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10/13/2005:

"Chávez Ousts Missionaries"

CARACAS, Venezuela, Oct. 12 (Reuters) - President Hugo Chávez on Wednesday ordered a Christian missionary group working with indigenous peoples to leave the country after accusing its members of "imperialist infiltration" and spying.

Mr. Chávez briefly suspended foreign missionary permits in August after the American evangelist Pat Robertson called on Washington to assassinate the left-wing leader.

The group he is evicting is the Florida-based New Tribes Mission, which trains and coordinates missionaries to preach in remote areas, and has 160 assigned in Venezuela, according to its Web site.

No one answered the United States telephone number on the site.

"This is real imperialist penetration," Mr. Chávez said of the group. "They are taking sensitive and strategic information."
nytimes.com

Chavez for President!