Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said President Bush represents the "most cynical, most murderous empire in all of history" but insisted he had nothing personal against him.
He spoke while shadowing his political foil on a tour of Western Hemisphere nations.
"It's not Chavez against Bush or Bush against Chavez," the Venezuelan leader said last night in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince at the close of a five-nation tour of Latin American and Caribbean nations.
"If this were personal it would have been over a long time ago. But you all know this isn't personal," Mr Chavez said.
"The president of the United States is the representative of the cruellest, most terrible, most cynical, most murderous empire that has existed in all of history."
Mr Chavez, speaking at a news conference with Haitian President Rene Preval and Cuban Vice President Esteban Lazo, said Mr Bush "represents the imperial plan of domination and colonialism. We represent . . . the Bolivarian plan for the liberation of our people."
Mr Preval, whose impoverished nation receives more aid from the United States than any country, gave no comment or reaction to Mr Chavez's remarks.
AP