Sunday, April 09, 2006
It's Getting Really Ugly
Oh my, President Hugo Chavez has threatened to expel the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela in retaliation for a previous American verbal threat.
The Associated Press reports Chavez is accusing the American diplomat with "provoking the Venezuelan people."
The threat came right after the recent diplomatic ruckus over a crowd of Venezuelans who pelted the American ambassador's car with eggs and tomatoes and gave chase to his "convoy."
The Venezuelan government swiftly apologized but warned that embassy personnel might want to stay away from certain neighborhoods; or at the very least, give advance warning to Venezuelan officials.
Of course, the incident provoked a harsh warning from the Bush administration that Venezuela better make darn sure a similar incident never happens in the future.
Yet how is a country supposed to perfectly guarantee future incidents?!? Unless of course, the country is ruled by a totalitarian government who at the first sign of trouble dispenses swift and agonizing justice. But remember, Venezuela has a duly elected Democratic government. The kind Dubya likes to extol, except when he doesn't like the guy or gal elected to office.
Needless to say, Señor Chavez was not a happy "campesino" and immediately retaliated with a threat of his own. Looks like Chavez has a war room in the presidential palace.
As if the Bush administration didn't have enough enemies in the world, it has to go looking for some more.I'm going to throw you out of Venezuela if you continue provoking the Venezuelan people," Chavez said in a nationally televised speech addressed to U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield.
[...]
If the Washington government takes some measure against Venezuela motivated by provocations, you will be responsible, you will have to leave here, sir. I will declare you persona non grata in Venezuela," Chavez responded Sunday.
Chavez accused Washington of seeking to escalate tensions and "looking for another incident."
Update: Looks like Bush will soon have to deal with yet another leftist president in Latin America. News from the Washington Post reports that Ollanta Humala had a small lead in the polls in Peru as of yesterday; election are being held today.
// posted by Howling Latina @ 4:26 PM 
