U.S. ambassador pelted

last updated 8 January 2015

Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to expel U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield this week, worsening already tense relations between the U.S. and oil-rich Venezuela. When Brownfield visited a Caracas slum to donate baseball equipment to underprivileged children, a group of residents showered his motorcade with eggs, tomatoes, and onions. U.S. officials said Caracas city leaders encouraged the attack. But Chavez said Brownfield had stirred up the trouble by appearing in a pro-Chavez neighborhood. “I’m going to throw you out of Venezuela,” Chavez said in a televised address, “if you continue provoking the Venezuelan people.”