Chavez said Penn traveled to Venezuela this week wanting to learn more about the situation in the country and walked around some of Caracas' poor barrios on his own.
"Welcome to Venezuela, Mr. Penn. What drives him is consciousness, the search for new paths," Chavez said Wednesday in a televised speech. "He's one of the greatest opponents of the Iraq invasion."
Chavez read aloud from a recent open letter by Penn to G.W Bush in which the actor condemned the Iraq war and called for Bush to be impeached, saying the President along with Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are "villainously and criminally obscene people." Well Sean is the one that always makes friends with wacko world leaders, I wonder if he will finally take up my challenge and run for political office on his own. I am sure Chavez and the wackos will fund his campaign.
The socialist president, who shares those views, said he and Penn talked by phone—"with my bad English but we understood each other more or less." I think Sean can speak in an Iraqi dialect as well.....
Chavez said the two plan to meet Thursday. He called the actor "well- informed about what is happening in the United States and the world, in spite of being in Hollywood."
What's more, Chavez said, "he's made great films." The Venezuelan leader said he recently watched Penn's Oscar-winning performance in the film "Mystic River." 
For his part, Penn on Wednesday toured Venezuela's new film studios on the outskirts of Caracas. Penn, whose visit was unannounced, did not speak publicly. I wonder what sort of hug he will get from Hugo?
I once again challenge Sean Penn to put his hat in the ring and run for public office. Put yourself up for the vote..... Just do it.
