CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Thursday expelled the U.S. ambassador from the oil-exporting country in an escalating battle between Washington and Latin America's left-wing leaders.

"Go to hell, shit yankees, we are a dignified people, go to hell 100 times," Chavez shouted at a political rally to thousands of roaring supporters.

In addition to expelling US ambassador Patrick Duddy yesterday, Chavez, who calls ex-Cuban leader Fidel Castro his mentor, also repeated a threat he has made often to cut off Venezuela's oil supply to the United States. Venezuela has some of the largest reserves outside the Middle East and despite Chavez's clashes with the Bush administration is a major supplier to the United States, which is its biggest customer.

Chavez's diplomatic move came a day after Bolivian President Evo Morales, one of his closest allies, expelled the U.S. ambassador in La Paz after accusing him of instigating violent protests in the Andean nation. The United States retaliated against Bolivia Thursday by ordering its ambassador to Washington to leave.

"The yankee ambassador in Caracas has got 72 hours to get out of Venezuela, in solidarity with Bolivia," Chavez said, adding he was recalling his own ambassador to Washington too. "We will send an ambassador when there is a new government in the United States, a government that respects the people of Latin America," he said.

SUPPORT FOR MORALES

The United States said it had not been officially notified of the expulsion. "We have seen reports but we have not received any communication through appropriate diplomatic channels," State Department spokesman Noel Clay said in Washington.

Chavez is the most radical of a growing number of leftist governments in Latin America that to a greater or lesser degree are antagonistic to Washington's traditional dominance in the region. Chavez was briefly ousted in a 2002 coup that was initially welcomed by Washington, and he and Morales blame U.S. interference for the recent tension in Bolivia.

Eight people were killed as violent protests flared in Bolivia Thursday, with activists opposed to Aymara Indian Morales creating havoc in its crucial natural gas industry.

Chavez's expulsion of U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy from Caracas should fire up his majority poor support base at the start of a campaign for tough local elections in November.

Mr. Chavez also alledged that retired military officers were planning to assassinate him in a coup backed by the United States. He cut U.S. flights to Venezuela and warned he would support "armed movements" to back Morales in the event of a coup against him.

Hundreds of flag-waving Chavez supporters gathered outside the presidential palace in Caracas in a nighttime vigil after the government released audio tapes of military officers apparently conspiring to kill the president.

Chavez frequently calls the United States an aggressive empire and has aligned himself with a newly aggressive Russia. This week he allowed two Russian long range bombers to land in Venezuela and Moscow is also sending warships for naval exercises later this year in its first such move since the Cold War.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Thursday expelled the U.S. ambassador from the oil-exporting country in an escalating diplomatic battle between Washington and Latin America's socialist leaders.

"Go to hell, shit yankees, we are a dignified people, go to hell 100 times," Chavez shouted at a political rally to thousands of roaring supporters, who have given him large majorities in several elections over the last few years.

In addition to expelling US ambassador Patrick Duddy yesterday, Chavez, who calls ex-Cuban leader Fidel Castro his mentor, also repeated a threat he has made often to cut off Venezuela's oil supply to the United States. Venezuela has some of the largest reserves outside the Middle East and despite Chavez's clashes with the Bush administration is a major supplier to the United States, which is its biggest customer.

Chavez's diplomatic move came a day after Bolivian President Evo Morales, one of his closest allies, expelled the U.S. ambassador in La Paz after accusing him of instigating violent protests in the Andean nation. The US ambassador, Philip Golberg, is known to have met several opposition leaders in the last few months, including Chuquisaca prefect Savina Cuéllar and Santa Cruz prefect Rubén Costas, which could well be seen as provocative in the South American context. The United States retaliated against Bolivia Thursday by ordering its ambassador to Washington to leave.

"The yankee ambassador in Caracas has got 72 hours to get out of Venezuela, in solidarity with Bolivia," Chavez said, adding he was recalling his own ambassador to Washington too. "We will send an ambassador when there is a new government in the United States, a government that respects the people of Latin America," he said.

SUPPORT FOR MORALES

The United States said it had not been officially notified of the expulsion. "We have seen reports but we have not received any communication through appropriate diplomatic channels," State Department spokesman Noel Clay said in Washington.

Chavez is the most radical of a number of South American leaders of the left, who are seeking to improve the lot of the huge numbers of impoverished people in their very unequal societies. These leaders, having seen or had first-hand experience of many years of destructive US interference in South America, are keen to assert their political and economic independence from Washington, particularly the neo-con economic agenda which has proven so harmful to their societies. They see the present US economic difficulties as a good time to do this.

Chavez has good reason to be distrustful of the USA, after it was directly involved in promoting the short-lived coup in 2002, in which he was briefly imprisoned. Both he and Mr Morales blame US interference for recent tension in Bolivia, the expelled US diplomat's meeting with opposition leaders would certainly give these concerns credence, as does the many year history of US interference in South American affairs. Undoubtedly it would always be difficult for Mr Morales to make his country more egalitarian, when 64% of the citizens live in poverty, and a powerful right-wing business elite has a lot to lose.

Chavez is well known, and admired, in South America for his trenchant criticism of long standing US interference in the affairs of sovereign American states and involvement in illegal activities to aid the overthrow of democratic, but left-leaning governments perceived as threats to US interests in the region. He is forging closer ties with Russia, allowing military planes to land and joining Russian naval exercises. Russia too will be feeling aggrieved by its treatment by the West, and by being labelled "aggressive", when the recent Georgian conflict was started by the bombing and invasion of Ossetia by Georgia, with the almost certain tacit approval of the US administration. Russia views the recent signing of an agreement to install missile defences in Poland as particularly provocative.

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