Chavez demands Washington, EU 'respect' Latin America; criticizes immigration policies

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has a message for future U.S. and European leaders: Treat Latin America with respect. Chavez says Washington and the European Union «must respect the sovereignty of the Latin American people. Chavez also says a widely criticized new EU rule on illegal immigration will be a central part of his agenda during an upcoming European tour. He repeated previous warnings that Venezuela could expel investors from countries that apply the new rules. Chavez spoke Saturday at a 29th anniversary celebration of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, Honduras' Manuel Zelaya and Paraguay's President-elect, Fernando Lugo, also attended the festivities.