22-12-2008, 12:44 PM
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez announced on Sunday that a plot to assassinate his friend and ally Evo Morales of Bolivia had been uncovered. Chavez said the Bolivian president called and told him that authorities in the Andean country had uncovered the plot. The Venezuelan leader said during a radio broadcast that he wouldn't go into details _ leaving that to Bolivian officials _ but he said he told Morales to «be careful. Morales' office declined to comment. Morales is one of several leftist Latin American allies who share Chavez's antagonism toward Washington. He has faced persistent protests by opponents but won a recall referendum in August. Chavez also has said that he himself is a target. In September, he said his government had detained several suspects who were planning to assassinate him in an operation backed by the U.S. U.S. officials have repeatedly denied Chavez's accusations that Washington has backed attempts to overthrow him.