Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday told the U.S. government to "go to hell" after it questioned his plan to seek special powers to legislate by decree as part of his self-styled socialist revolution. A State Department spokesman on Friday said Chavez's reform plans have caused "some concern," describing the proposal allowing presidents to rule by decree as "a bit odd" in a democracy."That is a sacrosanct legal authority of Venezuela, go to hell gringos! Go home! Go home!" Chavez said during his weekly Sunday broadcast. "We're free here, and every day we'll be more free."
Venezuela's legislature this week is expected to fully approve the Enabling Law that would give Chavez 18 months to decree legislation.
State Department spokesman Tom Casey on Friday said the legislation by decree proposal was "a sovereign right of Venezuela but certainly ... a bit odd in terms of a democratic system."