The Killer of Chavez US expels 2 Venezuelan diplomats in tit-for-tat action

The United States has expelled two Venezuelan diplomats in retaliation for Caracas’ removal of two US military attaches last week.
US officials made the announcement on Monday as experts forecasted little chance of a sudden improvement in relations with Venezuela given its upcoming election.

US President Barack Obama’s administration expelled diplomats Orlando Jose Montanez Olivares and Victor Camacaro Mata on Saturday in a tit-for-tat move against Venezuela’s expulsion of David Delmonaco and a second US official.

Montanez served as an official at the embassy in Washington, with Camacaro having served in Venezuela’s consulate in New York.

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro expelled the two US officials last week for meeting with Venezuelan military officials and plotting to destabilize the oil-rich South American country.

He accused David Delmonaco, an Air Force attaché for the US Embassy in Caracas, of seeking military assistance for a plot against the government, adding that Delmonaco had been spying on Venezuela’s military outfits.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said a second US Embassy official had been declared “persona non grata” and that he had 24 hours to leave the country.

This comes as the South American nation prepares for an April election to choose a successor for late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Chavez died at a military hospital in Caracas on March 5 at the age of 58 after a two-year battle with cancer.

The Venezuelan vice president said “We have no doubt that commander [Hugo] Chavez was attacked with this illness,” and someday there will be “scientific proof” that Chavez had been infected by “imperialist” enemies.

Venezuela and the US have withdrawn their ambassadors posted in each other’s capitals in 2010. Chavez rejected the US nominee at the time, accusing him of making disrespectful remarks about the government. Washington later revoked the visa of Venezuela’s ambassador to the US.

Chavez founded the movement of Bolivarian Revolution to establish popular democracy and economic independence and equitably distribute wealth in Latin America. He was one of the key players in the progressive movement that has swept across Latin America over the past few years.