Chavez expels Israeli ambassador

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Cohen and a number of employees at the Israeli embassy to leave the country within 72 hours as a show of support to the Palestinian people. Chavez termed the Israeli attacks on the Gaza genocide and murder and called for others in the international community to stand up and demand an end to the war.
Last year Chavez took similar action against the U.S. ambassador to his nation during a crisis with Bolivian President Evo Morales. He took similar action with the ambassador of Colombia after that nation's president accused Chavez of complicity with FARC.
Other Latin American nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia are also critical of Israel's use of force. They are calling for a permanent and unconditional cease fire. But they are not in agreement with Chavez's decision to expel Ambassador Cohen.
This type of disproportional response to issues is not unusual for Chavez who, after taking similar action in the past, has often had to back off later. He tends to be hyper critical of the United States and Israel and his accusations tend to be inconsistent. Chavez's grip on his nation also seems to be waning as the nation faces increasing economic woes and he is picking up political opposition he managed to previously avoid making him a paper tiger and reducing his expulsion order to little more than theater.