Chavez thanks Sean Penn for slamming his critics

Caracas: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is grateful that actor Sean Penn has defended him against his critics within the US media.In an appearance on HBO`s ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ last week, Penn slammed Chavez critics who refer to the socialist leader as a dictator.

The Oscar-winning celebrity noted that Chavez has won repeated elections and suggested that media critics who call him a dictator should be jailed. He says that "there should be a bar for which one goes to prison for these kinds of biases." Penn has visited Chavez several times and frequently defends the president`s leftist political policies. Chavez welcomed Penn`s comments Wednesday and thanked the actor for standing up to his detractors. Bureau Report