Tensions Rise Between Venezuela and Paraguay

On Thursday President Hugo Chavez, of Venezuela, announced that he had withdrawn the military attaches from Paraguay, and sent them to Argentina.

Chavez said that the cause was death threats against them, since they were accused of attempting to plot a coup in Paraguay.

Wednesday saw Paraguay remove it's ambassador from Venezuela, as well as stating that the Venezuelan ambassador was no longer welcome.

Last month Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo was impeached and voted out of power, then replaced with Vice President Federico Franco. Venezuela has strongly opposed the removal of Chavez's ally.

Paraguay has accused Venezuela of attempting to get Paraguayan military officials to start a coup, saying that they have, "serious evidence of intervention by Venezuelan officials in the internal affairs of Paraguay".

Venezuela and Chavez have denied the accusations, countering that Paraguay is now a US backed dictatorship.

All of South America's governments have spaced themselves away from Paraguay, and the trade groups have suspended the country until it's next Presidential election, in April 2013.