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The eccentric far left president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez is insisting on making an official visit to Athens, reports the online publication zougla.gr by referring to the official diplomatic correspondence between the Greek Foreign Ministry and the embassy of Venezuela in Athens. Chavez has already accepted the invitation by… the mayor of Patra Andreas Fouras.

The possible visit of the provocative Venezuelan found the director of Latin American and Carrebean Basin department of the Greek Foreign Ministry unprepared. A week ago Venezuela ambassador Rodrigo Chavez Samudio asked for a meeting with him and insisted on an official invitation by the Greek government to the Venezuela president. Now, except an invitation by Fouras, Chavez has an invitation also by the left part of the political spectrum.

If the visit takes place, it will be Chavez’s fourth visit to an EU country after Spain, Portugal and France. Chavez, famous for his rash speeches and extremely questioned economic reforms, is seeking international support against USA’s politics in Latin America, which is very reserved towards his “achievements” in Venezuela. For now Chavez can brag with his good relations only with the leaders of the Russian federation.

The idea of the visit was born this summer while Ambassador Rodrigo Chavez Samudio spent his summer vacation in the house of the old Greek communist Manolos Gletzos on Naxos Island. The reason for the visit could be connected to the famous Venezuelan national hero Miranda, who was a general in Napoleon’s army and who spent three months in Patra and Athens during the 19^th century.

The correspondence published by zougla.gr makes it clear that the Venezuelan ambassador, who is also former deputy foreign minister, reminded to the Greek diplomats that his country owns the biggest petrol reserves in the Western hemisphere. He makes it clear that useful trade contracts could be signed, which will be in favor of the Greek trade fleet for transporting petrol from Venezuela around the world.

The possible visit of Hugo Chavez in Athens will definitely not be appreciated by Washington but it would strengthen Georgios Papandreou’s socialistic image in a moment when the Greek PM will have to undertake unpopular and economically painful reforms.