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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | November 2005 
Chávez Warns: 'Don't Mess With Me, Because You'll Get Pricked'
 Reuters
| | In the wake of a diplomatic spat between President Vicente Fox and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez, the Foreign Relations Secretariat issued a travel advisory on Sunday to civilians wishing to travel to Venezuela. According to the advisory, Mexicans should be wary of political unrest that might result in violent protests, especially in Caracas. Advisories were also issued for Argentina and Brazil. |
Mexico City - Mexico threatened to recall its ambassador in Venezuela on Sunday after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lashed out at his Mexican counterpart in a growing fight between the two Latin American countries.
Days after branding Mexican President Vicente Fox a "lapdog" of U.S. imperialism for backing Washington's trade policies at the Summit of the Americas in Argentina, Chavez warned him "Don't mess with me, mister, because you'll get pricked."
One of Washington's fiercest critics in Latin America, Chavez made the comments on his weekly television show "Hello President," which is broadcast to millions of Venezuelans.
"The Venezuelan president's declarations hurt the dignity of the people and government of Mexico," Mexico's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It said it would immediately withdraw its ambassador to Venezuela, reducing bilateral relations to business links. unless it received a formal apology from Venezuela.
The ministry said Chavez's comments on Sunday took it by surprise because the two governments had agreed in talks between foreign ministers to try to respectfully patch up differences that arose at the summit.
The Americas summit, hit by violent anti-globalisation protests, ended in stalemate with countries including Argentina and Brazil blocking efforts by U.S. President George W. Bush to reach a deal on a hemisphere-wide free trade zone.
Fox, a conservative who has been close to Washington on trade issues, accused Argentina's left-leaning President Nestor Kirchner of pandering to opinion polls instead of pushing a free trade accord backed by U.S. officials at the summit. |
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