Chavez says U.S. backing plot against Bolivian president

By The Associated Press

10/09/06 "AP" -- -- CARACAS, Venezuela Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned of a U.S.-backed plot to topple his close ally, Bolivian leader Evo Morales.

The U.S. government "is not going to give Evo a honeymoon. A destabilizing plan is already under way to impede Evo from governing," Chavez said in a televised speech Monday.

"First to impede him from governing so that the Bolivian people will become disenchanted," Chavez said. "And later, to topple him."

U.S. officials have in the past denied that they are planning coups against either Chavez or Morales.

Chavez's allegation comes after a report Sunday in Bolivia's El Mundo newspaper alleged that a coup against Morales was planned for this week.

The report, which claimed that Chilean military officers and government opponents from recent mining disturbances were involved, cited unnamed sources in the Bolivian government. It was written by Heinz Dieterich, a professor at a Mexican university and sometimes adviser to Chavez.

"A military coup is like a bank robbery: It only works if it can conserve the element of surprise," Dieterich wrote. "This time, the Bolivian subversives have lost."

The Venezuelan leader has suggested previously that Washington was linked to moves to undermine the government of Morales, accusing it of having a hand in hotel bombings and protests earlier this year. Meanwhile, Morales claimed in May that the United States was plotting to assassinate him.

Bolivia faced violent clashes between rival groups of miners last week and earlier strikes in several states across the country, and Chavez called that recent unrest part of a conspiracy against Morales.

Chavez also claimed the U.S. was behind a resolution introduced by a Bolivian opposition party in the Senate Monday to declare Venezuelan Ambassador to Bolivia Julio Montes "persona non grata" after the diplomat made comments recently that Venezuelans were ready to protect Morales' government "with lives and blood."

The Podemos party characterized Montes' comments as Venezuela's readiness to intervene in the domestic affairs of Bolivia.

Chavez said the U.S. government has used the fight against cocaine trafficking to increase its military presence on the continent and accused it of seeking an "excuse" to overthrow Morales, who is pushing to decriminalize the coca plant, the main ingredient in cocaine.

Relations between Bolivia and Washington have been mired in mutual suspicion, and since Morales took office in January, cooperation between the two countries' military has all but disappeared. Previously, U.S. troops held joint exercises with Bolivian soldiers and once created, trained and equipped an elite Bolivian anti-terrorism unit.

In contrast, Morales has quickly forged close ties with Chavez, signing a series of military, energy and other cooperative pacts. An unknown number of Venezuelan military personnel are already serving in Bolivia, while Venezuelan state oil company employees are also working in the country.

Copyright © 2006 the International Herald Tribune