Chavez expels US Ambassador to Caracas Patrick Duddy (Updated II)

by rahul | September 11, 2008 at 04:08 pm | 815 views | 13 comments | 33 recommendations

Chavez expels US Ambassador to Caracas Patrick Duddy

UPDATES: Last night, a crowd of followers of President Chavez gathered at the government palace Miraflores to express support to their political leader. In reaction to Chavez´s decision to expel the US Ambassador, oil prices increased at London markets on Friday. The already volatile prices rose US$ 1.20 over previous levels. Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez called off an official visit to Caracas today. At a Miami court, the case involving a the illegal introduction of a briefcase with US$800,000 continued to disturb both Venezuela and Argentinean governments. Buenos Aires asked US to extradite the major suspect in the case- Gudo Antonini Wilson- to face Argentinean justice. The Bush administration ponders over the expulsion of Venezuelan Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez prior to his exit from US today. Ambassador Alvarez was recalled by President Chavez last night.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has threatened to cut off oil export to the US in case of any 'aggression' against his country. "If there is any aggression towards Venezuela" from Washington, "there would be no oil for the people of the United States," said Chavez as quoted by Reuters and published at PressTV.

Caracas, Venezuela, 11 September 2008. In reaction to the recent expulsion of the Bolivian Ambassador to Washington, Venezuelan President decided to expel US diplomatic representative in Caracas. Speaking from Puerto Cabello, President Chavez gave the US Ambassador 72 hours to leave the country. Chavez made the announcement at 7:15 PM Venezuelan time. President Chavez also announced the revision of the bilateral relation between Caracas and Washington. Finally, Chavez made the Bush administration responsible for the future of the oil commerce between the US and Venezuela. Venezuelan Ambassador to US, Bernardo Alvarez, was recalled to Caracas.

Earlier today, the Venezuelan government unveiled a new plan of the opposition and rightist military to overthrow President Chavez. It accused the US for backing conspirators. Yesterday, three Russian military planes arrived in Venezuela to conduct joint operations. Such moved irked both the national and international opposition to the Chavez´s administration and its multi-polar foreign policy.

The move by Chavez brings relations with Washington to a new low and raises questions about whether the diplomatic clash could eventually hurt trade. Venezuela is a major oil supplier to the United States, which is the country's No. 1 client. Chavez announced the decision during a televised speech, hours after saying his government had detained a group of alleged conspirators in a plot to overthrow him. Chavez accused the group of current and former military officers of trying to assassinate him with backing from the United States.... Asked about Chavez's remarks, U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Jennifer Rahimi said: "We saw the speech and we're investigating, but we haven't seen anything official." Chavez warned last month that Duddy could soon be "packing his bags" after the diplomat lamented that U.S. and Venezuelan officials have not been cooperating in the war on drugs. Duddy has said that deteriorating diplomatic relations between Caracas and Washington were giving drug smugglers the upper hand.

Sources: YVKE, VTV, RNV, Globovison, BBC Mundo, Telesur,

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Luiz Castro

at 16:56 on September 11th, 2008

Should I buy some oil tomorrow on Wall Street or is that just another Chavez bluffing?

Does he have an alternative market yet?

Fairbanks

at 07:53 on September 12th, 2008

>Does he have an alternative market yet?

Russia is his new friend. However, Russia already has more oil than it knows what to do with.

dunkelberg

at 08:11 on September 12th, 2008

He's already made a nice deal with China.

dunkelberg

at 08:11 on September 12th, 2008

He's already made a nice deal with China.

Sanjay Jha

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 23:07 on September 11th, 2008

rahul, I like this story. It's good stuff. After coming to power Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the Bush administration have been bitter rivals for years. But in a new low in relationship between two countries Venezuela has expelled the USA envoy after Bolivia. This step will further deteriorate relationship between two countries.Washington will continue to have diplomatic relations with Venezuela and Bolivia, at least for now. And Venezuela remains a major source of oil for the U.S.

rahul

at 01:11 on September 12th, 2008

Thanks for GS flag and comments. As there are no sources backing this information, it is too early to endorse some of these comments. Chavez came to power democratically during the Clinton administration, that is, before the presidency of George W Bush. Venezuela-US bilateral relations deteriorated during the Bush administration. They got worse after the failed coup attempt against Chavez in 2002. During such distrusting time, Venezuela established strategic partnerships with Russia, Iran and China and advocated for a more balanced and multi polar International System. It is still too early to inform on the continuation of diplomatic relations between the US Bush administration and both left leaning Bolivia and Venezuela. Only Bolivia has expressed its willingness to continue normal bilateral relations despite the declaration of US Ambassador as Persona Non Grata. Furthermore, there is uncertainty over the impact of the current diplomatic crisis on international oil and gas prices. Even though Venezuela - a founding OPEC member - has remained the major source of oil for the US market, it has diversified its petroleum commercial partners in both consuming Europe and China.

Russian bombers: Tensions between the US and Venezuela had already risen after Russia sent two strategic bombers to Venezuela for military exercises. Chavez said the aircraft had arrived to counter US influence in the region. On Thursday, the US said it was monitoring the situation. "It is something that we will watch very closely, as we have with the movements of other military assets for the stated purpose of this joint exercise," McCormack said. The Russian move is reported to be Moscow's first strategic deployment in the Western hemisphere since the end of the Cold War and comes amid increased tensions between Russia and the US over the recent conflict with Georgia. Moscow remains angry that US used military vessels to carry aid to Georgia during Russia's intervention there. However, Russia has said that the Venezuela deployment is part of a training exercise and that the bombers will return to Russia within days.

SOLARLIFE

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 23:35 on September 11th, 2008

rahul, I like this story. It's good stuff. Looks like the "CIA bridge club" got fired in part

Heritage

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 23:41 on September 11th, 2008

rahul, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Gh0s7

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 23:44 on September 11th, 2008

rahul, I like this story. It's good stuff. Chavez is crazy. Its pretty obvious by now.

Paschen

at 01:58 on September 12th, 2008

He is not crazy! He does play a high stake poker though. He will be backed by China and Russia as well as Iran. I thinks they may already be Nuclear missiles in Venezuela by now pointed at the USA. The US have started a new cold or soon to be hot war with the arming of Georgia and Russia is now reacting. We are in serious trouble and better step all back before we blow some thing up.