President Chavez’s Censored F-Word

Here’s a clip from "60 Minutes", which aired on May 12, 2002. Correspondent Steve Kroft interviews President Chavez of Venezuela.

KROFT: Do you like the United States? There are many things that you don’t like about the United States, I think.

CHAVEZ: No. Me gustan los Estado Unidos. Disfruto las poemas de Walt Whitman. New York, New York, la cancion….Frank Sinatra. Me gusta beisbol, Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, el hot dog, la libertad.

VOICE OF TRANSLATOR: No. I do like the United States… I enjoy the poems of Walt Whitman, "New York, New York" the song, Frank Sinatra. I love baseball, Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, hot dogs.

[edited out: la libertad / "the freedom"]

Earlier in the piece Kroft asked the elected president of Venezuela to respond to this: There are people who have suggested that you are somewhat "loco".

And to a member of the elites interviewed to "balance" the report, Kroft asked: Do you believe he’s a communist?

Imagine a Venezuelan correspondent interviewing President G. Bush.

Interviewer: Do you like Venezuela? There are many things that you don’t like about Venezuela, I think.

Bush: I like Venezuela a lot. Especially Carnaval. Cucaracha, I mean. Laura and I hope to go there some day.

Translator: Me gusta Venezuela.

Interviewer: Some people have suggested that you are somewhat estupido…