Peru Recalls Ambassador
From Bolivia Over
Morales' Remarks
Peru recalled its
ambassador to Bolivia on
Monday in response to
Bolivian President Evo
Morales' comments
alleging the presence of
U.S. military bases in
Peru.
Morales congratulated
Ecuador on Saturday for
its decision not to
renew a lease for a U.S.
military base in its
territory, while
alleging that the U.S.
government "is moving
its military bases to
Peru."
Ties between Peru and
Bolivia have been tense
since Lima's initiative
to modify a Andean
Community of Nations
(CAN) rule on
intellectual property
rights to enable its
signing of a Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) with the
United States last year.
Morales said CAN faces
the "risk of
disintegration" due to
Lima's insistence on
deepening its FTA with
Washington.
Peru, a strong U.S.
ally, sharply disagrees
with the leftist Morales
on trade issues.
Luis Gonzalez, president
of the Peruvian
Congress, said that
Morales is interfering
in the internal affairs
of Peru, which is "not
new" and a "really
serious" matter.
"There isn't any U.S.
military base in Peru,
we are making it very
clear. The installation
of a foreign base must
be authorized by the
Congress," Gonzalez told
a local TV channel
Monday.
Such allegations are
aimed at producing
social psychosis in his
country, he added.
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