Chavez Warns Of Military
Action To Quell Bolivia
Unrest
CARACAS - Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez on
Thursday pledged
military measures in
support of Bolivian
President Evo Morales
should the elected
leader be overthrown by
opposition forces.
Chavez said in a
televised speech that
his government would
give a "green light" for
military operations if
the Bolivian opposition
attempts to overthrow or
kill Morales.
"If any or our
governments is
overthrown, we will have
a green light to perform
military operations of
any type to give the
power back to the people
in those countries,"
Chavez said.
Meanwhile, Chavez said
the U.S. government
should stop meddling in
the internal affairs of
Latin American nations,
urging President George
W. Bush "to go and leave
alone" those countries.
On Thursday, Chavez
ordered the U.S.
ambassador to leave the
country in 72 hours, a
move designed to show
solidarity with the
Bolivian government.
Morales on Wednesday
expelled U.S.
ambassador, accusing him
of "heading the
division" inside Bolivia
by encouraging, together
with the opposition, the
protests against his
government.
Meanwhile, Chavez also
refuted criticism about
the presence of Russian
aircraft in Venezuela,
describing the move as a
warning against the
United States.
The U.S. war planes and
navel fleet patrolling
the Pacific Ocean will
be watched by those
military aircraft, he
said.
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