MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peruvian president tells Bolivia's Morales “to shut up”

”Why don't you shut up Pte. Morales

Peruvian President Alan Garcia said on Tuesday that he was sick and tired of Bolivian President Evo Morales criticizing Peru's trade pact with the United States, spreading false rumors about American military bases and urging Peruvians to protest in the street.

Garcia said he was tempted to borrow the words Spain's king tossed at Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last year: "Why don't you shut up (Morales)? Stick to your own country and don't meddle in mine". But Morales was quick to reply "any president who tells someone to shut up is an antidemocratic president," Morales said. "The arrogance of kings is a vice that shouldn't be copied". Peru's ambassador to Bolivia was called back to Lima two days ago to discuss relations after Morales said on Saturday that the US was "bringing its military bases" to Peru. Morales, a close ally of Chavez allegedly has encouraged Peruvians to join a national strike on July 9. And he said last month that President Garcia, who has moved from left to center and gained a few pounds during his second term as president, looks "fat and not very anti-imperialist" lately. Bolivia's vice foreign minister said Morales didn't mean to meddle with Peru's internal affairs, and that Bolivia takes Peru's concerns "very seriously". From Washington the US State Department said there are no plans to establish a military base in Peru, where the US army works on infrastructure and humanitarian projects. Tensions between Peru and Bolivia have been high since Peru signed a free-trade agreement with Washington late last year. Bolivia has denounced the pact and, along with free-trade skeptic Ecuador, has slowed efforts of Colombia and Peru to negotiate a free-trade deal between the European Union and the Andean community. Bolivia's relations with Washington have been strained in recent weeks, although the State Department said the US ambassador to Bolivia would return to the Andean country this week. The envoy was recalled for consultations on embassy security after rock-throwing Morales supporters protested outside the embassy on June 9, demanding the United States send home two rightist Bolivian politicians to face trial.