USA: Washington says it regrets Bolivian expulsion of American government aid agency

Record ID: 626491

  • Title: USA: Washington says it regrets Bolivian expulsion of American government aid agency
  • Date: 1st May 2013
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 01, 2013) (STATE TV) WIDESHOT U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN PATRICK VENTRELL ENTERING BRIEFING ROOM REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN PATRICK VENTRELL RESPONDING TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE EXPULSION OF USAID FROM BOLIVIA: "The U.S. government does deeply regret the Bolivian government's decision to expel the
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC8MJU730T0GUDMWCVWQ0WSUN8
  • Story Text: The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday (May 01) it regrets the decision by Bolivian President Evo Morales to expel from his country the American aid agency, USAID, following remarks by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in which he said the nations of Latin America were part of America's "backyard."
    Morales ordered the expulsion of USAID because of what the Bolivian government characterized as meddling in internal Bolivian affairs. Some USAID initiatives in Bolivia have been longstanding irritants of Morales. In 2008, the government accused the agency of providing funding to a Bolivian indigenous group which opposed the construction of a highway through a rainforest preserve, a project support by Morales. The final irritant, apparently, was Kerry's remarks in mid-April to a congressional committee in which he said the Western Hemisphere nation's were critical to the interests of the United States because they are in America's backyard -- remarks which were interpreted as patronizing in La Paz.
    "The U.S. government does deeply regret the Bolivian government's decision to expel the U.S. Agency for International Development. We deny that the baseless allegations made by the Bolivian government," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.
    Ventrell said it was not yet decided how Washington would respond to the expulsion.
    "Whether we'll take an action in response is yet to be determined, but the people who suffer because of this are the Bolivian people who were receiving our assistance," Ventrell said.
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