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US sanctions Venezuela officials US sanctions Venezuela officials
(30 minutes later)
The US Treasury has announced sanctions on two senior Venezuelan officials it accuses of aiding Colombian rebels, in an escalating diplomatic row. The US Treasury has frozen the assets of two senior Venezuelan officials it accuses of aiding Colombian rebels, in an escalating diplomatic row.
The US said Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios and Henry de Jesus Rangel Silva were "materially assisting the [Farc rebels'] narcotics trafficking".The US said Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios and Henry de Jesus Rangel Silva were "materially assisting the [Farc rebels'] narcotics trafficking".
The move comes as US officials revealed plans to expel Venezuela's ambassador after Caracas expelled the US envoy. The move came as the US revealed plans to throw out Venezuela's envoy, after Caracas expelled the US ambassador.
The US has also engaged in tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions with Bolivia. The US and Bolivia have also engaged in tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions.
Relations between Washington and Caracas are not thought to have been helped by this week's arrival in Venezuela of two Russian bomber planes taking part in a military exercise.
The latest row began when Bolivia threw out the US ambassador in La Paz, Philip Goldberg, accusing him of meddling in the country's internal affairs.
President Evo Morales said the American envoy had been openly siding with an increasingly violent opposition movement in the east of the country.
US officials said the allegations were baseless, but nonetheless expelled the Bolivian ambassador to Washington in retaliation.
This prompted the Venezuelan leader, a Bolivian ally, to step into the fray.
On Thursday, President Hugo Chavez gave US ambassador Patrick Duddy 72 hours to leave Caracas, telling him: "Go to hell 100 times."On Thursday, President Hugo Chavez gave US ambassador Patrick Duddy 72 hours to leave Caracas, telling him: "Go to hell 100 times."
Mr Chavez said the move was in solidarity with his ally Bolivia, which also kicked out its US envoy after accusing him of inciting violent protests against President Evo Morales.
BBC South America correspondent Daniel Schweimler says the spat between oil-exporting Venezuela and the US is in neither side's interest.BBC South America correspondent Daniel Schweimler says the spat between oil-exporting Venezuela and the US is in neither side's interest.
The US is a politically influential leading trade partner and a major aid donor to Latin America, so few in the region will be happy relations have plummeted to this new low, says our correspondent. The US is a leading trade partner and a major aid donor to Latin America, so few in the region will be happy relations have plummeted to this new low, says our correspondent.