Venezuela: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Visit Raises Controversy · Global Voices
Marianne Díaz Hernández

Iran's President, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, arrived in Venezuela on Sunday January 8, 2012, in his first stop in a tour that will continue to Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador. His visit has sparked strong reactions on social networks, where users are questioning whether his presence might be of some benefit for the nation.
On Twitter, some criticize Ahmadinejad's presence and the welcoming he received by the Venezuelan government. Luis Carlos Díaz (@LuisCarlos) [es] writes:
Dice mucho del Ministerio de la Mujer su no-pronunciamiento sobre la visita de Ahmadineyad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, image by Flick user Parmida Rahimi (CC BY 2.0)
Blogger Carlos Bauza (@CarlosBauza) [es] suggests that Ahmadinejad's visit might have influence over the upcoming Venezuelan presidential elections, while Garcilaso Pumar (@garcilasop) [es] tweets:
Mahmud Ahmadinejad es un tirano retrogrado, asesino y misógino. Chávez es un imbécil que le ilusiona ser todo eso. #Coneldebidorespeto
Others are using the hashtag #FueraAhmadinejadDeVzla to demand Iran's President leave the country. User @PericoRipeado24, for example, criticizes Ahmadinejad's sense of justice:
#FueraAhmadinejadDeVzla Porque tu justicia se ve en la horca, cuando tu pueblo roba es para comer
Meanwhile, netizens who support President Chávez tweeted welcoming Ahmadinejad:
@BasemTajeldine: Merece un reconocimiento la valentía d Ahmadineyad al visitar Vzla, Cuba, Nicarg y Ecu, antes “patio trasero” d USA, hoy paises soberanos
@JustoBustamante: BIENVENIDO MAHMUD AHMADINEJAD PRESIDENTE REPÚBLICA ISLAMICA DE IRÁN Lider de la Revolución Iraní. LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS VENEZOLANOS te saludan
@CarlosRFrancoM: Camarada Mahmud Ahmadinejad bienvenido a la tierra de Bolívar, patria libre, soberana y socialista… ¡Que chillen los escuálidos!
This is Ahmadinejad's fifth visit to Caracas. After joking about “big atomic bombs“, his visit ended on Monday January 9, with the signing of a series of bilateral agreements, including a Memorandum of Understanding of technological cooperation for training in nanoscience and nanotechnology and the exchange of teachers in this field.