Kadhafi

Hugo Chavez, President of the South American oil-producing state of Venezuela, has proposed an international peace mission to Libyan leader, Kadhafi, according to the Venezuelan Minister for Communications.

Hugo Chavez, President of the South American oil-producing state of Venezuela, has proposed an international peace mission to Libyan leader, Kadhafi, according to the Venezuelan Minister for Communications. The minister confirmed that the two leaders had spoken together on Tuesday.

According to Al Jazira, Kadhafi accepted the proposal, however the Arab League has contradicted this, saying that it is still in the process of considering the idea.

Venezuela is suggesting an international mediation mission, composed of representatives from Latin American countries, Europe and the Middle East. The aim would be to try to negotiate a way out between Libyan rulers and revolutionaries.

Venezuelan authorities have not yet published the Libyan chief's response. Al Jazira, however, maintains that Kadhafi gave his agreement to Chavez's plan.

Hugo Chavez, a close ally of Mouammar Kadhafi, has accused the United States of exaggerating the Libyan situation in order to justify an invasion of the country.

Source: France2, INFO - MONDE - Libye, 3 March 2011.

Both leaders head oil producing countries which struggled for independence from the time of the first oil shock. Kadhafi says he believes that the US is exaggerating the problems in Libya to have an excuse to invade. Venezuela has long suffered from US interference and the peoples' resentment of this permitted the rise of Chavez .