In the post-Summit-of-the-Americas, wake, Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez has lashed out at Mexican President Vicente Fox, publicly hurling a slew of insults at the unexpected star of the Argentina gathering.

Fox was so brilliant and forceful in his advocacy of free trade for the Americas that he actually did manage to draw a few cameras away from the Argentina rent-a-mob smashing shops amid exhortations by Chavez, through his own considerable star power.

That was a disaster for Chavez.

Now, the Venezuelan dictator has struck back. Chavez does this as Mexico is in the throes of an election to be held just a few months from now. The attack on Fox could force leftwing frontrunner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to distance himself from Chavez (and he’s already been moving that way anyway, on voter pressure), or could even add fuel to the PAN ruling party’s campaign, led by Calderon, a far more intense free-market advocate than Fox, as Mexican voters, disgusted by the attack on their elected president by the unpopular Venezuelan thug, rally around Fox in his hail of fire.

This could actually affect the Mexican election.

But the mainstream media hasn’t noticed this yet, it’s all just a local-press story. The blogosphere has filled in.

Via Instapundit (and check out his comment!), we learn that Venezuelan bloggers Miguel Octavio and Daniel Duquenal have the whole story in a couple of fascinating must-read posts here.

Chavez may have stepped in it bigtime this time.

UPDATE: Backfire! AMLO has come to Fox’s defense. Reforma has a headline.