Does this sounds like the language of a world leader?

"You've messed with me. Now, you will have to deal with me. From now on, I'm watching you, anything you do or say!"

This is the menacing language of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, speaking as a statesman to Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom yesterday. He was exploding in the face of Blair's statement that Chavez needed to abide by democratic principles.

It's not only thing he said. He also told Blair to "go to hell," but he used street—hooligan argot so vulgar and filthy that Spanish—language scholars were baffled as to its actual meaning. It was underworld language only the lowest street enforcer would know.

The word he used, according to Miguel Octavio, "el cipote" —means a sort of secular hell sort of a reference with a sexual connotation. It has no translation equal, but Miguel explains it out to English—speakers. Blair is hardly the first world leader to take Chavez's gutter—level abuse — the Venezuelan people have been putting up with it for years. Miguel writes:

Hugo Chavez has sent us, over half of the Venezuelan population to "el carajo" and "el cipote" at one time or another during the last seven years. But we are all mostly still here, wondering who will be next.

Chavez also called Blair "a pawn of imperialism," echoing his attack against President Vicente Fox of Mexico, whom he called a "lapdog of the empire"

We've long identified Hugo Chavez as a thug, and this street—like intimidation language show that Chavez's thuggery is more than just figurative.

Carlos Alberto Montaner wrote earlier that Chavez is the sort of street goon with a shiv in his sock who's best just walked away from as an odious menace. It's about time all decent, democracy—abiding world leaders dealt with him in this manner.

A.M. Mora y Leon 02 09 06