Venezuela expels US naval 'spy'

[XXPANTHAXX]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he is expelling a US
official accused of spying with Venezuelan officers.

The naval attache at the US embassy, John Correa, would be
forced to "leave immediately", Mr Chavez said in a speech to
mark seven years in power.

US officials said the charges were baseless and Captain
Correa had left for medical treatment and a holiday.

Mr Chavez has repeatedly accused the US of supporting
attempts to overthrow him, a charge Washington denies.

Ties between Venezuela's left-wing government and Washington
have been strained for several years, but it is the first
time Venezuela has decided to expel a US official.

In Washington, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld described
the election of a string of left-wing leaders in the region
as worrying.

"[Chavez] is a person who was elected legally, just as Adolf
Hitler was elected legally and then consolidated power," he
said.

"Now [Chavez] is of course working closely with [Cuban
President] Fidel Castro and [Bolivian President Evo] Morales
and others.

"It concerns me."

'Spy ring'

Thursday's announcement came three days after Mr Chavez said
agents had infiltrated an alleged spy ring at the US embassy.

"We have decided... to throw out of the country a military
official from the mission of the United States for
espionage," the president said.

He warned that the full US embassy military mission would be
expelled if authorities caught any of its officers spying.

"The next step would be to withdraw the whole so-called
military mission of the United States," Mr Chavez said.

He had threatened last week to have any American officials
involved in spying arrested.

In the past week, Venezuela has also said that several of its
military officers have been caught passing state secrets to
the US.

Tensions

Relations between the US and Venezuela were already under
strain before the spying row erupted.

Washington is deeply opposed to the government of left-wing
Mr Chavez, who is a vocal critic of the US.

The US has expressed concerns about Venezuelan democracy
under Mr Chavez and about the effect of his government's
military purchases on regional stability.

The US has tried to block his attempts to buy military
equipment using American technology.