US and Venezuela in reciprocating game of expelling diplomats

Thursday, October 3rd 2013 - 06:48 UTC

Full article 7 comments

The United States has expelled Venezuela's top diplomat and two others, after Venezuela kicked out three U.S. diplomats it accused of plotting sabotage. The Caracas government criticized the US response, saying the Venezuelan diplomats had not been meeting with groups opposed to US President Barack Obama. Read full article

Comments

Disclaimer & comment rules

Conqueror
As every observer of international “affairs” is aware, expelling another country's diplomats “automatically” results in your own diplomats being expelled. To do otherwise would be an admission. However, to complicate matters, Maduro is an obsessive compulsive nutjob. How many attempts have there been to assassinate him so far? So he's a coward as well. Anybody seen anyone raise a water pistol aimed at him yet? What's the procedure under the venezuelan constitution for removing a “president” for being a paranoid schizophrenic? Actually, it's most likely a cunning plot. As he looks left, ahead, right, behind, eventually his head will come unscrewed!
Oct 03rd, 2013 - 10:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0
-+
JohnN
Conqueror:
Certainly seems that Maduro is trying to fill Chávez' boots by being just as wacko.

Tit-for-tat expulsions has some ringers and 2012 Canadian “expulsion” of Russian diplomats because of spying seemed to be rather weak. The Russian embassy pointed out that those “expulsed” diplos had actually rotated out months before (link below).

“Navy spy case barely caused diplomatic ripples between Canada and Russia”:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/navy-spy-case-barely-caused-diplomatic-ripples-between-canada-and-russia-1.1300478
Oct 03rd, 2013 - 01:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
-+
Britworker
A bilateral dispute that the UK takes no position on. The UK will do everything it can to facilitate the two parties sitting down and talking to each other and working out their differences, whilst respecting the defacto position.

Hohoho!
Oct 03rd, 2013 - 02:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
-+
GFace
@3 And don't forget to make sure UK advocates the Micronesia model for Puerto Rico permitting self-determination, keeping them out of Congress but permitting them to be under the US defense umbrella. That's called meeting the US half-way on the Falklands. And that will make the US State department feel the burn (as so it should).
Oct 03rd, 2013 - 03:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
-+
Gonzo22
Ah, the great diplomacy of the USA, an example to be followed!
Oct 03rd, 2013 - 03:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
-+
ChrisR
5 Gonzo22

Well YOU don't have any diplomats!

Gollum, TMBOA, ha, ha, ha.
Oct 03rd, 2013 - 05:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
-+
reality check
When is Gollums next London gig and where can I get tickets!

Love a good comedian.
Oct 04th, 2013 - 05:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0
-+

Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!