US:WASHINGTON LABELLED presidents Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and Evo Morales of Bolivia "weak and desperate" yesterday as tensions escalated between the US and the two countries following the expulsion of US ambassadors.
Philip Goldberg was expelled from Bolivia on Wednesday, which was followed by the tit-for-tat expulsion of the Bolivian envoy to Washington. A day later, Mr Chávez said he was acting in solidarity with Mr Morales and sent home the US ambassador to Caracas, Patrick Duddy, and recalled his own from the US.
In a move which US diplomats said was unrelated, the US treasury accused three members of Mr Chávez's inner circle of materially assisting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), leftist guerrillas who deal in cocaine and are considered terrorists by the US and EU.
Hugo Carvajal Barrios and Henry Rangel Silva are senior intelligence officials and Ramon Rodriguez Chacín was interior minister until this week when he unexpectedly resigned, citing personal reasons. All have been designated under drugs legislation.
The US-led war against drugs in Latin America is an irritant in relations between Washington and Mr Chávez and his allies, with Washington complaining that Venezuela provides no help.
The state department added that Bolivia had asked US Drug Enforcement Administration personnel to leave a camp in the Chapare region, the third-largest coca producing area in the world, because Bolivian forces were no longer able to protect them.
Venezuela's government says it talks to Farc to negotiate hostage releases but denies funnelling weapons or drug money.
Yesterday Sean McCormack of the US state department said the decision by the two governments to expel the ambassadors reflected "the weakness and desperation of these leaders".
Listing what he characterised as Mr Chávez's weaknesses, Mr McCormack mentioned falling Venezuelan oil revenues, tough spending promises, embarrassment about Farc ties and the problems of his "protege" Mr Morales.
Polls show Mr Chávez could lose half a dozen governorships in regional elections on November 23rd. The country faces a range of problems, such as inflation of 30 per cent.However, Mr Chávez said the break with the US would be reconsidered after president George Bush left office.
Visiting Britain this week US drugs czar John Walters repeated claims that Venezuela and Bolivia were taking over from Colombia in the export of cocaine.
"Venezuela is becoming a real super-highway for cocaine," said Mr Walters. There had been a "fourfold" increase in the flow through Venezuela in five years.
Mr Chávez said the drug accusations were part of a thwarted coup plot by factions within his military. Several officers were detained but details remained sketchy.
Meanwhile, Bolivia continued to reel from clashes between groups for and against Mr Morales' government, which left eight people dead and 20 injured. - (Financial Times service; additional reporting: Guardian service)