Chavez says Washington and the European Union "must respect the sovereignty of the Latin American people."

Chavez also says a widely criticized new EU rule on illegal immigration will be a central part of his agenda during an upcoming European tour. He repeated previous warnings that Venezuela could expel investors from countries that apply the new rules.

Chavez spoke Saturday at a 29th anniversary celebration of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, Honduras' Manuel Zelaya and Paraguay's President-elect, Fernando Lugo, also attended the festivities.