BOLIVIA: President Evo Morales announces expulsion of U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, from the country

Record ID: 860434

  • Title: BOLIVIA: President Evo Morales announces expulsion of U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, from the country
  • Date: 1st May 2013
  • Summary: CROWD SINGING BOLIVIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bolivia, Plurinational State Of
  • City:
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA49TQ1657R2YGUTTR5K2DW1ZQ6
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  • Story Text: Bolivian President Evo Morales on Wednesday (May 1) said he had decided to expel the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from the country in protest at a declaration from Washington calling Latin America its "backyard".
    The leftist leader made the announcement during Labour Day celebration reopening tensions between the world power and the landlocked South American country after recent months saw relations normalizing between the two countries that have not had ambassadors for nearly five years.
    "The past weeks the United States Secretary of State (John Kerry) has said that Latin America is the United States' backyard. Brother and sisters, we can't be considered the backyard of the United States, every Latin American," Morales said to a crowd gathered for Labour Day celebrations celebrated annually on May 1.
    In 2008 Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), accusing them of plotting with his rightist enemies.
    Washington responded by sending Bolivia's ambassador home soon afterward.
    "Some institutions from the U.S. embassy continue to conspire against this process, against the people and especially against the national government. And that is why, using this gathering and the first of May, we've decided to expel USAID from Bolivia. USAID is leaving Bolivia. I ask our brother foreign minister to immediately speak with the U.S. embassy. No more USAID which manipulates, uses our leader brothers, uses our brothers with charity," Morales said.
    The announcement was a shift from previous May Day declarations in which the leftist leader has announced the nationalization of a company every year since he took power in 2008.
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