Sean Penn tours Venezuela

Rory Carroll
Monday August 6, 2007
The Guardian

Sean Penn had the Hollywood Oscar but Hugo Chávez had the greater star power when they teamed up for a roadshow through Venezuela. The actor and the president toured the border region with Colombia last Friday in a convoy of bodyguards, journalists and wellwishers who punctuated their stops with cheers.

Mr Chávez, ebullient, cheerful and on occasion bursting into song, praised his American guest as "a man who is critical of his government and of imperialism" and included him among the left-wing foreigners who have supported his socialist revolution.

In contrast Mr Penn appeared subdued, saying little beyond the fact he was visiting the South American country as a journalist for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting and that he would withhold his views for his article.The president reassured other members of the tour: "He's very quiet, but he has a fire burning inside."

*

From Democracy Now:

Sean Penn Meets Hugo Chavez in Venezuela
In Venezuela, actor Sean Penn appeared with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday. Penn said he visited Venezuela as a journalist to report on the country.

• Sean Penn: "I came here looking for a great country. I found a great country. I found great hospitality. I would be more specific about all of this… but I'm also here as a journalist and so I owe it to that medium to wait until I've digested, fact-checked and finished my journey here. But thank you for a great trip in Venezuela, and in particular President Chavez, thank you."

President Chavez praised Penn for visiting Venezuela.

• President Chavez: "Thank you, Sean, Sean Penn. He's from the United States and a man critical of his government and of imperialism. This man went to Baghdad to ask (U.S. President George W.) Bush to take out the troops, to stop the war. And now he wanted to come here. Well I didn't know him or anything but he wanted to come here to see the truth."