The relationship between neighboring countries Venezuela and Colombia has gone from chilly to frigid, as Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez declared today that his government will not have anything to do with Colombia as long as it is lead by president Alvaro Uribe:

“I could not, out of dignity,” Mr Chavez told supporters in the town of Tachira in western Venezuela.

The Venezuelan government announced on Tuesday it was withdrawing its ambassador to Colombia.

The feud between neighbours and trading partners began when Mr Uribe stopped Mr Chavez mediating with Colombian rebels.

Beyond the punishment of the cold shoulder, Hugo’s dishing out the same brand of stuff he’s famous for: colorful insults. He’s calling Uribe a “pawn of the empire”, referring to him as a close ally of the U.S.

Via / BBC News