Bolivian President Evo Morales announced Tuesday that he will consider expelling Peter Brennan, the lead U.S. negotiator involved in restoring diplomatic relations, following accusations he participated to undermine Morales' administration.
“We are going to evaluate the situation. Under our government we will not tolerate any type of foreign interference in our affairs,” Morales said Tuesday.
RELATED: Bolivians Abroad Prepare for Referendum Vote
President Morales accused Brennan of conducting high-level negotiations with members of the Bolivian political opposition, calling the meetings “an act of aggression.”
The U.S. and Bolivia have not had ambassadors in their respective capitals since 2008, and relations between both countries deteriorated in 2013 when Morales' plane, which was returning to his country from Russia, was prevented from landing in Europe due to rumors that whistleblower Edward Snowden was on board.
RELATED: Bolivia Says Regional Plot Exists to Bring Down the Left
Watch on #Periscope: Bolivia referendum update https://t.co/mTOtDQ3LA3
— Dimitri O'Donnell (@dimitri_teleSUR) February 16, 2016
The allegations were proven false and Latin American leaders condemned the action, calling it a form of “neo-colonial intimidation.”
As a result of President Morales’ decisions to expel the U.S. ambassador, along with thr DEA and USAID, U.S. “assistance” to Bolivia fell from US$99.7 million in FY2008 to US$5.2 million in FY2013 and to zero in FY2015.
WATCH: ’Yes' Campaign Gathers Pace in Support of Morales