VENEZUELA: Venezuela has expelled two activists from the US-based Human Rights Watch organisation who criticised President Hugo Chávez for political intolerance and eroding democracy during nearly 10 years in power.
State television yesterday played a video of officials reading an expulsion order to activists José Miguel Vivanco and Daniel Wilkinson, who were filmed packing their bags and being escorted on to an aircraft late on Thursday night.
The move highlighted the leftist leader's intolerance of international criticism and will further strain ties with the United States, Venezuela's main oil customer, a week after Mr Chávez also ejected the US ambassador.
US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice called Venezuela an autocracy on Thursday.
Human Rights Watch is an independent group, but Mr Chávez says it is collaborating with the Bush administration in a campaign to unseat him.
"These groups, dressed up as human rights defenders, are financed by the United States," said foreign minister Nicolas Maduro. - (Reuters)