There is a reason why rumours circulated that the Libyan leader Muamar Gaddafi, who is facing unprecedented insurrection in his country, wanted to escape to Venezuela. The leader has warm ties with the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. But in Africa too Gaddafi has his friends.

By Humberto Márquez, Venezuela

“I am in Tripoli, not in Venezuela,” was the ultra-short reaction of the Libyan leader in an interview on state television on Monday evening. “Do not believe these channels belonging to stray dogs”, he said. Meanwhile Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spread a press release saying that the rumours were untrue.

However, it wouldn’t be the first time that an ousted leader seeks refuge in South-America: the Shah of Persia sought asylum in Panama after he was expelled from his country in 1979. The speculation that Gaddafi would leave for Venezuela was based on the ‘brotherhood’ between Chavez and Gaddafi. In 2009 the Libyan leader visited Venezuelan capital Caracas for the first time in 42 years. He was invited to a conference for South American and African leaders during which Chavez awarded him for being a freedom fighter.

Tensions with West
When the Libyan leader rejected the use of terrorism in 2003 he, slowly but surely, got more and more friends. Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was the first Western leader to visit Libya. But the release of the Libyan Lockerby-bomber suspect, a few years later, led to severe criticism of the United States. And today’s British government has deserted its previously friendly stance towards Libya. Italian Prime-Minister Berlusconi has followed Britain’s example, although Libya and Italy have always been trade partners.

A bilateral agreement eased the political tensions with the US. But you can’t say there is a warm friendship between Libya and America. Gaddafi has always had the most influence in Africa and the Middle East. In 2009 Libya chaired the African Union and the country sent aid to isolated countries, like Chad and Zimbabwe.

Forever friends
President Mugabe is therefore seen as a friend of Gaddafi. And also Mauritania, Niger and Mali are said to have warm ties with the regime, just like some of the former soviet satellite states in Asia. And among fallen regimes Egypt and Tunisia had a good relationship with the Libyan leader. But things are now changing.

Nevertheless, any future leader of Libya will have a reason to have many good friends because they need to export lots and lots of their oil and gas.