London mayor Ken Livingstone played host to grinning Venezuelan thug Hugo Chavez today, with an all-star cast including deranged playwright Harold Pinter: US President Bush is ‘genocidal assassin’ says Chavez.

London - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez branded US President George W Bush Monday a ‘genocidal assassin’ and the ‘worst criminal in humanity’ during a a private visit to London.

During a visit hosted by Ken Livingstone, London’s controversial mayor, Chavez described the Iraq war as the ‘Vietnam of the 21st century’ and said he did not believe Iran was trying to gain nuclear capability.

Livingstone, standing next to the radical Venezuelan leader, said: ‘I sometimes have views on George Bush - not too dissimilar from yours.’

Chavez was given a ‘hero’s welcome’ by Livingstone at a public rally attended by left-wingers from Britain and Latin American countries Sunday evening. The guest list included playwright Harold Pinter, a stern opponent of the Iraq war, Bianca Jagger, Nicaraguan ex-model and former wife of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger. …

Chavez repeated his warning that the price of petrol would rocket in Britain, if war is declared against Iran. ‘The English middle classes would have to stop using their cars’, he said.

Referring to Iraq, he said: ‘If you are going to compare me to the worst criminal in humanity - the president of the US; He is an assassin. He is a criminal responsible for genocide, completely immoral.’

Chavez added: ‘I believe that he should be put in jail. He has invaded a country. Are we bombing cities?’

On the conflict surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme, he said: ‘We want dialogue. We are not for war. All we want is respect for the will of the people of Iran.’

Livingstone, a strong Chavez supporter, defended him as ‘the best news out of Latin America in many years.’