Venezuela: Chávez refers to the United States’ expulsion of diplomat as arrogant

If you give him 6 hours to speak on national TV, surely Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez would deliver some anti-American gems. According to Chávez, who came back in full speaker-in-chief mode last Sunday for a marathon of his “Aló Presidente” TV show, the expulsion of diplomat Livia Acosta Noguera is “another demonstration of the ridiculous empire’s arrogance.”

While the U.S. administration has refused to offer an explanation for declaring Acosta persona non grata and expelling her from the country, it is clear that the former consul’s expulsion is a direct response to Documentales Univision’s recent documentary The Iranian Threat, which exposed Acosta’s ties to a network of Iranian plotters who intended to attack several targets in the U.S.

El Universal reports that Chávez “expressed his solidarity with the Venezuelan diplomat and described her as an outstanding professional who has been ‘attacked and demonized.’” President Chávez also stated that Acosta is already in Caracas, and “not returning” to Miami.

“She is a very dignified professional, who was attacked, slandered and demonized by extremist groups, and now by Barack Obama’s government,” Chávez said. “She will continue working for our foreign service as she has done for many years,” Chávez added, as reported by state-run news agency Agencia Venezolana de Noticias (AVN). 

As for an official statement from Acosta herself, so far the diplomat – who at the time of the video recordings of her involvement in the attacks against the U.S. was working in Mexico – has remained silent.

El Universal quotes Chávez as claiming, “Venezuelan intelligence agencies had forecast that the consul would be expelled.”

If that’s so, one can only wonder to what arrogance the Venezuelan president refers – and where Acosta is to tell the world her own account of her actions.