Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela has threatened to expel the U.S. ambassador in Caracas. The President is annoyed with him due to a dispute on drug-trafficking. Moreover, this dispute is likely to further strain the relationship between the two countries. This is not the first time that Chavez has had to make such threats, He argues with the U.S. over a lot of issues like free trade and oil prices.
However, this time the Venezuelan president’s tough rhetoric was in response to the U.S criticism about the increase in the amount of cocaine passing through Venezuela from Colombia. John Walters, the White House drug czar reported that the quantity of cocaine passing through the country has risen almost five times in the last four years. As a rejoinder Chavez made a bitter statement on Sunday during his weekly T.V. program. He said,” We are not going to accept interference in our internal affairs. If you violate international norms, then you would have to leave this country…”
Warning the U.S. ambassador, Chavez further said,” You might have to grab your suitcase and get out of Venezuela, so choose your words more carefully your excellency, Mr. Ambassador.” Further more, the leftist president is reported to usually give such responses to the foreign criticism about his government.
Although, Venezuela cooperates with other countries in the issues of illegal narcotic drugs, the country is becoming an important route of drug-trafficking. It is also worth noting that Chavez ended the anti-drug work with the U.S. in the year 2005 and has refused to renew an accord.