Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has praised Sean Penn for his opposition to the Iraq war, saying the two chatted by phone and plan to meet in person.
Speaking August 1 in a televised speech, Chavez said Penn made an unannounced visit to Venezuela this week.
Chavez read aloud from a recent open letter the Oscar-winning actor sent to President Bush, in which he condemned the Iraq war and called for the President's impeachment.
Chavez, who says he shares Penn's views, said the two talked by phone - "with my bad English, but we understood each other more or less." Chavez said the two plan to meet on August 2.
He called the 46-year-old actor "well informed about what is happening in the United States and the world, in spite of being in Hollywood."
Penn toured Venezuela's new film studios on the outskirts of the capital city of Caracas, along with visiting poorer neighborhoods.
