Maravi

No diplomatic representation in Washington until Bush is out - Chavez

No diplomatic representation in Washington until Bush is out - Chavez
By Larry Moonze in Havana, Cuba
Tuesday September 16, 2008 [13:15]

VENEZUELAN President Hugo Chavez has vowed not to have diplomatic representation in Washington until US President George W Bush is out of office. President Chavez, who expelled US envoy to Caracas Patrick Duddy on Thursday, placed responsibility for the tense diplomatic situation squarely on the US government.

He said Washington was behind the political destablisation ongoing in Latin American particularly in Bolivia and Venezuela. "As long as President Bush is in power Caracas will have no diplomatic representation in that country," said President Chavez, according to Venezuela's ABI news agency. "We have been recently informed that the US government expelled the Bolivian Ambassador.

We start in this very moment evaluating our diplomatic relationships with the United States and to show our solidarity to Bolivia from now on the Yankee US Ambassador in Venezuela has 72 hours to leave the country." He likewise recalled Venezuelan Ambassador to the US Bernardo Alvarez. "Before they expel him, I sent Alvarez a message to say that he has to come back," President Chavez said. "When there will be a new government in the United States that is respectful of Latin American governments we will send our Ambassador to Washington." He accused the US of fanning the coup and assassination plots against him.

Venezuelans authorities on Wednesday announced that retired and active officers involved in the assassination plot are being arrested or interrogated, after disclosures of recorded talks among several conspirators. "I denounce to the world the US Empire's intention to prompt violence in our country," President Chavez said from the Miraflores Presidential Palace on Thursday night. "Here we have a people ready to defend peace. Some people have been arrested and others are trying to escape.

They will not control Venezuela." President Chavez thanked the Venezuelans who gathered at Miraflores Presidential Palace for their patriotic attitude. "I want to thank you for coming here to show your support to ourselves, to our people," he said. President Chavez asked his followers to organise a revolutionary counterattack in case of a coup.

'My insurance policy, after God, is the people," President Chavez said. "It means that you are my life and my life is yours." He said on Wednesday night he received several phone calls from commanders and officers confirming they were all alert. "That is why I suggest the Yankee lovers to not do something mad because if they carry out a coup, I am not the same Hugo Chavez of the year 2002," he warned.

President Chavez said the revolutionary counterattack must be a norm to guide the Venezuelan people and its government. "Every aggression of the imperialist and its lackeys must be answered decidedly and therefore, the strengthening of the Bolivarian Revolution must continue to clear even more the way," he said. And President Chavez expressed his support for President Evo Morales whose government was experiencing a crisis. He said reactionary forces incited the political crisis in Bolivia.

President Morales has also expelled Washington's representative in La Paz accusing him of being behind the opposition's manoeuvres. President Chavez's announcement came just hours after the Venezuelan administration presented taped recordings of conversations of an alleged attempted coup d'Žtat against his administration. President Chavez said the coup was being planned by active and retired military officers with the full support of the US administration. He warned he would cut oil sales to the United States if the Venezuela became the target of an attack by the White House.

So far the US has rejected the allegations by President Chavez and Morales although Washington has also expelled Bolivian envoy to the US in retaliation. President Chavez was briefly ousted in a 2002 coup that was initially welcomed by Washington.

Labels: CHAVEZ, GEORGE BUSH, VENEZUELA

posted by MrK @ 3:54 PM