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Peru withdraws ambassador from Venezuela
AFP
LIMA
Petroleumworld.com 04 30 06
Peru has decided to "immediately withdraw" its ambassador to Venezuela, accusing Caracas of persistently interfering in its domestic affairs, the foreign ministry said Saturday.
The decision was made due to "the repeated statements made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez about the Peruvian electoral process and the ones made today about President Alejandro Toledo," the ministry said.
The ministry complained of the "persistent and flagrant interference by Caracas in the internal affairs of Peru in clear violation of the principals and norms of international law."
Peru had recalled its ambassador in January after Chavez voiced support for Peruvian presidential candidate Ollanta Humala, a leftist populist, ahead of the country's April 9 elections.
This time, Peru withdrew the envoy, who had returned to Caracas, one day after the leftist Venezuelan leader called social democratic candidate Alan Garcia a "thief" and again expressed support for Humala.
Chavez also threatened to remove his envoy from Lima if Garcia is elected in the second round of the presidential election to be held in several weeks.
On Saturday, Chavez, who was in Havana for a trade deal with Bolivia and Cuba, slammed Toledo for defending Garcia.
"Here comes President Toledo defending him. They're alligators from the same swamp," Chavez said.
Garcia will face Humala, who led the first round of voting, in a runoff in late May or early June.
AFP 30 04 06 0129 GMT
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