WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will expel Venezuela's ambassador in Washington to retaliate for the oil-exporting Latin American nation's decision to oust the U.S. envoy in Caracas, a U.S. official said on Friday.
"The plan is to kick him out," said the U.S. official, whoasked not to be identified.
In an escalating diplomatic battle between Washington andLatin America's left-wing leaders, Venezuelan President HugoChavez expelled the American ambassador on Thursday, a dayafter Bolivia asked the U.S. envoy in La Paz to leave.
Bolivia accused the U.S. ambassador of instigating violentprotests in the poor Andean nation, a charge the U.S. StateDepartment dismissed as baseless.
It was unclear whether the United States would succeed inexpelling the Venezuelan ambassador. Chavez on Thursday said hewas recalling the envoy, who could be pulled out before beingformally notified that he was "persona non grata" by the U.S.State Department.
Chavez on Thursday repeated a threat he has often made tocut off Venezuela's oil supply to the United States, itsbiggest customer. Venezuela has some of the largest reservesoutside the Middle East and, despite Chavez's clashes with theBush administration, is a major supplier to the United States.
(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
