[Venezuela] Chavez to discuss poverty with Pope Benedict

from Dominican Today

Caracas.– Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez will discuss poverty when he meets for the first time with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, the state news agency said citing diplomatic sources.

"Poverty is a shared problem in Latin America and in the case of Venezuela, Chavez' current government is promoting programs geared to eliminating it," the state news agency ABN said quoting Caracas' ambassador to the Vatican, Ivan Rincon Urdaneta.

Since he began his presidency in 1999, this will be the third visit by Chavez to the Vatican, but his first visit with the German pontiff. Chavez says he is a fervent Christian and frequently quotes the Bible in his speeches.

On his upcoming European tour Chavez plans to meet with lawmakers in Britain and attend a European Union-Latin America-Caribbean summit in Austria.