Chavez and Morales followed in Lukashenka’s wake and expelled US ambassadors

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said he was expelling the U.S. ambassador within 72 hours in a response to American “aggression against Venezuela and Bolivia”.

He said the US was responsible for an attempted overthrowing of the Venezuelan government.

A real diplomatic scandal is growing between the US on the one side and Venezuela and Bolivia on the other side. Bolivian president Evo Morales has recently declared the US ambassador Philip Goldberg persona non grata and called him “a specialist in provoking separatism”. As a counter-move, Washington imposed Bolivian envoy to Washington persona non grata. The Bolivian authorities state the protest actions in the country are provoked by Americans.

Venezuela, who has increased military cooperation with Russia, supported actions of the Bolivian authorities. “Enough aggression. I am sure the American empire is behind the plans of bombing this palace,” Chavez said to a many-thousand demonstration near the Miraflores presidential palace.

Chavez also said he ordered foreign minister Nicolas Maduro to recall Venezuelan ambassador from Washington. The president told he would send the ambassador to the US only when there's a new government in the United States. He warned the United States wouldn’t get Venezuelan oil in case of American aggression against Venezuela.

In the meantime, representative of the US embassy said they had heard Chavez’s speech, but hadn’t received any formal notices so far.

10 days ago, Venezuelan president warned US ambassador Patrick Duddy, the latter might be expelled from the country. A reason of this threat was comments of the US diplomat, who said Venezuela’s anti-drug work was not enough and called on Chavez to ponder his words.

Chavez took the diplomat’s reproaches of Venezuela’s refusal of cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as interference with internal affaires. “We are not going to accept interference in our internal affairs. If you violate international agreements, you will have to leave the country. We won’t accept disrespect and you will have to get out of the country,” the Venezuelan leader said.

Some people are killed and dozens wounded in Bolivia, Chavez said, blaming the American empire and Bolivian oligarchy for the butchery. He expressed confidence that the people of Bolivia and its leader Evo Morales would be able to defeat the “forces of imperialism”.

Relations between Belarus, the United States and the European Union are tense for the latest years. The US repeatedly accused the Belarusian leadership of violation of human rights in the country. Refusal of the authorities to release political prisoners was among the reasons of imposing economic sanctions against the Belarusian regime.

On November 3, 2007, the US Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on Belneftekhim concern. In particular, they mean freezing of any accounts of the company in the United States and its branches in Germany, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia and China, as well as accounts of Belneftekhim USA Inc. Besides, the American businessmen are recommended not to deal with these companies.

In March 2008, the guidance to the sanctions was issued, extending them to the entities, where Belneftekhim has direct or indirect income of at least 50 per cent.

Ambassador Mikhail Khvastou was recalled from Washington. On March 12, US ambassador Karen Stewart left Minsk on the insistence of the Belarusian side. The US side was recommended to reduce its embassy staff. The US embassy suspended visa issuing in response. Only 4 diplomats are working in the US embassy now.