Chavez has found allies in Morales and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa. But most governments in the region, including left-leaning administrations in Brazil and Argentina, have tried to maintain cordial relations with both Venezuela and the U.S.
The expulsion of Patrick Duddy after a year in Venezuela appeared to have little to do with his public actions. The ambassador has kept a low profile compared with his predecessor, William Brownfield, who sometimes responded to Chavez's anti-U.S. invective.
Chavez threatened to eject the ambassador a week ago in response to criticism from White House drug czar John P. Walters that his country wasn't doing enough to stop the flow of illegal drugs. Earlier, Chavez denounced a plot against him that he said was abetted by the United States, an allegation Washington denies.
Chavez said he also was recalling Caracas' ambassador in Washington, Bernardo Alvarez, until "there's a new government in the United States."
Throughout Latin America, Chavez has positioned himself as the prime opponent to "Yankee imperialism," a phrase he often invokes.
"If we have to create one Vietnam, two Vietnams, three Vietnams, here we are ready," Chavez said Thursday, echoing a phrase of Che Guevara, the late revolutionary leader. "Because we are not going to take hope away from our people."
In Bolivia, threats against gas pipelines have forced officials to restrict exports to giant neighbors Brazil and Argentina in the last two days. The government has shipped additional soldiers to energy fields to protect the pipelines.
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington that Bolivia's decision to expel Goldberg "will prejudice the interests of both countries, undermine the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and will have serious regional implications."
Bolivia is the world's third-largest producer of coca leaf, the raw material in cocaine, and a major recipient of U.S. anti-drug aid. But Morales rose to national prominence as president of a coca growers federation, a post he still holds, and has often been at odds with U.S.-backed anti-drug efforts.
The president frequently accused the ambassador of undermining his government. Morales was apparently incensed when Goldberg met recently with the governors of two provinces who oppose him.
Various South American nations, including Brazil, pledged support for Morales' government and offered help if needed to mediate the crisis.
