Tensions were eased as Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and King Juan Carlos of Spain warmly greeted each other, months after the Spanish King famously told the Venezuelan leader to “shut up” at last year’s Ibero-American Summit.
The two heads of state shook hands outside of the King’s summer residence on the island of Majorca. Chavez even joked “why don’t we go to the beach?” to the smiling monarch.
But the outspoken Venezuelan leader failed to give the monarch a hug, after saying on his weekly television show last Sunday he would like to.
At a later news conference in Madrid on Friday, Chavez said the king had given him a T-shirt depicting the incident where the king yelled at Chavez, “why don’t you shut up?” when Chavez interrupted a speech by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at the summit in Chile.
“We caused a furore with that event. It (the T-shirt) is a good souvenir, to laugh at for the rest of our lives every time we see it,” he said
Tensions arose between Spain and Venezuela after the incident. Chavez later threatened to review diplomatic and business ties with Spain, a major investor in the OPEC nation, and demanded a public apology from Juan Carlos.
At the same time, the King’s outburst became the quote of the moment througout Spain – becoming a popular ringtone on many a Spaniard’s cell phone.
But this time around, all was well.
Chavez is in Spain for a brief meeting with Prime Minister Zapatero and a working lunch to discuss business ties between the two countries, possible collaboration on energy and immigration.
Click here to view a video of today’s meeting
Isabella. Having recently explored the tranquil shoreline around Skagen – a harbour town at the Denmark’s northernmost point - this time they were in the coastal community of Blokhus, 80 miles to the south
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