CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is defending imprisoned terrorist Carlos the Jackal.
He calls the Venezuelan an important "revolutionary fighter" who supported the cause of the Palestinians.
Chavez praised Carlos -- whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez -- during a televised speech last night saying: "It doesn't matter to me what they say tomorrow in Europe."
Ramirez gained international notoriety during the 1970s and 80s as the alleged mastermind of a series of bombings, killings and hostage dramas. He's serving a life sentence in France for the 1975 murders of two French secret agents and an alleged informant.
In the speech to socialist politicians from various countries, Chavez also sought to defend other leaders he said are wrongly labeled "bad guys" internationally. They include Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe (moo-GAH'-bay) and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (ah-muh-DEE'-neh-zhahd). Chavez called both of them brothers and said he now wonders whether Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was truly as brutal as he was reputed to be.
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Hugo Chavez headshot, as Venezuela President, on national flag texture, partial graphic
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