- CARACAS: Sean Penn thanked Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Saturday for supporting the actor's relief organization in Haiti, saying the aid has helped its humanitarian work in distributing medicines.
- Chavez met with Penn at the presidential palace and praised the actor's efforts with his J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which was founded in response to the catastrophic 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
The Oscar-winning actor noted that in addition to Venezuela's financial help, his organization has also received support from the US military. Penn called that ironic, adding: "We hope that this kind of collaboration can be an example for future approaches to many other issues" - in spite of limited US-Venezuelan diplomatic contacts.
The US and Venezuela have been without ambassadors since December, when Chavez formally rejected the White House's nominee for envoy in a diplomatic dispute. The US government revoked the visa of Venezuelan Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez in response.