THE day after Hugo Chavez infamously described US President George W. Bush as "the devil", actor Danny Glover introduced the Venezuelan President at a packed church meeting in Harlem.

But America's man in Bermuda, US Consul General Gregory Slayton, has no problems with Mr. Glover being invited to Bermuda as a special guest of the Government-backed African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference.

Mr. Slayton said yesterday: "Mr. Glover is a private citizen and a very well-known one. And, as far as I can tell, the invitation to him was sent well before the Chavez incident.

"In fact, I'm glad such a well-known American has come to Bermuda.

"But obviously I believe the large majority of Americans completely disagree with what Hugo Chavez said.

"It was completely inappropriate for him to say things like that, especially when he was in the United States as a guest of the United Nations."

In a speech at the UN headquarters in New York last Wednesday, President Chavez described President Bush as "the devil" and as "a world tyrant".

The following day, activist-actor Mr. Glover introduced President Chavez at the podium at the Olivet Baptist Church in Harlem, to mark the launch of a scheme to provide cheap oil to the poor.

Mr. Chavez took the opportunity to hurl further insults at the US President, calling him "a sick man with a lot of hang-ups".

"He doesn't know anything about politics, he got there because of Daddy," Mr. Chavez added.

Mr. Slayton pointed to the condemnation of Mr. Chavez' comments by some of Mr. Bush's greatest political opponents as evidence that most Americans had dismissed the tirade.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, lashed out at Mr. Chavez, saying he "demeaned himself, and he demeaned Venezuela".

"All he is is an everyday thug," Ms Pelosi added.

Representative Charles Rangel, a Democrat who represents Harlem, called a press conference to rebuke Mr. Chavez.

Chavez "has to understand that while we have problems politically sometimes with President Bush that he is still our president," Rangel said.

"We resent foreigners coming and condemning our president, whether it's at the United Nations or whether it's in my congressional district."

Mr. Slayton endorsed their comments and added his own assessment of Mr. Chavez.

"Mr. Chavez is pretty good at being a demagogue, but he is not serving the interests of his own people, who are growing poorer and losing freedoms, virtually by the day," Mr. Slayton said.

"To come to the US and say what he said was completely out of line."

Yesterday Mr. Glover addressed the Diaspora Trail conference at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel.

Around 150 overseas delegates are taking part in the ongoing event, discussing ways of linking communities, countries and people of African descent who have a shared history through slavery and through the enforced movement of people between Africa, Europe and the Americas.