Posted on 05/12/2004 1:49:48 PM PDT by knak
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela has asked the U.S. military mission to leave liaison offices at armed forces bases in the country, U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro said on Wednesday.
The request appeared to signal a further downgrading of military links between the two countries, whose relations have become strained under the government of left-wing President Hugo Chavez. It was sent to the U.S. Embassy on Friday by Defense Minister Gen. Jorge Garcia.
U.S. defense attache staff members were asked to leave offices at Fuerte Tiuna armed forces headquarters in Caracas and at other military installations, Shapiro said. That would mean they would have to work from the embassy or other rented premises.
Shapiro declined to say how the move would affect U.S. military cooperation with Venezuela, which has decreased since Chavez took office in early 1999.
U.S. officers have been advising on anti-drug operations and training local pilots flying U.S.-made F-16 fighters. U.S. defense officials in Venezuela declined to specify the size of the mission.
Asked why the request to vacate the offices was made, Garcia told Reuters, "Because they (the U.S. officers) are still there."
In August 2001, Venezuela's government asked the U.S. military mission to leave the Fuerte Tiuna site it had occupied for more than 50 years. But the mission continued to operate there, even through the coup the following year that briefly ousted Chavez.
Relations between the United States and its biggest Latin American oil supplier have deteriorated since Chavez survived the 2002 coup. He has accused the U.S. government of backing opposition efforts to oust him, a charge denied by Washington.
Washington has criticized the Venezuelan leader's close alliance with Cuba's communist president, Fidel Castro. Chavez has condemned the criticism as meddling.
Garcia asked the U.S. military personnel to leave Fuerte Tiuna days before Venezuela's security forces announced they captured a large force of Colombian paramilitaries.
The estimated 90 Colombians, who were seized wearing Venezuelan army uniforms and with only one pistol between them, are being held and questioned at Fuerte Tiuna.
Venezuelan opposition leaders have accused the government of using Sunday's capture of the Colombians -- which some say is an elaborate ruse -- to justify a crackdown against them.
Since Venezuela supplies over 12% of our petroleum imports, they likely don't give a flying fig about our foreign aid.
Both factions of the Republicrat Party are to be blamed for failing to develop a comprehensive Energy Policy that would reduce our nation's dependence on imported oil. After 30 years of broken promises, partisan fingerpointing is no longer acceptable.
Venezuela would suffer from immediate "brightsizing." All the intelligent people would move to the US.
Bump!
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