http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/03/20133518129562925.html
Venezuela expels US diplomat for 'espionage'
Venezuela's VP Nicholas Maduro accuses the country's 'historic enemies'
of being behind the cancer of the president.
Last Modified: 05 Mar 2013 18:54
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has undergone his fourth round of
surgery for cancer in his pelvic area [Reuters]
A United States diplomat will be expelled from Venezuela within 24 hours
for plotting against the government, Vice President Nicholas Maduro has said.
In a live address to the nation on Tuesday, Maduro said the US embassy
military official was being expelled from the country for seeking out active
Venezuelan military officials to propose "destabilisation projects."
Maduro identified the Amnerican as the Air Force attache and said he had
been spying on the military. US Embassy spokesman Greg Adams identified the
attache as David Delmonaco.
Maduro also accused Venezuela's "historic enemies" of being behind the
cancer of President Hugo Chavez.
"Chavez was attacked with this disease... The historic enemies of this
nation looked for how to harm the health of our commander."
He went on to say that a scientific commission will investigate the
possibility Chavez's illness was caused by an enemy attack, and that the
country is enduring its "most difficult" hours since Chavez underwent cancer
surgery three months ago.
Maduro reiterated that Chavez had a "very severe" infection and
"complications in his respiratory situation."
Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from Caracas, said the speech
came after a meeting Maduro held with top government and military officials.
The government announced on Monday night that Chavez was in "very
delicate" condition after suffering a new, severe respiratory infection.
Chavez anointed Maduro as his preferred successor before flying to Cuba
in early December to undergo a fourth round of surgery for an unspecified
cancer in his pelvic area
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
