Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Tells U.S. Ambassador To Get Out Of His Country

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is backing Bolivian President Evo Morales by expelling U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy from his country. This move is to be viewed as a means of showing solidarity with Bolivia's Morales.

Chavez announced his decision during a televised speech within hours of the government detaining a group of alleged conspirators plotting to overthrow his government. Without evidence Chavez has accused the United States of supporting the group of current and former military officer's attempt to assassinate him. The United States has denied these allegations and others ones saying that Washington has plotted against him. Bolivia has expelled U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg after he was accused of inciting anti-government protesters. Morales has offered no specific evidence of this. Washington has ordered Gustavo Guzman, Bolivia's ambassador to the United States to leave the country. Morales has plans to overhaul Bolivia's constitution and redirect gas revenues. Those plans have had some in the nation protesting for the past two weeks. Those protests have turned violent as protesters fought with Morales' backers in eastern Bolivia. Some of the protesters have seized natural gas fields. Morales aims to have royalties from the nation's petroleum and mineral wealth distributed more evenly among the population of his nation.