Niel, Berlin, did you forget West Germany was under the US protection and East Germany occupied by Soviet Union? Do you remember Cold War and the Wall of Berlin?

andrea, genova, italy

Merkel - whose party supported the Pinochet putch in Chile, the Argentinian generals, the 2nd. generation Bavarian president of Paraguay (who made it a habit to cut his opponents into little pieces) and the cleptocrats that paved the way for Chavez in Venezuela, should talk less and learn more.

Niels, Berlin, Germany

I'm sorry, but I don't see how this could have happened. Anyone who reads the Guardian knows that the British are the only people on the face of the Earth who ever invoke Hitler.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/USA

Steve from Toronto. Uribe is OK in the eyes of the Colombians. Chavez is most certainly not.

James, Monteria, Colombia

This is typical, especially from the European right. Despite Venezuela's success in reducing poverty rates in the last decade since Chavez was elected, European politicians feel they have the right to meddle in Latin American politics. But let me guess, Uribe is ok in the eyes of the European elites

Steve, Toronto,

Hugo is more and more marginalized - even the millions he funnels into neighbouring countries and terrorist groups don't buy him a very wide audience any more. It is likely that he will turn more and more to police and military. Nationalist-socialist tyrants usually do. What a buffoon.

Brett, Stettler, Canada

Who's driving Venezuela, Mr Chavez?
That's what I would ask Chavez if I were Angela.

RobD, Bracknell, UK

Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fueher can be translated as "one people, one state, one king". The motto is also very British. The British king is also the head of the Church of England.
Chavez is stupid and Ms. Merkel made well not reply him.

tony, paris,

If Obama is nominated, Hillary's elderly, female and middle-aged blue-collar white voters will switch to McCain. They feel uneasy about Obama's pastor debacle and some controversial statements of his wife Michelle. To many Obama (although decent and smart) seems a light-headed promise-giving novice.

Elliot, New York, USA

Mr Garrido, an independent analyst in Venezuela said in 2006: "The whole country [Venezuela] will be geared towards the motto: one leader - one party - one ideology”...I recall having heard something similar before, a long time ago, when I was very young: "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer"...

D.F.A. von Jettmar, Fort Worth, TX, U.S.A.