Peru's Toledo recalls ambassador to Venezuela As Pro Chavez Humala Looks Headed For Victory

The foreign ministry said on Saturday that the decision was made due to "the repeated statements made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez about the Peruvian electoral process and the ones made today about President Alejandro Toledo".

The ministry complained of the "persistent and flagrant interference by Caracas in the internal affairs of Peru in clear violation of the principals and norms of international law".

Peru had recalled its ambassador in January after Chavez voiced support for Peruvian presidential candidate Ollanta Humala, a leftist populist, ahead of the country's April 9 elections.

This time, Peru withdrew the ambassador, who had returned to Caracas, after the leftist Venezuelan leader called social democratic candidate Alan Garcia a "thief" and again praised Humala.

The quarrel

The escalating war of words began when Alan Garcia, the Peruvian presidential candidate and former leader, earlier this week referred to Chavez and his close ally, Evo Morales, the Bolivian president, as spoiled children for criticising Peru's signing of a free-trade pact with the United States.

More
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/035FF5AA-B64A-4941-AFC2-B86F0BA8F9BD.htm