CARACAS (AFP) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has warned he will lodge a complaint against the United States at the United Nations and other international bodies if the US government fails to act against television evangelist Pat Robertson, who has called for Chavez's assassination.

"If the US government does not take action that it must take, we will go to the United Nations and Organization of American States to denounce the US government," the Venezuelan leader said Sunday as he addressed participants at talks on a social charter for the Americas.

He added he believed that by failing to act against Robertson, the United States was "giving protection to a terrorist, who is demanding the assassination of a legitimate president."

Unfortunately for Chavez and the UN, America has something called the "first amendment" which guarantees people, private citizens like Roberts, the right to espouse his silly ideas. Just as it guarantees people like me the right to castigate the government over things like the tax laws and immigration policy.

Its not surprising that a communist dictator like Chavez would fail to understand that.