it out their people are sticking up for Obama.

[jbs902]

06:33 PM on 04/20/2009

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" Vito Corleone...he was right about this one! Way to go INTELLIGENT President OBama!

[MJinCanada]

06:51 PM on 04/20/2009

Sun-Tzu. Chinese general. About 400 BCE.

[Coopforobama]

06:08 PM on 04/20/2009

I don't know about you guys, but I'm thoroughly convinced that WE are in desperate need of some RE- training in MANNERS, ETHICS, RELIGION. When I read all of the HATEFUL, RACIST, BIGOTED, DIVISIVE comments day in and day out, it brings it back home just how DAMAGED we are from the past 8 years of the BUSH/CHENEY/ROVE/BLACK GOVERNMENT REGIME. And what completely amazes me is the fact THEY are ALWAYS labelling others as Terrorist, Unpatriotic, etc.

[MJinCanada]

06:54 PM on 04/20/2009

Bless you. You are absolutely right.

If Rush Limbaugh was replaced by Miss Manners, the US would recover a great deal of integrity.

[foxbat]

07:09 PM on 04/20/2009

Just wrote about that in another thread. It's amazing how low the bar of the presidency was lowered under the previous admin and how much general disrespect that brought to both America from the rest of the world and within the country toward the office of the presidency. Thank goodness that the end of the frat boy reign and that beer bonging and pantsing each other ill be relegated back to the frat house and not at the White House. Here's to the adults running things again.

[Joseph Upton]

05:18 PM on 04/20/2009

Obama and Chavez. A natural couple. They think alike.

[trunk65]

05:31 PM on 04/20/2009

I am so glad you showed up today to help us celebrate 4/20 day. If ever there was someone who needed to expand their narrow mind, you are the one.

[nocoward]

06:08 PM on 04/20/2009

Your ridiculous litte opinion has been noted.

[Wordstosay]

05:08 PM on 04/20/2009

When I saw this photo my stomach and the heart became excited! I saw something that I was not sure it will be possible. The first step toward hope is a smile and handshake and let's talk over lunch...I got that picture printed and frame another high point in my life...I am feeling much better about my grand children's future with images like this ..GOD BLESS THE WORLD!

[gatogato]

03:26 PM on 04/20/2009

Whether you agree with Chavez' policies or not it is amazing people forget that the GW Bush and the CIA tried to topple his government. That tends to make one a little cross, I'm supposing.

[ladyoftheisland]

01:47 PM on 04/22/2009

Actually, it sort of explains things - Bush et al tended to not acknowledge election results with which they did not agree [in other countries, forget 2000 here] so it's just a logical progression for the far right to not acknowledge President Obama. It all makes sense now.

[Oregondemo]

03:15 PM on 04/20/2009

I mean joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.

[Rosey]

02:52 PM on 04/20/2009

Smile at your enemies and disarm them. Good for you Mr. President! Only a FSN following would think anything else.

And oh yes, since arguing, dissing and starting illegal wars has not worked folks, why not try a dialogue?

[Oregondemo]

02:59 PM on 04/20/2009

The rethugs are just ignorant enough to not realize Obama always has an intelligent strategy. A strategy at all confuses the narrow-minded, bully, party of nothing. They only understand being threatening, fearmongering and hateful.

Way to go Prez Obama - you are making us more proud by the day. We are incredibly lucky to have you leading our country at such a crucial time in history.

I thank God every day. And I'm not even religious.

[Godweiser]

07:33 PM on 04/20/2009

They're too busy confusing blustering and pompous grandstanding with opposition to a nation's policies. Obama understands that a person can be opposed to something without having to constantly denounce it as if they were afraid of being criticized for not being tough enough.

Republicans tend to childishly demand empty demonstrations and proclamations and 'great loyalty oath crusade'-ing types of actions to the point where they cease to be effective as policymakers. They're so busy with the appearance of things that they never get anything done in a substantive fashion.

They're going to get all in a lather about Obama 'selling out' but can't name much that he's done besides shaken Hugo Chavez's hand and spoken to him politely like a civilized human being rather than some squinty paranoid that feels he has to talk tough in front of his buddies or lose macho points.

Yes, I think Republicans truly are that childish about appearances, it's some sort of stupidity they didn't get out of their systems in elementary school.

[dhinds]

11:00 PM on 04/20/2009

What makes you think that Chavez is Obama's enemy? Does Obama covet Venezuela's oil? Or are they two people that happen to represent their respective countries?

[claudiam]

02:48 PM on 04/20/2009

Barack is a man of manners, unlike the hateful Repubs! claudiatucsonaz

[I once had a Crysknife]

02:29 PM on 04/20/2009

Of course he is going to shake his hand. What was he supposed to do? Maybe draw on his arm and say line line dot dot now you got your cootie shot..

[FreetoBme]

06:44 PM on 04/20/2009

Stupid, stupid man.
Bush wouldn't have offered his hand.
He would have offered his fist.

[Godweiser]

07:35 PM on 04/20/2009

Bush would have regaled Hugo with his command of the Spanish language. God help us, he probably speaks Spanish better than he does English...

My apologies in advance to the United Kingdom for naming George Bush as an English speaker.

[dhinds]

11:02 PM on 04/20/2009

Chavez is a General. Bush would do poorly against him.

[bob tomato]

02:15 PM on 04/20/2009

This just in: President Obama Models Real Christian Behavior

In Matthew 5:43-46, Jesus says:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?"

Just for the record, I consider myself a fundamental evangelical - the trick is understanding the real fundamentals, like shown in the verses above, and then being willing to evangelize one's own heart and mind and soul. "Let your light so shine before men..."

Good for you, Mr. President.

[Hracso]

02:29 PM on 04/20/2009

I thought of the same verse. Isn't it ironic that right wing conservative evangelicals forget those red letters?

[Oregondemo]

03:02 PM on 04/20/2009

So nice to be reminded what an evangelical person should use as principles. I'm afraid the Republican party is acting quite the opposite lately and turning people of good character and morals off with their hypocrisy.

Good for you bob tomato. Good for you for making this point.