U.S. accuses Morales, Chavez of weakness, desperation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Friday it had told Venezuela its ambassador to the United States will be expelled in a tit-for-tat diplomatic dispute with Latin America's left-wing leaders.

In an expletive-laden tirade on Thursday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he was expelling the U.S. ambassador in Caracas to support Bolivia's leftist president, Evo Morales, who on Wednesday accused the U.S. envoy in La Paz of fomenting violent protests and asked him to leave the Andean nation.

"We regret the actions of both President Hugo Chavez and President Evo Morales to expel our ambassadors in Venezuela and Bolivia respectively. This reflects the weakness and desperation of these leaders as they face internal challenges," U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

"We have informed the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States that he will be expelled and that he should leave the United States," McCormack added. "I believe that President Chavez said last night he was recalling him. I can't tell you whether he is actually here or not, but he will be expelled."

"Charges leveled against our fine ambassadors by the leaders Bolivia and Venezuela are false and the leaders of those countries know it," McCormack added. "The only overthrow we seek is that of poverty."

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by David Wiessler)